Month: July 2019

Monday, July 29

We ate a breakfast at hotel in Winslow and hit the road rather early.  We had a long day ahead of us.  We started with 3/4 of a tank of gas which we thought should be sufficient to get us to our first planned stop in Albuquerque.  Traffic was light and we zipped along Route 40 East without difficulty.

As we went I monitored our gas.  Nearing Albuquerque the gauge was well below 1/4 of a tank but according to the trip computer we expected to make town without any problem.  About 30 miles out we got a low fuel warning so we made a precautionary stop at a truck stop for gas.  The car took 12.5 gallons.  This was surprising because we thought the car had a 12 gallon tank.  😀 The owner’s manual said it has a 14 gallon capacity which meant we would have easily made it to Albuquerque – but, better safe than sorry.

Yesterday was Bugs Bunny’s 79th birthday so in his honor, “we made a wrong turn at Albuquerque”.  If you don’t get the reference then you didn’t spend enough time in your childhood watching Saturday morning cartoons!

(We Made a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque!)

We drove down to the historical, old town for a little bite to eat.  We’d been sitting in the car for four hours and really wanted to stretch our legs.  That part of town is just a large square but it has lots of interesting shops selling Native American and Southwestern goods.  We checked out a sandwich shop but declined to pay tourist prices.  We did find a charming Catholic church named for San Felipe de Neri.  Dating from 1706 it’s the oldest church in New Mexico and has served the community without interruption since its inception.  The interior was not ornate but was very pretty.

(Church of San Felipe de Neri)

Back on the road we stopped at a Dairy Queen for lunch.  The burgers were nothing special but the heath bar blizzard was really quite good.  We now felt fortified for the next four hours of our journey.

About two hours outside of Armarillo Deborah said that the air conditioner was making a loud sound.  It was only noticeable when we slowed down and it didn’t seem significant so we continued on our way.  About half an hour later I remarked that we must be driving into a strong headwind because our gas mileage really seemed to be suffering.

When we got off the highway in Amarillo we heard an awful sound – something was dragging underneath the car.  We pulled over to a nearby filling station and a quick look found that the plastic undercarriage had come loose, bent and was dragging under the car.  We had probably been driving like that for 90 miles.  We called the nearest Ford dealer.  They said that they we closing in 20 minutes but if we brought the car right over that they would take a look at it.  Fortunately we were only 10 minutes away.

The dealership took us right away, hoisted the car and had a look.  They said that they probably needed to replace the plastic undercarriage and that they didn’t have one in stock.  Eventually they were able to bend it back to its original position and secure it in place.  Would it take the stress of a trip to Florida and back?  They said it would and added that it should be a long term fix but advised us to have it looked at when we finally got back to Nevada just to be sure.  We dodged a BIG bullet!

After checking into our hotel we decided that we’d had enough driving for one day and walked to a nearby Waffle House for dinner.  Waffle House never disappoints.  The food may not be classy but it is tasty.  We had intended to eat at a famous steak restaurant in the area but when we found that dinner would cost us about $70.00 we opted for a simpler choice.

When we left the Waffle House I had quite a shock.  My car was missing!  I was a little panicked until I realized that we had walked.  The car was just where we left it.  It really had been a long day.

After dinner we drove out to the Cadillac Ranch to see a somewhat unique art installation.  Someone half buried a bunch of old Cadillacs in the ground and invited the public to spray paint them.  The installation is in the middle of an active farm just off Route 40.  It was quite amusing to see how many layers of paint have accumulated on these cars.  In some places there was a good four inches as visitors continue to paint them over and over again across many years.  Admission is free.  It was a nice end to a rather long and stressful day.

(Cadillac Ranch Art Installation)

Sunday, July 28

Here in Winslow we’re staying at a Quality Inn.  It’s a typical budget hotel where the price includes a free breakfast.  Our expectations of the food were not very high but since we intended to get an early start it was the logical choice.  The offerings included eggs, sausages, yogurt, pancakes, oatmeal and much more.  It was surprisingly delicious.  It’s nice to get a good surprise every now and then.

After breakfast we headed East for almost an hour until we reached the Petrified Forest.  The park is absolutely huge and includes a large part of the painted desert.  Our visit gave us the opportunity to check off another National Park from our list; this will bring our total in the United States to 16.  We only have 42 more to go!

