Day 8, Sunday, September 1, 2019
So much for a “short” day. We only had 90 miles to go to get from Gallup, NM to Holbrook, AZ. Granted, we had a few hours this evening to relax (thankfully I was able to get at least two entries completed).
This morning we actually had breakfast in the hotel. We try to avoid hotel food at every chance since it is usually so expensive, but for all the gripes I had about this hotel the breakfast was quite good. We made sure we fueled up since the plan was to take a slight detour off the Route through the Painted Dessert and the Petrified Forest.
The way out of town was easy-peasy, but as we were trucking along our path was stopped by a line of construction cones. Some of the rocky cliffs are right up at the edge of the road and in this one instance the cliff decided to lose a few pounds. Right in our path! Thankfully, the route runs along closely to I-40 so it was easy to backtrack the 4 or so miles to the nearest entrance ramp and hop on the highway. As soon as we got into Arizona (8 miles later) we were able to hop back on 66 and continue the real journey.
As we’re tooling along, Mom slams on her breaks because suddenly a horse just starts meandering in front of our path. I guess he did not like the patch of grass his friends were working on, so he decided to partake in the deliciousness on the other side of the road.
After waiting patiently for the local to grab his snack we continued on. After some ins and outs and an occasional jaunt on the highway where the route was not able to stand the test of time, we ventured off and headed into the Painted Dessert & Petrified Forest National Park. The National Park is 28 miles of ancient natural wonders. We thought it would take us an hour or two to go through the park, but 4 hours and one sunburn later we finally finished our little tour.
This was an amazing experience. We started on the north side and saw the Painted Dessert. The colors in the rocks are unbelievable. So clearly you can see each level and change in the rocks. Next , we drove along the path to see the ancient petroglyphs which even included a sundial. Then, we wove around to the southern end of the park and made it to the Petrified Forest. I must admit, I did not know what to expect. All I’ve known is that they are ancient trees that have turned to stone. In my head that meant they were gray fossil kind of structures. I did not expect them to be so colorful and almost fake looking. The way the stones looked, they almost appeared to be made out of Lego’s. I love that we were able to see and touch so many. No, I did not take any rocks with me. I do not need the bad luck that follows Petrified Forest thieves.
Definitely definitely, if you have not been here, check it out. It is such a fascinating wonder to see.
Exhausted and starving, we headed away from the park and towards Holbrook, AZ in search of food and our latest home. Being on the road for a week, it does mess with your sense of timing though. When we got into town, we realized that most of the restaurants were closed. Not only is it a small town where most things close on Sunday’s but it’s also a holiday weekend. Sadly, we had to settle for fast food or Denny’s. Denny’s won.
Tonight’s motel was truly a “Cars” experience. We stayed in the Wigwam Motel! It was so cute, and more spacious than I would have thought. There were about 16 teepees in the complex and each one also had a classic car parked in front to give it even more of an old Route experience. If they had been orange, it totally would have been the Cozy Cone from the movie. The room was good, but the shower cracked me up a little. Since the structure of the building is circular, the wall of the shower is somewhat rounded. Because of that, you had to be careful not to bang your elbows against the one wall. Also, the way the plumbing was, the showerhead was so low that even I had to do a bit of back bend to fit under it. It was the perfect size for Mom though.
We didn’t get to enjoy the sunset this time because a storm was threatening. It never actually rained, but the sky was completely dark and the wind was horrendous. Oh well. Enjoying my time in our cozy little cone catching up on my journal.
Until tomorrow!
Journey On 