May 07

Hey everyone!
On Thursday morning we headed out of New Mexico, into Arizona, 'The Grand Canyon State'. The plan was to get to Flagstaff, seeing numerous bits of Rte 66 stuff on the way. But after a bit of a lie-in, and a trip to Walmart, we were a bit behind schedule, so we only made it to Holbrook (about halfway to Flagstaff). Our afternoon was been spent exploring the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park, which was really good. The Painted Desert is an amazing landscape of layered coloured sands, forming huge hills and cliffs.

The Petrified Forest is just to the South, where the hillsides are littered with 'logs', made of stone and quartz crystals. It is a bit weird and alien looking really, but quite impressive. The area was a forest long ago (pre-dinosaur), got buried in silt and the trees became crystallized, turning into colourful rock - Basically it's a desert covered in rocks that look like logs.

Friday morning we went to Winslow, AZ, to stand on the corner (as in the Eagles song).

Just before Winslow is a trading post famous along the route for it's giant rabbits. Cue another photo op!

Later in the morning we went to the Meteor Crater. Self explanatory, really, except it's very big and impressive and very hot in the North Arizona desert.

We ate lunch in an old Rte 66 diner in Flagstaff, and then veered completely off the route to head south to Tucson. It took all afternoon to get there, and the temperature was still in the 90's at 10 in the evening!

This morning (Saturday) we went to the Pima Air and Space Museum (Sarah insisted!) This was enjoyable, particularly to Dave, although 102 degrees was a little uncomfortable at times. (Again, for those that are interested, the museum has half a B-36, a B-47, a B-58 and pretty much everything else besides.)

Right, sorry for boring everyone with the geeky numbers. Tomorrow we're back on the Rte, after driving back to Flagstaff this afternoon. We plan to hit California tomorrow evening, and be cruising down Santa Monica Boulevard (and the end of Rte 66) on Tuesday!

Hope everyone is well,

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX