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Published: November 11th 2008
deep in the heart of Texas!!!
Although I am not in Texas anymore...nor New Mexico for that matter...I still have the lonestar state on the brain! Yesterday was a tough day because I was in a lousy mood. I have not been sleeping well on the road and its starting to catch up to me. I am sure my parents are feeling the wrath of Mary as well. It seems nobody benefits when I am overtired!
We left the Verde Valley in Arizona early yesterday after a stop at Randall's. Its a little mom and pop breakfast place that locals frequent. That was pretty apparent because as soon as we walked in everyone turned to stare at us. They soon grew tired of the "newcomers" and went about their business as we grabbed some coffee and hit the road.
We decided to go through Sedona via 89A which was beautiful...but a little scary! Sedona is another extremely scenic area. Its filled with red rocks and the buildings in town blend in with the surroundings so as not to ruin the view. After you exit the center of town you wind around these huge rock formations along a
small 2 lane byway. It leads up a mountain that has more hairpin turns then I have purses (so you know it must have a lot)! My father was actually driving at this point...after the Jerome incident I was a little shaken...so I kept covering my eyes and telling him to tell me when it was over. After what seemed like an eternity we were at the top and began winding our way into Flagstaff. Soon red rocks and sunshine gave way to forested area and overcast skies. You could feel the temperature dropping as we climbed in elevation. So much for 80 degree weather...my thermometer in the car read 38! As we crept our way through Flagstaff and over to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert which is towards the border of New Mexico, I kept thinking I was in a different state. You go from desert and red rock canyons to trees and cold weather in a matter of an hour...at least at this time of year! Maybe its that way so there is something for everyone to enjoy in one location. Whatever the reason I was unprepared...so much for short sleeve shirts!
By the time we
got to the Petrified Forest I was shivering in my seat. I had to rummage for something to put on over my shirt. Since the trunk is jam packed that was harder then it seems. After a quick stop at the gift shop we drove on into the "forest." It was not what I expected at all! To me a forest is thickly settled with trees and animals. Apparently this is called the Petrified forest because of the remnants of what used to be there. Thousands of years ago the area was covered in water. As it dried up and the area changed, the trees along the banks began to decay. The water that the trees took on as they were decaying, along with other mineral deposits, solidified the wood giving it a petrified appearance. These left over "trees" are mere chunks of wood. Some are in a log form while others are scattered around. Other pieces look like stones and are scattered across the paths. You are prohibited from taking any pieces of wood or any other artifacts that lay strewn around. Again the solitude of the area, as was the same with Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon,
amazed me. Whether these places are always desolute or they just remain unsees in colder months I am unsure. It's sad that places like these, which are beautiful in their own right and unique, are overlooked for more "glamorized" venues and attractions. Though I have to admit I am kind of "parked" out, I was glad that we made the journey to see this place. As you leave the forest you actually drive through another section of the park that they refer to as the "Painted Desert." It was not sunny, as I said, but you can tell that on the days the sun is shining that this place is breathtaking. The rocks are red and pink and blue and white...among many others. They appear that way because of mineral deposits. Whichever way you stand to look at it will give you a different view. It was simply beautiful and very humbling. It was also very clean...that part of Arizona has the cleanest air content in the whole United States!
Once we left the park we drove on through New Mexico. I have to tell you my main goal here was to get my dad in a hot air
balloon. It did not happen. Basically the only real sights we saw in New Mexico were reservation after reservartion and casino after casino. After about our 4th casino sighting, my mom just had to take her turn in front of the slots. We pulled off the highway and I sat there horrifed as I witnessed parents leave their children unattended in a car for an hour as they went to gamble! I didn't know what to do but I really felt terrible. They had the window open and they had water...I could see through the window...but that just disgusted me. If your going to gamble I think you can spend 20 bucks to get a babysitter. Am I wrong? While Carol was hitting the slots, I sat on the internet looking up balloon rides and Rollie made friends with a man in the parking lot who was originally from Mass. (Everywhere we go he makes a friend!) After the gambling expedition we decided to bunk for the night in Albuquerque. Albuquerque itself is a really neat city. Its buidlings are all adobe or stucco and the people are fairly friendly. I would love to come back here someday and just
putz around. In September they have the International Hot Air Balloon Festival and people come from all over just to see them take off. There are many other places I would like to get too but maybe one day I will find myself back here for it. Any takers?
We left New mexico this morning and set out for Texas and the Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo Texas. Before we made it to the state line, we departed the highway at certain spots to look at different points of interest along the old Historic Route 66. It made me sad to see that whole towns throught New Mexico and Texas are just crumbling now that 66 is not an active passageway. Once the interstates were built nobody felt the need to travel Rt 66 (which goes from Chicago to the San Bernadino Valley in California) and the businesses along the way went bankrupt. Left behind are the murals and unique signs along with the delapidated buildings that used to house these thriving businesses. Here and there you will find a motel or gas station that is still in business but you just get such a sense of sadness.
Small town America is being taken over by chain stores. My hope is that one day these area will be restored so people could once again have pride in a place that they call home. I guess only time will tell.
During our travels on and off 66 we managed to cross into Texas and soon all you saw on the side of the road were the arched signs for different ranches. Pasture after pasture of cattle were all that was visible for miles. Just before we hit Amarillo we came upon the "Cadillac Ranch." Its a huge field that has 10 old Cadillac's stuck in the ground. Apparently when the owner is done with his cars he drives them out to the area, digs a hole, and leaves them there for the public to see. They call it the "American Stonehenge." Its actually kind of cool. The cars are all spraypainted by vistors with their initials and people come from all over just to stop by and say they've been there. I was shocked to see Rollie defacing public property with a can of spray paint he found on the ground. If you ever visit look for all
of our names on car number 3!
When we left there we stopped at a fun restaurant called The Big Texan! If your ever in Amarillo definately check it out. For those of you who have seen The Great Outdoors with John Candy you may ecall the part of the movie where John Candy attempts to eat that huge steak so his dinner will be free? If so, and it was a funny bit, this establishment has a similar offer. If you consume a 72 oz steak your whole meal is comped. Just an FYI...we didn't attempt it! The people in Texas were the nicest yet. Anything we needed they were happy to oblige...they even sent us home with their "secret" seasoning for free. I was kind of sad to go but if we had any hopes of making it across Texas we had to be on our merry way!
After we crossed into Oklahoma we decided to bunk in Elk City for the night. So here I am, writing a book it seems, in my hotel room. I hope the weather is ok back home...so far so good here but looks like we are in for some
rain on or journey back east. Tomorrow we are going through the rest of Oklahoma and into Arkansas. We have no set plans so we'll see where our journey takes us. I hope your all not bored to tears. I think...no I KNOW...I can be wordy. I miss you all. Should be back sooner then I thought. Catch you all on the flip side!
Mary's Record Keeping
States crossed: 16...17 tomorrow when we are out of Oklahoma
Cowboys seen: 10...7 new ones in the restaurant!
tumbleweed blown across our path...6!
number of hours my mom has spent sleeping in the car: lost count!
Miss you all and see you soon!
~mary the travel bug
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Shauna
non-member comment
Trust me Mary, you are not boring us! It is very entertaining! Have a safe trip back to the East. :)