The drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff wasn't too long but we gained about 5000' of elevation so Harvey was huffing and puffing by the time we got there. Snow on the ground told us we were a lot higher than Phoenix.
This is probably the most rustic campground office we've ever checked into. Cool. The far building was a steak house but we never partook. We weren't around much. We went to the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater from here.
After camping on the desert sand for weeks, it was nice to see some trees, even if there was snow amongst them. It also got to well below freezing each night; we haven't dealt with that for awhile.
Leaving Flagstaff, we're on our way to Gallup New Mexico. Terrain changes make the drive more interesting.
This is more like what we're used to. Desert sand and level for miles around.
Some of the latest in RV's were on display. Apparently the gas mileage is a lot better.
We're following the same direction as old Route 66 and once in a while the roads are the same. Businesses along Route 66 like to advertise as such. Here Grammies being entertained by a travelling minstrel.
Now were on our way to Albuquerque, NM. The terrain along the drive is constantly changing. After a couple hours of flat prairie any change is welcome.
Our next stop was in the hills just east of Albuquerque. The campground was terraced with railroad ties. The roads and sites were dirt so every vehicle going by threw up clouds of dust. Its the first time we closed the windows and ran the air conditioning since leaving home. We love open windows and breezes but not here.
We tried some rough hiking trails but they sort of petered out and we did a lot of backtracking. That's OK, we were after exercise anyway.
We're here for a couple of days so we went for a short drive up the Turquoise Trail north east of Albuquerque. We stopped at a quaint town called Madrid which used to be a mining town but now its mostly artists and tourist traps. Imagine our surprise when we found out this was the town that "Wild Hogs" was filmed in. This was the diner in the film. It was a false front for the film but a local bought it after and built a small store in it.
This building was used as the gas station in the film.
Now, if you've seen the film (and who hasn't), here is the main street where the bikers came in and a lot of the action took place. Just behind me is the park where the bull slapping scene took place as well as the chili festival and dance. They sure look bigger in the movie.
This is looking up the other way. If you have the DVD, check this out and see what you can spot. It's amazing what you stumble over wandering around like we do.
The next town a few miles down the road was another mining town but its almost deserted. Only about 50 people left. Its called Cerrillos and was used as the town where "Young Guns" was filmed a few years ago. A regular Hollywood East out here. Just outside this town is where the big biker bar was built that blew up in the Wild Hogs film.
Imagine our surprise when we pulled into our next stop in Amarillo. Its either a sinkhole or tornado debris.
I made sure the site we settled on was stable. It looks like we're back in the desert, no more trees or snow.
It sure blows here. After a few hours of watching the satellite dish wobble to and fro, I threw everything I had on it. It still wobbles but shouldn't blow over. I also parked the car right in front of it to block some of the wind. It does blow in Texas.
If you haven't heard of the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, google it or better yet, read on. A farmer got the idea to partly bury 10 Cadillacs in his field near the interstate. It got so much attention that the highways dep't had to put in a wayside stop so people could get out and look.
Over the years it has gotten to be tradition to spray paint messages on the cars. It's hardly possible to tell what year they were never mind the colour.
Isn't it weird the things we find as we travel? Its certainly not the Grand Canyon, but we had heard of the Cadillac Ranch so it was still fun to see it. As you've probably figured out, we've finally gotten internet and I've been busy doing blog updates. Sorry this post is so long but now I'm caught up. We're in Amarillo Texas and will be leaving in 2 days for further adventures so stay tuned.
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