Hello Friends! This is part two of our Great Grand Canyon RV Adventure. If you haven’t already please read our Great Grand Canyon RV Adventure Part 1, to hear about why we started this journey.
Part 2 - New Mexico through Winslow, AZ
Day 3 (Continued)
After leaving the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX, we headed into New Mexico. The main thing I remember is that it didn’t take long for the terrain to change. The flat land turned hilly and then quickly the hills turned to mountains.
Zia RV Park
740 E Abrahames Rd, Moriarty, NM 87015
Zia RV Park in Moriarty, NM was really nice. The RV spots were spacious. We were unable to use the laundry or bathroom facilities because they were closed for renovations. They had a fenced in dog park that our sweet little pooches enjoyed immensely. The park was safe and I felt comfortable letting the kids walk the dogs around the park without supervision. In total, I think there were about 5 other RV’s / Camper’s in the park when we were there. The park was flat and you see everything. They do not officially offer WiFi, but when I inquired about it, the nice lady who runs the facility, gave me a password. She warned me that they don’t give it out because it can be spotty at times. It worked great and I felt like she went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our stay. For that, I would recommend staying there.
The only thing I didn’t like was the amount of flies we had to contend with. It could have been the weather, it could’ve be New Mexico, either way the flies were terrible. I’m not going to blame the park. I mean, we are camping after all. Bugs are part of the deal.
When we arrived it was super windy. It was difficult to set up with the fear that anything we put out would just blow away. There seemed to be a storm near us. It never actually hit our location, but we could see it in the distance. Luckily, it went away in time for us to enjoy dinner and a lovely sunset.
Day 4
Once we got into Arizona, we stopped at the Tee Pee Trading Post. It was very cute. Lots of photo opps. They sold Native American souvenirs and everything else under the sun.
The next stop on our adventures was the Petrified Forest National Park. This was a stop just for me. I have dreamed of visiting there most of my life and it didn’t disappoint. I go into further detail about the Petrified Forest National Park in a future post.
Thanks to Meredith’s status of being a 4th grader (going into 5th) we received the National Park Service Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Annual Pass. It enable the child and their family to visit Federal recreation sites that charge fees for FREE! Through the duration of our trip the pass saved us over $200. We got into the Petrified Forest NP, Grand Canyon NP, Zion NP, The Arches NP, and the Rocky Mountain NP for free. If you have a kid that qualifies, you can go to HERE and get one.
Petrified Forest National Park
Since I heard about the Petrified Forest when I was a child, I have always dreamt of visiting it. It didn’t disappoint and I was glad to mark off a place on my Life List. This was the first National Park we visited on this trip and it was absolutely gorgeous. The Petrified Forest National Park is known for its 225 million year old fossils of fallen trees. The wood literally turned to stone. The sediments are widespread through the park and create very colorful landscape. This is why the region is called, “The Painted Dessert."
Meteor Crater RV Park - Winslow, AZ
I-40 Exit 233, Winslow, AZ 86047
We set up camp for the night at Meteor Crater RV Park. The facility was nice, but the spots were pretty close together. Luckily, there were not many people in the park so we really weren’t near any other campers. It was nice stop for the night. It is very close to the Meteor Crater, but you cannot view it for free. We decided to skip the Meteor Crater and head into town.
I’m a huge fan of the Eagles, so I had to go and see Winslow, AZ. In their hit song Take It Easy, Glen Fry sings the line, “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.” The town has embraced this recognition with statues of Glen Frey. If you are a fan of the Eagles, it is a must do.
Don’t miss my next post, Our Great Grand Canyon Adventure -Part 3, when we finally reach the Grand Canyon!
Until Next Time My Friends! Have A Magical Day!
