CompuServe Messages

John, Ben… You guys are soooo skeptical… MeTeor craTer? La Brea Tar piTs? (yes Martha they are spelled with capital "T" as in "TourisT SiTes"). I've been to both several times since I came to the Land of Nutmeg and Honey in 1953. Tar Pit tidbits first… You've divined the nature of the localle quite well. There have never been any excursions into the pits because you'd not get out. There's stuff sticking up out of the tar here and there like parts of local birds so yes the pits are chained off, but at least in this case it's for your own good. There is a maze of cement paths among the several pits; and there is also a "working" pit or at least there always has been (if I recall, it was manned by UCLA students of archeology) with video monitors at the surface showing the excavating in progress. Two things Ben failed to deduce, the aromatic presence of H2S which continually bubbles up and an active pit "in situ" with all the bones still in place. Yes there are museums on the property now as well but crystal pyramids have given way (g). As for the MeTeor CraTer…first time I was there was also in the 50's and it was permitted that visitors could hike to the bottom. This was pre-liability-lawsuit days when you could still follow unusual and dangerous paths if you were so inclined, so much for "the land of the free" (sigh). At the time I had a cast on my 6 year old leg and still made it to the bottom on a July day with the surface temp at the rim above 100'F. Temp at the bottom of the crater was reported to us by the rangers as being 147'F. The entire surface of the crater bowl is riddled with old mine shafts sunk in efforts to locate the presumed main mass of the meteor. Lots of places for a wandering "explorer" to fall and hurt themselves. So now the whole thing is off limits, and I don't think they even have ranger guided walks very far down the trail to the bottom. It was several miles round trip and was steep, rocky and difficult in places. There is a museum at the surface with the usual fare of explanatory videos and some nice meteorites on display. Yes you can buy all sorts of artifacts at the shops in the museums in both places and much of it is tourist junk. I was dissapointed by my return visit to the meteor crater. It was sad to perch on the rail staring down into the crater, how sterile! All I have are fond memories of tucking myself into the ribbon of shade along an old rusty ore bucket for protection from the blistering heat of the midday sun. Brings tears to my eyes now. I would have to recommend that anyone going to the meteor crater plan on doing other things in the area too, it's only good for a few hours of visit time at most now. The tar pits on the other hand remain a fascination….they stand today exactly as they were when the saber tooth tigers, sloths, birds and other animals were drawn in by the thin layer of water on the surfaces. Yes they are now surrounded by the Los Angeles basin and are smack in the middle of it all but they stand as a tiny oasis of prehistoric pools. I also enjoy the museum a great deal, and while I've never wished to accept the invitation, the back rooms are open to museum members on a private tour basis to view the extensive collection of bones and other artifacts which have been recovered from the pits over the years. Now, having said all that, John… When are you going to be out here? Post a note and I'll try to come to the site and say hi…it's time I brought my daughter for a second visit. -Russ