Day Fourteen...Back on 66

On the road again…

Today was all about Arizona!  But I had a few stops left in Albuquerque. 

First was the Petroglyph National Monument.  Unfortunately I left my phone in the car so no pictures, but it was really neat.

Next up was a visit with my cousin Soph.  She has been in Albuquerque for 10 years already!  Hard to believe.  She is a fellow traveler at heart so we had a great time talking about all the different places we’ve been and want to go.  Even better, we had fun reminiscing about the things we did growing up, like Hiking in Yosemite.  That is a particularly favorite family memory!!!

Back on the road, I weaved in and out of 66 on my way to Arizona, and again, I could tell right when I crossed the border.  And the best part about traveling west…I gained an hour!

First stop was the Painted Desert and the Petrified forest!  Amazing. 

From here I made a dash to my next stop, only stopping along the way to see some exciting things…

Then came the drive to Sedona.  On a full moon!!!  Along 89A.  I had heard of this drive and was a little disappointed I didn’t make it during the day until I was it under the full moon!

After seeing this, I was so excited to see it during the day!!!

Day Thirteen...Santa Fe

I had great plans for my day in Santa Fe!

However when I pulled in last night it was snowing.  Yes Snow.  In May.

You might ask, how did you know it was snow?  Well I have had enough encounters with it in the past that I know it when I see it!

So instead, I started the day by checking the weather.  Now those of you who know my history of getting caught in the rain with my top down may be shocked to hear this.  But yes, I checked the weather.

And it was not good.  Snow storms and Ice warnings all over the place, especially on the roads I was planning to take. 

So I made a quick recalculation and was off.  Turns out that was the best thing because there was no way I’d have completed everything on my original list!  I have a habit of trying to over do things!!!

First stop on the List, Pecos National Historic Park.  The drive up was absolutely beautiful.  The trees were all dusted with snow from the night before (and maybe a bit from today!) and I did not encounter any ice.  Put that in the WIN column!

At the top I had a nice chat with the Volunteer manning the visitor Center.  He told me that there are several listings for National parks, and you can tell what kind of area it is by the name (I did not know this!  Learn something new for the day…Check!)

Pecos is a National Historic Park which means it is a National Park with a Historic Monument (and their standing more still!!)  In here are the remnants of Pecos Pueblo.  This was essentially a village at the pass between the Rio Grande and the Great Plains.  A great location for water and land to sustain themselves.  It was 4 stories high and housed over 2000 people in it’s time. 

It existed peacefully until 1518 when the Spaniards arrived, bringing with them all they did at that time.  In 1680 the people of the pueblo rose in revolt and drove the Spaniards out by 1692, burning down the Spanish built Mission in the process.  The pueblo faced changes as the times changed, and the population dwindled as they faced competition in trading from the arrival of the apaches and frontiersmen.  Today it lies in ruins, but is steadily being preserved.

My favorite thing about this was the hike to the Pueblo.  It was stunning once I got to the top, giving a full view of the area.  It was extra special because I could see the storm clouds and the snow!!!  On the way back down I walked through a path lined with pine trees and it smelled SO GOOD!!!  All that was missing was the smell of a campfire and a cup of coffee and life would be Awesome!

Mission

Original Layout of the mission

Where the Homes were

Kiva

What the Original Pueblo looked like

On my way out I learned a little about the Battle of Glorieta Pass.  This occurred in March of 1862 and has been called the “Gettysburg of the West.”  This was the decisive battle of the West, in which the Confederacy attempted to break the Union hold on the West, and were defeated.  This was the final attempt in the West during the Civil War.

Next up was Abiquiú!!!  I had been told I could not miss Abiquiú. 

I made it to the town and I kept looking around thinking “Is this is?  Is this it?  Really?  Can this be it???”

Luckily I kept driving and then it happened.  I found It!  It was amazing.  I kept going to the Echo Amphitheatre where I yelled my heart out and enjoyed the View.

Day Twelve...Route 66!!!!!!!

Today is the day…

I’m ready with my new kicks…

To drive Route 66!!!

 At least that was my attitude when I left the hotel.  I had the strange idea that I would hop on 66, grab food at a local diner and enjoy the drive.  Boy was I wrong!

 What I didn’t seem to grasp in my preparation was that Route 66 is no longer a straight shot road.  It is present in certain sections (damaged areas are replaced with I-40) and merges with multiple local roads.  It weaves in and out of I-40 and if one doesn’t pay close attention, they can end up Lost!

 Luckily I figured out what was going on, pulled out a map and compass and decided to ride this old school.  (After 2 hours of driving in and out of OKC!)

 Big shout out to my Dad for teaching me how to read a map!!!

 First up was OK.  I stayed close to I-40 as I was still getting the hang of the weaving Rte 66…that and I was trying to avoid the congestion of Oklahoma.  All I can say is when I got out of the city everything slowed down and I was able to take a BIG breath.

First stop was the Route 66 Museum.  It was here I got to stop and watch an oldie in an old ride!  I also got to see the original ford used in the Grapes of Wrath!  Later on I also got to see the courthouse in the same movie.

Next up, Texas.  Route 66 runs through the tip of Texas, so it was a pretty short drive.  However, I made the most of it.  I stayed all on the country road!  (at least that which was available)  I had to put my jeep in 4WD and oh, did I love that!  Way more fun than a boring interstate.  It was on one of these jaunts that I saw this little movie inspiration...

Texas was Beautiful.  Trees, wheat, farms…open land as far as I could see.  I had a lot of fun driving around Texas.  At one point I was cruising a country road and 5 deer crossed the road in front of me!  I grabbed the camera but missed. 

I did have my camera when I made it to Cadillac Ranch.  Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh III wanted a piece of public art that would baffle the locals.  So he imported a group of art-hippies from San Francisco known as “The Ant Farm.”  They came up with a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail fin, and buried 10 Caddies nose deep.  People would stop to see the cars, then deface them or rip off pieces as souvenirs.  Eventually, the creators came to encourage this and we have what is now known as Cadillac Ranch!

       

I left Texas behind and began the journey in New Mexico.  More of the same weaving in and out of I-40 and Local roads.  However, the landscape changed completely.  I’ve heard that NM is a state where people find religion.  All because of the amazing Landscape.  And I can honestly say, I get it.  I felt the same way looking at this country, as I do when I look at the ocean.  AMAZING!  How can you question the existence of something greater when this exsists?

I closed the night out in Santa Fe...to snow!  I couldn't believe it, considering how hot it was in the south...I may need to make changes to my itinerary...

As for Route 66, It was really something driving through here.  I could see where Cities built up around the mother road, and could imagine the bustle going on around back in the day. 

Today, it’s mostly a mixture of fading towns, deserted buildings and ghost towns.  It was sad to see how obsolete these towns became with the development of the Interstate.  People were no longer travelling through, as they were able to take advantage of modern conveniences.  It’s sad.  And I had a lot of time to contemplate this while driving through some beautiful country.

Now I will admit, I love my IPOD, I enjoy GPS, and I am quick to whip out my cell phone whenever I want to Google something right away.  My first thought when I need anything is to find the modern convenience stores like Walmart or Target.  But this has got me thinking about what it takes to keep smaller business running, and how important they are to the livelihood of these towns. 

And not only that, but how much time I spend trying to get things done Immediately.  I saw something recently that said, “My favorite form of gratification is instant.”  I related to that, especially as there were times on the road I considered taking I-40 so I could get to my destination faster. 

So I guess what I’m saying is I’m loving this trip.  It’s getting me to question what is most important to me and with who, and where I spend my time.  And Money.  And that money isn’t everything.

I am so glad I’m making this move.