Sunday - NM to AZ

Yesterday we drove though the desert from New Mexico to Arizona. We stopped at a kitschy toursit trap at the Continental Divide. Tumbleweeds, dust devils, Route 66, long trains, endless views. It was greener than I expected, probably because of spring rains. While I appreciate the beauty, I can't understand why anyone would choose to live here. Guess I'll always be a beach person. I like my sand accompanied by water.

We stopped at the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona. That's where we found out the time was different (again). While AZ is on Mountain Time, the ornery folks here don't like Daylight Savings Time. They stay on Mountain Standard Time year-round, which right now is the same as Pacific Time.

The Petrified Forest isn't a forest in the traditional sense. It's a bunch of old broken petrified logs laying in the desert. Really neat to look at. The prehistoric trees were covered with soil and sand to the extent that oxygen could not reach them to start the decay process. Water carrying silica flowed through the area and the silica replaced the carbon (and other elements that I don't remember) in the trees and eventually turned to quartz. At least that's how I remember it. The area surrounding Mt. St. Helens after the volcanic eruption is a prime area to form petrified wood.

My favorite spot was the Painted Desert. All different colors of sand-- it was really beautiful.

From the National Park, we drove on to Flagstaff. Before we got back on the Interstate, we passed though the town of Holbrook on "Historic Route 66". It still looked a lot like it would have back in the 60s. Except the Roxy Theater was showing "Star Wars". Lots of old motels, some still in operation. Even an old Wigwam Motel, with buildings shaped like teepees.

http://www.galerie-kokopelli.com/wigwam/ There was a row of motel rooms in the back, then the front rooms were in individual teepees. It was still open, and there were a bunch of antique cars parked in front of the rooms. Maybe there was a Memorial Day rally or something.

Holbrook to Flagstaff was much the same as the earlier drive, but then the topography changed. Flagstaff is in a pinewood forest with a 12,000+ foot snow-capped mountain overlooking it. This I could handle.