Flagstaff to Moab, Day two

Tuesday April 27.
We left Flagsaff for Moab at 9:45 a.m. Nine miles out of Flagstaff is the turnoff for Navajo National Monument. This was a beautiful park in the Pygmy Conifer Forest. A display of a native hogan and smokehouse is near the visitor's center. There is a paved walkway down the canyon 1/2 mile to a viewing area.
There you can see Anasazi cliff dwellings across the gorge.


At 2:45 we drove through Monument Valley. The wind was really blowing and there was a haze of dust you can see in the pictures.


Next we drove through Bluff, UT which is an oasis on the elbow of the San Juan River. There is a loop you can take through the historical downtown to see the old homes and buildings.
We arrived in Moab at 6:00 p.m. and drove through the quaint old town. It was a warm evening and there was a lot of activity with people walking and eating at outdoor cafes. This is an outdoor town. Moab is all about biking, hiking, rafting, and/or rock climbing! We spent night two here at the Inca Inn. Owned by a young pony-tailed man, it is a forties motor court that he is restoring. It has a pool, very comfy beds, and free continental breakfast with Starbucks coffee and homemade Swiss bread that was wonderful for toasting with butter and jelly.
We drove 366 miles today.
More about Moab tomorrow.

On the Road

Betsy and I finally got on the road at 12:30. After loading and fueling the van we headed out. Literally! Within moments of getting on the freeway, Betsy cried out, "What's that in the road, a head?" And it was! A beauty school mannequin head was rolling around in the fast lane.


We left San Diego under May-gray skies but rapidly put them behind us as we broke through the clouds to blue skies and warm temperatures. We took Highway 15 north and turned east at Barstow on Highway 40. The trip took six hours, arriving in the dark at Flagstaff.

It's much cooler in Flagstaff, about 50 now at 9:00 pm. It was in the high 80's through the desert.

The train tracks parallel highway40 most of the way and we saw many long freight trains. Imagine the days when horse drawn wagons carried supplies across this endless Mojave desert for days and weeks. and now we are able to fly through at 75 miles per hour. It's a kind of time travel.

We declined to stop at the Road Kill Cafe, choosing In n Out Burger instead and enjoying the toasted buns.


It's not quite Sping yet. there is snow on the surrounding mountains, and the trees are still bare, just a few blossoms breaking out.
Tomorrow we are on to Moab. More photos a head!


Laurie and Betsy

Travelin' Eve

Well, I've spent all day getting ready and I haven't even packed yet. It takes a lot of preparation to be able to leave home for a week. I'm really looking forward to this trip with my sister Betsy. It's just the two of us driving from San Diego to Chicago where Betsy will leave me to head for Canada. I don't have a passport, and no time to get one since this trip came up so suddenly, so I'll fly home from there.

I'm going to keep this blog as we travel across the United States. This is my first trip driving any farther than Colorado. I plan to photograph interesting sites and scenes along the way, adding to my blog as we stop each night. First stop, Flagstaff Arizona.