Tucumcari NM, through AZ, to Hurricane UT

We left Tucumcari with a four day weekend, and set off towards Arizona. We followed I40 and Rt 66 when possible. We were hoping to make another stop at Absolutely Neon in Albuquerque, but it was closed for the day, so we pushed on down the road. I did manage to snap this picture on our way through the city haha

Once we reached Arizona, things got windy. Terrifyingly windy. 50 mph wind gusts and an RV on the highway make for a bad time. We ended up pulling over in a gravel lot to wait it out, except that the wind was not predicted to let up for at least 5 hours. This was going to put a big dent in our travel plans. No problem, we'll just put on some music, have a beer, eat a sandwich, read a book, think positive. Check the weather...oh, now they just added SNOW to the forecast. At this point, Ed snapped, and jumped in the drivers seat determined to get us OUT of there.

So the wind seemed to have let up slightly, but then it starts snowing. Except it's not real snow, it's desert snow, and it's blowing sideways, and it's kind of like being in a slushy machine. Anyways, we make the bargain to drive the next 20ish miles to the Petrified Forest, and wait out the weather there, instead of in a gravel lot next to the train tracks. Best. Timing. Ever.

The snow stopped after we passed through the gates of the park (for free with our National Park Pass - thanks Mom & Dad H!) 

We were greeted with this unforgettable view.

The Painted Desert, as my Dad put it, "painted with snow"

Thawing out

People ask us if our RV has a name. We call it a number of things in a number of situations. It's our ship. Sometimes it's a starship, a TARDIS (you never know what's outside those doors), but usually we call him Hodor. If you're familiar with the Song of Ice and Fire books, or the Game of Thrones series, Hodor is not much look at...and he's pretty slow. But he is loyal, and really good at carrying you around. 

All the snow melted away in less than 40 minutes, leaving everything wet and more vibrantly colored.

Hodor portrait

Rt 66 used to go right through the park (I40 still does)

 Puerco Pueblo ruins

There are petroglyphs pecked into the desert varnish all over the park.

Hello again, Teepees

If you visit the park, the Blue Mesa Trail is a must.

Is this earth?

Stratigraphy, man.

Petrified wood

Thanks again Stephen. What a guy.

We rolled into Flagstaff that night and found a spot to sleep in the walmart parking lot. (due to weather and darkness, we missed this section of Rt 66 - here is part of it from the last time we came through) Flagstaff is a beautiful city surrounded by snow covered mountains, it's full of trees and campers and backpackers who look like they have a lot of stories. We turned north and took the scenic route 89 through the Coconino Reservation, over the Colorado river at the north end of the Grand Canyon. Then through the Vermillion Cliffs and up into the Kaibab National Forest. We were happy to see trees! They were pretty tall for being out west. It is a gorgeous drive the entire way, highly recommended if you're ever in the area. We finally reached Hurricane Utah, and set up camp in Sand Hollow State Park for the next three weeks.

Driving along AZ 89

Walking over the Navajo Bridge

Tucumcari, New Mexico

Our stay in Tucumcari, NM was pretty perfect. It's a great little town to stop in if you're into rt. 66. It's a chill place with murals everywhere, some great neon specimens, and the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. I didn't spot any fast food chains, or strip malls in the whole town...how strange, and nice! It has a long and interesting history, including Spanish explorers and old Indian legends. It was once called Six Shooter Siding when the railroad came through.

This was our view of Tucumcari Mountain, the field had a couple longhorns and a bunch of bunnies running around in it. (sometimes out west, the sky looks strangely neon in pictures...not shopped!)

 Rule #7 at the Empty Saddle - Alcohol, drugs, explosives or guns will not be permitted or tolerated outside of your RV.

 The motel is gone, but the sign is preserved

The teepee curio is one of my favorites on 66. Kitsch, neon, funny building - check!

 We biked up and down rt 66 just about every day.

 This place was closed, so we followed directions

The Palomino doesn't light up anymore, but the cacti and mismatched upside-down slide letters almost make up for it.

Since we were last here in 2010, Tucumcari seems to have made improvements on preserving their rt 66 remnants. Some of the old deserted gas stations have been painted up with neat murals, and one dilapidated motor-lodge has been brushed-off a bit, and the office turned into a gift shop. The Blue Swallow was looking a bit shabby in 2010. I believe it had been recently purchased by the current owners, now they have the place cleaned up and looking nice.

2010 - check out "the blog that was never finished" to see other shots from the first time we came through town. 

