Meteor Crater aka Could've Been the End of Us All

Me, fighting the wind, at the top observation deck.

After leaving the Petrified National Forest and Painted Desert, we took I-40 south towards the Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater. It’s an uneventful drive, to be honest, dotted with cheap tourist traps and sleepy towns. (“What’s with the all the freakin’ dinosaur statues?” My fiancé was nearly pulling his hair out at the sight of them by the end of the drive.) Once you turn to Meteor Crater Drive, there is another long stretch through the flat lands that are accentuated by round signs that pop up from the terrain advertising the park, facts about the meteor, and other fun desert weirdness.

The rim of the crater rises about 15 stories from the landscape, broad and flat like a natural plateau. The entrances to the lookout points and museum require an ascent (via stairs or an elevator) of about two stories. Even with the guardrails I was afraid of losing my balance and tumbling into the crater somehow; my small frame wasn’t much against the storm winds blowing in from the south. I clung to the handrails and made my way towards the top of the lookout point. The storm cell’s ominous clouds serve as a backdrop to all of our photos.

Full view of the crater, from museum doorway.

The view is breathtaking. The massive crater—two miles around, one mile across, and over 500 feet deep—burrows into the earth with an eerie beauty. When it landed, it would have killed everyone and everything for miles but now it’s harmless and awe inspiring. Though it’s hard to tell from the observation deck, the crater isn’t quite round. The edges are quite squared, which is more easily seen in an aerial view; some believe these corners is due to jointing in the strata.

In the depths of the crater are an array of strange materials placed there by early researchers and astronauts in training: a grill, a 6 foot tall astronaut with a flag (which is barely visible from the rim) and a small structure. I thought those things were a bit distracting to be honest and wish that they would’ve removed everything but the astronaut maybe. Aside from being funny, he gives viewers a good point of reference for depth perception. The other items just looked like trash at the bottom of a bowl.

A piece of the troublemaker!

My fiancé and I descended the staircase (hold on!) and passed briefly through the museum. I recommend spending more time in the museum especially if you have pre-teen and teen. Kids in that age group really seemed to get the most out of the exhibits. They were informative and had a few interactive elements that I liked. My favorite was a chunk of The Holsinger meteorite that formed the crater. I wish to God that I could’ve tried picking it up, just for fun, to get a better idea of the size and mass of the meteor that hit the earth so long ago. (Note: don’t try picking it up. You can’t. You’ll probably be arrested, aside from looking really stupid.)

I’d recommend a few of these tips to fellow travelers:

-Don’t rush. Giving yourself time to soak up the natural beauty around you is part of the fun. If you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to see the painted desert as some colorful hills and the meteor crater as a hole in the ground. Stop, think, and seriously enjoy them!

-Eat a lot before you set out. The food options are few and far in between. Stopping in Flagstaff and Winslow are your best bets but even then it’s slim pickings, especially for those with dietary restriction or a hatred for chain fast-food establishments.

-The informative stuff matters. Take the time to watch the videos, read the placards and whatnot. Understanding what you’re looking at enhances your experience exponentially.

The Petrified Forest & Painted Desert

My fiance and I took a trip to Phoenix, AZ in mid-July. Here's a bit of what went down:

Our first stop of the tour.

I’m not going to lie: the morning started off horribly. My fiancé and I planned to hike Camelback Mountain around 5am but only four hours of sleep got the best of us; he went back to sleep and I stared at the ceiling for an hour, which put me in a pissy mood (sorry, Babe!). I was a bit scared that this would be the suckiest day of our vacation, which would be horrible after leaving a less than divine experience in north Scottsdale.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, my fiancé and I headed northbound towards anywhere. Truth is, neither of us knew which of the parks we wanted to see first but we knew the general direction that we needed to go. We decided upon the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Meteor Crater. (Canyon de Chelly was also on the list but was ditched at the last minute. It is nearly eight hours from Phoenix.)