Of the two entrances, one off Route 40 and one off Route 180, we chose the one off Route 40.  The visitor center has a film about the park showing on a continuous loop and the attendant gave us a free map and some very useful information about the visit.  Cost to enter is based on the type of vehicle you’re driving.  For a standard car like ours it cost $20.00.

The 28 mile road that crosses the 108,000 acre park could be driven in 45 minutes but we stopped at literally every vista point and point of interest, read every sign and even walked part of a few trails.  We spent about five hours there.  The temperature was only in the 90s but the sun was very hot.  Thank heavens for the cool breeze.

The northern end of the park is mainly about the painted desert.  It’s a vast area that was formed through sediment layering and volcanic action.  It was easy to see many layers of rock as they all had distinct colors including red, blue, green, purple and orange.

 

(Painted Desert)

As we crossed Route 40 towards the south end of the park we ate some snacks that we had brought along from Vegas (along with a case of water).  The next several stops included examples of petroglyphs created by the native peoples dating from over 1,000 years earlier.  One of them was situated such that it would be illuminated on the solstice.  Another area contained a large number of glyphs spread across several huge boulders.  They were fascinating to see.

(Petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock)

(The pictures aren’t first rate as we had to use our phones.  I sent my camera out for a badly needed refurbishment and because it needed so many replacement parts the repair took longer than expected.  It should be waiting for us in Las Vegas when we get back 😖).

Further to the south we encountered what had once been huge forests of trees that were now petrified into stone.  Most of the trees had broken in such a way that they looked like they had been chopped down – but they weren’t.  When these trees were alive the part of Pangea that became Arizona was just a few degrees north of the equator.  These were trees from a tropical rainforest and would never have grown in Arizona today; some of these species are now extinct.  By the time the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, over 135 million years later, the continents had formed and the trees had turned to stone.  The petrified wood has the appearance and texture of wood but the hardness of stone (it is actually harder than granite).  It’s fascinating to see.  Examples of petrified wood can be found all over the world but this park is the largest field ever found.

(The Petrified Logs of Crystal Forest)

The park is definitely worthy of an excursion.  Just make sure to go in a more temperate time of year so you can enjoy some of the hikes that are afforded.

Saturday, July 27

It’s true we never really finished blogging from our recent European trip.  We left off somewhere in the middle of our week in  Paris.  By that time we were just too tired to keep up with it.  For the past four months we’ve been living in Las Vegas but recently our thoughts have once again turned to our next adventures.  For the present we’re not sure whether we’re going to settle down somewhere in the United States or continue traveling.  There are still large parts of Europe that we haven’t seen and there are also whole continents, like South America, that are virgin territory for us.

Where do so many people go to retire in the United States?  Florida!  Well, we don’t have a lot of experience with Florida so we’ve decided to take a road trip.  Our plan is to drive across country and make stops along way.  We figured that if we could survive Florida in August then it might be a candidate for us to settle down in once we decide what’s next for us.

Early this morning we left Las Vegas and drove to Winslow, AZ.  15 Years ago we were flying from Las Vegas to Santa Fe and saw a huge depression from the window of our airplane.  When we landed we did a little research and found out it was a meteor crater.  Today afforded us a chance to see it up close.

(It’s a Law We Can Live With)

The crater was made by a 150 foot long asteroid that was primarily composed of iron.  When it hit, about 50,000 years ago, the blast would have been felt for over 50 miles.  Today it is a tourist attraction with a museum, an informational movie and a tour that extends around the rim of the crater (entry into the crater is not permitted).  It’s an impressive site and, in spite of the $18.00entrance fee, is definitely worth stopping in if you’re in the area (don’t bother with the 4D movie – it costs $5.00 and is really geared towards children).

(The Crater is a Mile in Diameter)

Afterwards we headed into the town of Winslow.  The town was made famous by the song, “Take It Easy”, by the Eagles.  As per the song there is a “standing on the corner” corner – complete with a statue and a sign commemorating the song.  It’s a popular place for selfies.  Since it’s located on old Route 66 all of the shops nearby sell Eagles and Route 66 memorabilia.

(Standing on the Corner Corner)

We had a late lunch / early dinner at a restaurant across the street called, “RelicRoad Brewing Company”.  The food was tasty but not particularly well prepared.  The fish in the fish tacos was overcooked and the tortillas were soggy.  The burger came with fries that were also overcooked.  Still, it was an enjoyable experience.  Total cost: $29.95.

(Burger with Overcooked Fries)