On Friday we left Texas and crossed all of New Mexico to end up in Flagstaff, Arizona. We weren’t as efficient as on some of the other days as we made a number of stops. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it ended up one of the better traveling days despite the extra hours on the road.
I filled up the tank from a vintage gas pump, probably unchanged since that part of 40 was known as Route 66. It also apparently fills much faster than your average modern gas pump, because after what seemed like a few seconds the tank was beginning to overflow. Oops.
New Mexico has all kinds of random artwork scattered around Albuquerque, ranging from giant pottery to metalwork. Their highways are decorated in rose pink concrete and turquoise tiles. So much of the terrain in these states is nothing we’ve ever seen back home in Maryland, hence all the pictures. Just look at some of those colors!
Also near Albuquerque I decided I wanted to have some real tacos for lunch, prompting our stop at a Mexican market. Bumbling our way through the Spanish required to order our food was simultaneously frightening and exhilarating. I’ve been struggling to learn the language for years—living in California had better help with that, lest I demand a full refund.
We picked up an excellent knife, a necklace, and some metal brain teasers from various shops, and tried unsuccessfully to visit Petrified Forest National Park (it was too far out of the way). Meteor Crater, however, was only a short impulse-detour from the highway. En route, we mused that the crater might be located atop a large hill in the distance. Turns out that hill was debris ejected by the impact. I’d read about Meteor Crater before, but it is incredible to see in person. To wit: That gigantic pit was blasted out by a rock from space.