The drive to the Petrified Forest is absolutely stunning, particularly for a southeastern girl with limited access to desert and mountain landscapes. Close to Phoenix, the stark hills rise like hiccups from the terrain. Desert shrubs and succulents dot the land. As we progressed closer to Flagstaff, the cacti gave way to pine trees. The wind rustled tall grasses in the vast expanses of nothingness between the foothills. As exhausted as I was, I couldn’t sleep. I kept my face pressed against the glass with my future father-in-law’s camera clicking away. 

Since I hadn’t planned on visiting the Petrified Forest, I expected all of the wrong things. I imagined that the landscape would change into more forested area as we breezed down route 180; somewhere along the lines a canyon would drop beneath us and inside—preserved by heat and obscurity—would be a forest of rock-solid trees rising from the depths of the canyon.

Beautiful colors within petrified wood.

Wrong.  The route 180 looks like rural Arkansas during a dust storm: hot, dry, and sunny with expanses of fields for miles and miles. Somewhere in the distance, gray mountains peeked over the horizon. A patch of greenery here and there signaled water. A few trees survived in these areas, along with a few residential compounds that looked like they were living off of the grid.

The entrance to the park pops up out of nowhere. Even after passing the sign, there are miles to drive before reaching the Petrified Forest’s information center and trails. The petrified trees have long since fallen and many have crumbled. Massive hunks remain, radiating various colors from within in a way that in intriguing and captivating. You don’t think looking at fallen trees would be cool until you’re actually doing it. Purples, reds, oranges, greens—the rings of the tree are obscured by glistening hunks of color that represent the presence of silica, manganese, carnotite, and cinnabar. The trees are almost fully quartz, so solid they can only be but with a diamond-tipped saw. It’s a bit mind-boggling. (I asked my fiancé how long he thought it would take human bones to petrified, if our composition permitted that at all. Seriously, I’d like my bones to be that awesome long after I’m gone.)

We only spent about 30 minutes at the Petrified Forest Welcome Center trails. I’d recommend spending more time. I believe that watching the video in the center will give you a better idea of how the trees were formed and what the environment looked like before when the trees were alive.

Blue hills towards the south of the park

We hopped back into the rental car and made our way towards my favorite part of the park—the Painted Desert. We began in the low-lying hills and buttes with beautiful bands of blue, gray, and white. Those closest to the road rose no higher than fifty feet; they are low but often wide, providing stunning panoramic shots that my camera simply wasn’t prepared for. (I must go back with the proper equipment!) To the naked eye, though, the vistas are stunning.

And they only get better. As you progress towards I-40, the hills become larger mesas that plummet down into canyons, like miniature Grand Canyons that are equally stunning in color though less in scale. The rocks and sand are painted bands of red, orange, pink, amber, and white.

The region that we passed through is part of the Chinle Formation, a series of hills, buttes, and mesas that are composed of fluvial deposits. Researchers estimate that these lands were formed 200 million years ago when the region possessed wetlands. Rivers carved through the mudstone and sandstone to create the masses we see today. When nearby volcanoes erupted, they altered the normal composition of the sediment and mineral deposits, contributing to the bizarre bands of color. In short, the colors are bookmarkers for what was happening in the environment at the time.

My fiance at a lookout point in the northern red badlands

I could’ve spent hours on that route, pulling over at all of the lookout points, snapping photos and simply absorbing the beauty of it all. Unfortunately, we were trying to cram in a lot in a little time so we drove through the badlands stopping only a few times.

Next stop: Meteor Crater!

Power Hang Gliding near Chattanooga

The much awaited video is finally here!

This adventure took place 15 miles outside of Chattanooga, TN with FlyThis.biz, a power hang gliding (or hangliding) business owned and operated by Erik. He was our pilot and companion during the experience. He is incredibly friendly, informative, and simply a pleasure to work with. We highly recommend him.

