Meteor Crater & Twin Arrows

After we finished our tour of Grand Canyon Caverns, it was time to continue the journey along Route 66. In this post, I’m going to talk about how bad things can happen. Sometimes, it’s a meteor striking the earth. Other times, it’s a nail going into a tire on your trailer, setting off a sequence of events that lead to the trip almost ending! We prevailed, but came away with some interesting stories.

The Road to Meteor Crater

After Meteor Crater, you run into Burma Shave signs, a Route 66 staple. Unlike most advertising that’s contained in one sign, the company put a series of signs with a short poem, often about highway safety. One set of signs, which was restored by Arizona DOT, read:

If Daisies Are Your
Favorite Flower
Keep Pushin’ Up
Those Miles Per Hour

Once we were back where Route 66 shares its path with Interstate 40, we headed to a Pilot/GM charging station at a One9 truck stop in Ash Fork. Sadly, this was the first time we’d have to unhook the trailer to charge. There simply wasn’t enough space to fit the trailer without blocking multiple people into their parking spaces. So, we went across the lot, unhooked, put the truck on the charger, and cooked lunch in the trailer.

The road then turned in a direction most don’t: up! After Ash Fork, I-40 climbs. And climbs some more. And, it climbs higher.

This is where towing with an EV shows its greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses. The great thing was that I didn’t have to slow down for the climb. Without a motor or transmission to worry about, and with abundant torque, our Silverado EV pulled the trailer up the steepest inclines at 65 MPH with no problem. We passed many semi-trucks, other pickups pulling trailers, and even some cars that weren’t towing as they struggled with the climb. Seven tons of mass went from Ash Fork to Flagstaff effortlessly. The downside is the amount of battery this burns up. We got a pretty full charge in Ash Fork and had no problem making it all the way to Meteor Crater, but if we had been in a place with fewer chargers, this kind of hill could lead to range coming up short.

Picking Up A Nail At Twin Arrows

One place I had to visit was the old Twin Arrows Trading Post, a historic Route 66 service station that had been around since the 1940s. Today, all that stands is some abandoned buildings, a dead end road, and one of the historic giant arrows that once caught motorists’ attention to get them to stop for gas, drinks, and such. I pulled in, stepped out to get the camper ready for a quick meal, and noticed that one of my tires was almost flat. It was gasping out the last of its air through a small hole with a nail in it, making a sickening hissing sound.

I was very prepared for this to happen. I had an off-road floor jack, an electric impact, a moving blanket, and a spare tire with lots of tread. Even while wearing a skirt, I had the tire changed in about 5 minutes, leaving me plenty of time to go explore the old ruins. Sadly, they’re in a state of very advanced decay. I could make some educated guesses about what each room was for, but I sure would appreciate a chance to see what it was like before Route 66 was abandoned and Twin Arrows began to tumble into history.

Meteor Crater RV Park

Lacking a spare tire now, I knew I needed to stop in somewhere to either get the flat repaired or buy another one. It was late in the day, so we decided to go ahead and stop at the Meteor Crater RV Park for the night. We arrived after normal check-in hours, but someone on site came out to tell us how to get in, how to pay for a site online, and anything else we needed to know. It was all pretty simple, and we pulled in to rest. I was able to gain about 40% charge using the 50-amp plug that night. This put us right off the exit you’d take to drive the next 5 miles or so down to the crater itself.

What’s A “National Natural Landmark”?

Here’s the thing: Meteor Crater isn’t a national park, national monument, or any other kind of National Park Service Property. It’s not on BLM or any other government lands, either. It’s privately-owned, and you’re paying admission to enter just like you would at any other roadside attraction. But, despite this, it’s designated as a National Natural Landmark. In other words, it’s on a list of places that the National Park Service considers very special, but not under their control. The goal of the program isn’t to eventually buy the place and turn it into a park or monument, but to encourage voluntary preservation. There’s also some limited support that the owners of NNLs can get from NPS in their efforts to preserve and study such places.

Far Better Than I Imagined

Sadly, I didn’t get too many photos of Meteor Crater. The wind was atrocious. I suffered a minor injury opening and closing a camper door when the extreme winds closed it on me harder than a person could if they’d tried. We spent most of our time there indoors to stay out of the wind.

But, that doesn’t mean we didn’t get to have a lot of fun and get some great views of the crater, even if it was through glass that had a lot of reflections. Not only was there a good scientific presentation on the formation of the crater, but there was a ride where you go with a cartoon rabbit to obliterate asteroids with antimatter fuel pods, some basic food, lots of scientific exhibits to learn about asteroids, and all of it in well-maintained modern buildings. There was even “epic” music playing as you entered the place (even if it was a little cheesy).

For years, I thought that maybe Meteor Crater was a roadside attraction that would take a bunch of your money, show you a hole in the ground, have the kids begging at the gift shop, and you’re on your way again. It was actually worth the money and a good experience! I’m just hoping to have less wind next time to get decent pictures.

The Charging Situation

The crater is close enough to both Flagstaff and Winslow for nearly all EVs to make it there. As usual, be sure to use a route planning app and leave extra range if you’re towing a trailer. The RV park (owned by the same company as owns the crater) had no problem with me charging my truck. There is no other charging of any kind on the property, nor are there any charging stations at the visitor center as of this writing.

According to Plugshare and Arizona DOT, there’s supposed to be a new NEVI-funded charging station at some point in the future at the gas station just off the interstate (and next to the RV park). Sadly, we don’t know how long that will take, as the Trump Admin Regime unlawfully tried to steal the funding for that and spend it on who knows what. Courts have restored the funding, but it will take some time to clean up the administrative and bureaucratic mess this has created.