I leave you with more neon, because.

Tucumcari Tonight!

It's that magical neon twilight hour...
The Blue Swallow is lit up and looking gorgeous tonight!

La Cita, in Tucumcari, New Mexico

Amarillo, Palo Duro, Route 66

Hiking and biking and deserts and canyons and mountains and lakes! After spending a fun-filled (and bike-filled!) week in Oklahoma (OK!) on Lake Murray, we made our way up to our good ol' friend-road - Route 66! Trucked on through to Amarillo, stopping at all sorts of abandoned buildings, kitschy diners, and wonderful icons of Americana. We got to spend a whole week in Amarillo, and were even able to rent a car. Which means a lot of random local adventures (it's exciting to have a vehicle that gets more than ~10 miles per gallon). Got to check out a lot of nifty local dives and diners, many of which were on 66. We also returned to Palo Duro Canyon for some sweet desert hiking (didn't do much hiking last time we were here in the teardrop. Mostly on account of rattlesnakes.). And, of course, we had to make at least a couple of trips to Cadillac Ranch! All in all, a very successful and welcoming trip to the loveable Amarillo. On Sunday, after Easter Sunday service at the 'Cowboy Church', and one last stop at Cadillac Ranch, we trekked onwards into the West. We now find ourselves in the iconic Route 66 city of Tucumcari, NM - camped out in the shadow (or lack thereof) of Mount Tucumcari, for the next few days. I do enjoy the desert landscapes, but I'm already starting to miss trees. REAL trees, that is. As always, much love from the road. -E

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

 Big Cave

This is from 2010, the first time we visited Palo Duro Canyon SP in our home built teardrop camper. We've been retracing some of our journey from 2010, and revisiting stops along rt 66. Check out "The Blog That Cori never finished" to see some of what we saw.

 This was a neat trail that goes over an ancient avalanche, up to the rim of the canyon. Very hot and steep!




Pretty Rock Garden



We ate and drank a lot this week! One of our stops was at The GoldenLight Cantina and Cafe. It is one of the oldest restaurants continuously operating in the same location anywhere on old Rt. 66. Get the Frito Pie.

 "What is that, a Johnny Cash song?" ...or Acts 2:20

More "Dynamite Museum"

 This picture is from 2010. The sign, wall, and rail have all been painted over. But there are a lot of other signs around and even outside of the city. It's always exciting when you spot one.

I roped Ed into a photoshoot at Cadillac Ranch. Too much fun here, as usual! Here's a comparison between 2010 on the left, and 2014 on the right. I think we might even be on the same car.

We dyed eggs with coffee and frozen blueberries, turned out well! Next year we'll try onion skins. 

Happy Easter, from Cadillac Ranch!

Stanley Marsh street signs in Amarillo are the Easter egg hunt for the week. Here's one of my favorites

OK!

After visiting a variety of state parks in the last few months, from Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama, I've become quite the park system fangirl (and critic). I've found that state parks are a really good gauge for gaining insight to a state's political, social, and environmental values. (BIG differences from north to south) So after visiting Lake Murray SP in Oklahoma, (and wishing we had more time to visit their other parks) Oklahoma appears to be on top of their state park game.

Lake Murray SP is Oklahoma's largest and oldest state park, it was built by the CCC and WPA. It's BLUE.

The vegetation begins to get scrubby in Oklahoma, and the trees don't grow so tall. They even sway differently than we're used to...we're getting closer to the desert!

The rain finally stopped Monday evening and we were able to enjoy a week of lakeside camping with beautiful sunsets every single night.

Throughout the week we biked 40 miles around the lake, the hills are friendly but the wind is mean.

Oklahoma is also on top of their hand-painted sign game

I was so excited to finally visit a nature center! We have not seen one since leaving Indiana. The Tucker Tower nature center is beautifully designed and thoughtfully curated. It features half of a meteorite found in the park in the 1930's, which is the fifth largest meteorite found in the world! From there, it's a short hike up to Tucker Tower, which is full of CCC and WPA displays and memorabilia. *swoon* Oklahoma, you really know the way to my heart. Now if you could just install recycling facilities...another thing we haven't seen since Indiana.

We hit the road on Saturday, headed for Amarillo. Had to stop in Chickasha and eat a fried onion burger before leaving Oklahoma. This place, so much, so good. Didn't eat again until the next day.

Stopped on the walk back to gawk at the gorgeous art deco courthouse

Then,