My fiance and I composed the video of footage recorded using GoPro Hero in addition to video recorded by Erik's on-board camera. There are also bits of film from my fiance's iPhone. Sorry for the changes in quality and the generic music. The videos will progressively get better as we improve as editors :D




The experience was amazing. Guests are given a brief overview of the craft before hopping in and descending a ramp into the water of Rankin Cove, Marion County Park. (Note: your feet will get a bit wet.) After taxiing to gain speed, the trike lifts effortlessly from the water and continues to rise...and rise...and rise...until it reaches 2,000. The trike maxes out at 14,000 and I suppose elevation depends on Erik's discrepancy and the comfort of his guest. The speed was about 45mph, which is hard to gauge that high up with no points of reference (other than clouds and cars on the ground that look like ants). It's a comfortable speed that feels exhilarating without the wind pressing your cheeks back to your ears.


The ride lasts for about 30 minutes, with Erik describing the natural and man-made landmarks along the way. You can also learn a few meteorological tips. It's important to make sure that you can hear him, as his comments greatly enhance your experience. I think my fiance got even more out of the ride than I did because he could communicate better with Erik. 


You may also be given the opportunity to steer! I loved it, though I didn't feel as comfortable as my fiance who steered for about 15 minutes. If you chicken out, just let Erik know and he'll take the reigns, no harm done.


By far my favorite part of the trip was the descent. We made corkscrew spirals downward, with the craft nearly on its side. I loooooooooved it and wished that we could've just done that a couple of times. Landing was a breeze (like I said, he's a good pilot) and the gentle splash of the water on my legs was a much welcomed refreshment in the hot summer sun.

We encourage you to give it a try! Check Groupon for deals.

Improvements and Adventures coming soon

Hello all!
It's been quite some time since there was an update to Insert Something Creative. After the proposal has come wedding plans, plenty of work, and fun stuff in between. No excuse, right? *smile*

But there is good news. My fiance recently got a super cool Go camera and we hope to upload footage of our adventures in addition to videos and text. We used the camera for the first time this weekend and neither of us knows a thing about video editing so please be patient :D

We look forward to chronicling more fun and exciting ventures throughout the US and eventually the world. Best wishes and we'll check in again with you soon!

Full Moon Hikes Awaken Your Inner Romantic

Panola Mountain State Park offers moon light hikes to the top of the mountain. My boyfriend and I decided that we'd take the hike on a seemingly random Tuesday evening. The moon was set to be its fullest that night and we knew the views would be spectacular.

Park rangers Amy and Jamie were our guides. No one else showed up that night so I was stoked to have a little private tour. It had been years since I went to the top and I was glad to be going with my boyfriend.

Our excursion began around sunset on a cool evening. The rangers guided us up the side of Panola Mountain. Near the base, the trail is forested, dotted with small ponds and a beautiful lake right before hikers gain elevation. Around the lake are cottages, remnants of the owners who passed the park on to the state back in the 70s.

Red Diamorpha

From there, we began our journey upward. The trees became more scarce, giving way to the bare face of the granite. Amy was incredibly knowledgeable about the plant life and formations found in the bulges and crags of the monadnock. She pointed out numerous types of lichen which for some reason remind me of tiny reindeer antlers. She also noted rare red diamorpha which thrives in the tiny shallow pools that are speckled across the mountain. At one stop, we found the even rarer green diamorpha!

My favorite was the black moss, which turns bright green in seconds after pouring water on it. The transformation is even faster when there is more sunlight, but since we were catching the last rays before sunset we had to kneel down and squint to see the change.


Since we hiked during the winter, we missed out on the prickly pear cacti, the sand wart, and yellow daisies that I've heard are stunning during the warmer months.

Then we reached the top. Beautiful! The sun set in the west, and to the right we could see the Atlanta skyline as bright as day. The city juts up out of the horizon like its own strange little mountain range. It was simply stunning.

We walked up a bit further to another crest. From there, we could see nearby Arabia Mountain and the moon rising in the east. It seemed like it was "rising" pretty fast thanks to a low-lying strip of clouds. As the clouds slipped away in the distant winds, the moon grew fuller and brighter. From where we stood, it was about the size of a dinner plate in our hands.

My boyfriend, who is generally the romantic type, whipped out a tripod and asked the rangers to take photos of us. I wasn't expecting the tripod, or the portable light that he brought but I was glad that thy were there. Jamie took a few photos of us with the moonlight at our backs.

