Petrified Forest

Wednesday, June 10 - Just a few miles after re-entering Arizona, we made a quick visit to our 7th national park of the trip: Petrified Forest National Park. We got there only a half hour before closing, so we had just enough time to drive the scenic road through the park which takes you through the Painted Desert, past some rock formations called the Teepees, and though the desert strewn with big pieces of logs that have been turned into stone, which date back 225 million years. While our visit was brief, the evening light as the sun was setting cast some really great light on the rocks.

Route 66

Wednesday, June 10 - After leaving Santa Fe today, our route on the interstate traced the path of the old Route 66. So, we had some fun tracking down some of the kitsch along the way.

The first stop was The Frontier Restaurant in Albuquerque, across the street from the University of New Mexico. At the top of their menu they claim that they are the "Home of the Latest in Broiled Food and The Frontier Sweetroll." We sampled a couple of their popular items, the Frontier Burrito and the Fiesta Burger. We also felt *obligated* to also give the Fronter Sweetroll a try. Sandy asked the college kid taking our order if it was better to get the sweetroll with or without the topping, since you can get it both ways. He said definitely with the topping. Sandy inquired, "What is in it?" His reply, "Butter and cocaine." Well, then. Sounds like we need a Frontier Sweetroll.

Back on the road, we come up behind a man and his wife riding motorcycles, with Route 66 flags flying on the back of their bikes. The only thing that would have made this picture better was if you could see the Route 66 sign on his flag. Gotta love the open road, huh?

Next, we crossed the Continental Divide, elevation 7295 ft. Gotta love American ingenuity - taking a geological feature and making it into a tourist trap.

Gallup, NM was next up. It's main claim to fame in pop culture is that it is mentioned in the lyrics of "Get your kicks on Route 66." However, every guidebook we read mentioned that you have to see or eat at the El Rancho Hotel and Motel, which was a favorite of movie stars in its heyday, with black and white glossy photos of stars like Ronald Reagan, Spencer Tracey and Jack Benny. Several of the sandwiches in the restaurant are named after stars, including the Mae West, which is described as "stacked beef or ham." The Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, proudly displays the motto, "The Charm of Yesterday, The Convenience of Tomorrow."

Pit Stop in Silverton

Saturday, June 6 – After the 3-1/2 hour ride on the train from Durango, we had about two hours of free time in the old mining town of Silverton, which now has a year-round permanent population of about 400. For lunch we stopped at Grumpy’s Saloon in the Grand Imperial Hotel, which was complete with the man playing old sing-a-long classics on the tinny piano. In the video, make sure not to miss the guy in the red jacket at the bar who, out of the blue, just started playing his harmonica along with the piano. Also note the fine artwork on the walls.



And, talk about a literal 4-way stop, right behind the hotel…

All Aboard!

Saturday, June 6 – Today was a big day: A full day excursion on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We had originally wanted to do one of their adventure packages, which included a several-hour-long zipline tour through the Ponderosa pine treetops. However, when we looked at the weather forecast the day before, it looked pretty bad with high winds and thunderstorms in the forecast. So, we decided not to book it. We ended up regretting that decision the next morning, when it was sunny and pleasant at 8:30am. That was a bummer, but the day was still great.

We literally took about 300 pictures as the train cut through Animas River valley along the rocky cliffs. The train took 3-1/2 hours to get to Silverton, which is about a 46 mile trip. We went about the same speed as it did back when the railroad opened in 1881 – no faster than 18 mph. However, you didn’t really want it to go very much faster, since everyone was hanging out the windows trying to take the perfect picture.

This video captured one of the more picturesque moments of the train ride.

And for whatever reason, there is some sort of biological urge to wave at a train when it passes by. No matter who you are, young or old, trains are just fun.

Bananas for Arches

This just in:
This national park in Southern Utah has just been acquired by Mr. Arche (pronounced Archie) Banana, and he’s named it for himself: Arche’s National Park.

For more background on Mr. Banana, click here.

"Hello, Madeline?"

It's Utah calling.

We're calling regarding this. Message received.

Dear Jenny

As one of our most avid readers, we cherish your loyalty and commitment to our blog. We look forward to your witty comments daily. Your dedication only fuels our desire to become better bloggers. However, we have learned that our desire to experience the thrill of the untamed nature of the American Southwest has been dampened only by the lack of a robust internet connection throughout this beautiful and vast landscape, which saddens our hearts. We will continue to tweet where the weak signal allows, all while the birds twitter and prairie dogs scamper, and hope against all hope that tomorrow will bring us newfound connectivity.

Please don't leave us. As soon as we have at least 2 bars, we will flood you with the beauty we have found here in Utah. We promise.