"On the count of three, everybody say, 'Yes!'" I dunno what happened to cheese, but during the third photo it all began to make sense. The flash blinded me. As my eyes recovered, I noticed Jamie hand my boyfriend a small black box. Amy shoved her hands deep into her pockets and grinned.

My boyfriend dropped to one knee and I think I went temporarily def. I could see him open the box, revealing a diamond that caught the moonlight and sent it back at me like another camera flash. I think I heard him say my name and that was enough.

"Yes, yes, yes! Get up! Oh my God, get up!" I shouted. I think I pulled him to his feet.

"Speech!" squealed Amy.

I look of horror passed my boyfriend's--I mean, fiance's--face.

I cracked up for a second. "You don't have to give a speech, just put it on me!" I'm seriously not using enough exclamation points for how I was really talking.

My fiance placed the ring on my finger and I know I squealed and kissed him for at least a good minute. Somewhere along the lines I regained my breath, called him a jerk and a punk for surprising me, and kicked him in the butt. Eh. It's what we do.

The descent was a bit of a blur. I remember that the moonlight was so bright that we didn't need flashlights at all. The light was so bright, actually, that it cast long angular shadows on the ground around us as we passed through the trees. We tried to take a few photos back at the lake, catching the moonlight and starts reflecting off of the water but nothing could capture the beauty as we saw it in front of us.

While this account doesn't describe a normal Panola Mountain Park moonlight hike, it does demonstrate just how phenomenal the park rangers are. Three park staff members were in on the scheme! They helped my finace coordinate everything and went out of their way to make everything seem like an average walk through the woods. Thank you so much Jamie and Amy!!!!

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 3

Breakfast Battles

I happened to stay at a Holiday Inn, which I mistook for a Holiday Inn Express. The former does not serve breakfast (boo!) so I searched town for inexpensive breakfasts. There was a Denny’s across the street but I wanted places with a more local touch.

International Café

I stumbled across International Café, located in a strip mall on Calle Real in Goleta. Although I went to this location three times I always got the same thing because it was sooo good: smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onions. It was delicious!

The bagels seem fresh though they weren’t quite my style. I prefer super soft, fluffy bagels and theirs were thick and chewy. International Cafe offers vanilla coffee, which everyone before and after me always seemed to order. I recommend you follow their example and try it when you stop by. The regular coffee won't rock your world, so try something different.

The service didn’t thrill me, either. All three mornings there were young girls working, perhaps college students. They would’ve worked a bit faster if they weren’t busy complaining to each other about class schedules and homework.  They were kind to the customers but the time thing could be a downside if you’re in a hurry. I never was so it worked out fine.

Overall Rating: 7/10 So-so service still can't ruin a good lox bagel.

Tupelo Junction

By far my favorite breakfast experience took place at Tupelo Junction in downtown Santa Barbara. Had I discovered it earlier I would've gone there multiple times. 

The storefront is small, with two outdoor tables situated near the sidewalk. Upon entering, the restaurant opens up into a broad, warm room with tasteful country kitchen decor. I sat in one of the few window seats to enjoy people watching and basking in the warm winter sunshine.

I enjoyed everything that touched my mouth. Tupelo Junction has a decent tea selection. The whole leaf earl gray was warm and rich (I add milk and honey to mine). They refill the water here, which is important to me. I drink a lot of tea and quality leaves can be used more than once (so it's a waste not to!).

I ordered a scramble with two eggs, Gouda cheese, applewood bacon, caramelized onions and spinach served with a side of seasoned potatoes and banana nut bread. Scrumptious! I loved how all of the flavors worked together to create a warm, hearty party in my mouth. The Gouda was particularly nice, a much welcomed break from the cheddar that's so common on scramble/skillet dishes. And good lord is it filling! I skipped lunch that day. (Not completely--I ate ice cream and was just fine until dinner).

The hostess and waitress were both incredibly pleasant and attentive. 

My only regret is not coming multiple times to try the beignets. The ladies next to me were nearly orgasmic with happiness as they ate theirs!

Overall Rating: 10/10 for excellent food, great views and a menu that offers something for everyone.

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 2

Noodle City

If you’re staying in Goleta, CA (near the Santa Barbara airport) then I beseech you to visit Noodle City.

Noodle City is two blocks from my job. I was on my way to another restaurant when I saw it. The aroma of pho drifted outside from the open door. I stopped in my tracks on the sidewalk and peeped inside. The tiny establishment was packed. It was a high energy place in a laid-back town. I couldn’t resist stepping inside.

There were maybe three waitresses for all 35-45 guests that were packed inside but those girls were handling it. No one missed a beat. The service was fast and courteous (though not steeped in Southern hospitality like I’m used to).  

I ordered pho with seafood. It was straightforward; the only oddities were the fried blocks of tofu which I've had before but theirs were particularly delicious. They were a nice touch. The seafood was good but I’m not going to claim that they pulled it out of the ocean that morning or anything. The dish was flavorful and piping hot, just as it should be!

What makes this place is the atmosphere. Santa Barbara isn’t a particularly diverse city when it comes to ethnicities so the diversity found at Noodle City was invigorating. It was like every person of any color was eating there. And some of them brought their white friends!

I’m laughing as I write that but it’s true.

I chatted a bit with the table of guys beside me. They ordered pho with chicken, a broken rice and pork dish, and a vermicelli dish with chicken and shrimp. Consensus? It was all excellent. The guys mentioned that they stop in at least once a week. Noodle City is the “best Vietnamese restaurant in town.”

Overall Rating: 9/10 for great food, fun atmosphere and speedy service

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 1

I arrived in Santa Barbara on a business trip and couldn’t wait to check out the food scene. I got a few suggestions from local coworkers and created an itinerary of must-sees and must eats. Check back for updates!

Shintory Sushi Factory

After reading rave reviews online, I decided to stop into Shintori Sushi Factory on State Street. It isn’t in the downtown portion of State Street but it’s easily accessible if you’re headed that way.

Atmosphere: Shintori is easy to miss. The small read awning and red sign blend in with the surrounding signage. Once found, the entrance and interior are both unassuming and underwhelming. It’s a small restaurant with about 7 tables and a bar. Nondescript images are easy to ignore. One TV flashes silent pictures at guests while the sushi chefs rock out to reggaeton. 

The menu has a lot of common favorites as well as a few local specialties. As my litmus test, I got a rainbow roll and their version of a Beauty and the Beast (BBQ eel and tuna over a California roll). The rolls are smaller than what I’m accustomed to at my favorite hangouts in Atlanta but they were still filling. The fish was good. Not stellar but it was just fine.

The sauce on the eel was HORRID to my taste buds. I’ve gotten BBQ eel multiple times and at least two dozen restaurants and I’ve never had sauce like this. It’s as if the standard sauce was sprinkled with cigarette ashes! Perhaps it was sprinkled with ashes. I hadn’t offended anyone that I was aware of…Bitter sauce on eel is just a bad idea. I scraped the BBQ sauce off of the roll and doused it in soy sauce to try and fend off the flavor.

There were a few cute odds and ends. Each meal comes with a edamame appetizer, and many rolls are served with veggies on the side like peas, carrots, and grape tomatoes. Gotta get in your veggies! The two waitresses that assisted me were very kind.

Overall Restaurant Rating: 5/10 for decent, filling food that simply didn’t wow me.

Image Credit: Asian Food Grocer

Vote Decatur as the South's Tastiest Town!

I often do restaurant reviews on this website from my travels, but I think it's also important to represent restaurants in my hometown of Atlanta that are worthy of recognition.

Decatur, GA is one of my favorite Atlanta towns. It's being recognized by Southern Living magazine as one of The South's Tastiest Towns. What does that mean? Decatur is getting props for its unique food culture and excellent restaurants. My favorite Decatur eateries are Wahoo, Java Monkey, Sushi Avenue, and Cafe Lily.

But-- we need your help! Decatur needs votes to win the title of the Tastiest Town. We are thousands of votes behind our competitors like Lafayette and we need your votes to bring home the victory.
Vote every day, once a day, until January 31, 2011. Each vote get you closer to a chance of winning a $2,500 trip!

Thanks for your support!