Route: 264E, 491S, 40E, 25S
By the numbers:
1 - massively disappoint Continental Divide marker
2 -number of Indian Reservations ridden through - Navajo & Hopi
7713 - highest elevation reached today by motorcycle
We got a good night sleep and headed to the breakfast joint in the same parking lot as the hotel. It seemed odd that, much like the night before, all we saw were Native Americans and European tourists. I can understand the Native Americans but why would a European end up in Tuba City off all places?!? I think they need to fire their travel agent. Our breakfast was delicious (heuvos rancheros with green chile sauce on top) and we packed and hit the road. It sure was much easier than dealing with the luggage shenanigans at the Monte Carlo.
The road out of Tuba City was boring at first then stunning. In hindsight, I'm glad we got stuck in Tuba City so we didn't have to take Hwy 40. We got a much better view of AZ and NM...
Riding through the reservations really made me appreciate the fact that I'm able to be on this trip. It's hard to see the "have-nots" when you're on a trip of excess like this...
We made it to Gallup NM for lunch and were disappointed that neither of us saw a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign. I guess we're not welcome here. We'll make up for it by taking a picture of it when we leave NM and head into TX.
Tim and I are trying hard to avoid any chain restaurants so we can enjoy a little local flavor. Well, lunch didn't let me down. We ended up on Route 66 heading back West when we settled on a restaurant aptly named "Mexican Restaurant". We head in and we're the only guys in the place. Maybe this whole "local flavor" thing isn't such a good idea. But we were hungry and needed some food. I actually settled on the buffet which luckily was a great idea. I had multiple servings of the spicy carne adovada, green chile enciladas, and rice. Yum.
We truck on to ABQ and make it to my Mom's cousins (does that make her my cousin??) house where she graciously offered to let us stay the night. We chatted for a bit, had a beer, and cleaned up a little before hitting the road. She had made resevations for the restaurant at the top of Sandia Peak so we headed out to see what the fuss about this mountain was all about.
Well, there's a tram that goes to the top of Sandia Peak at 10,378 feet. I'm afraid of heights so, I was happy I couldn't see below as we rose 20 feet per second. The views were stunning. You can see in every direction from up there. I could see Sante Fe which was 44 miles away. I'm sure the views during the day are amazing...
Dinner at High Finance was great but we rushed home to get some laundry done and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day...
You can see all of the days uploaded pics, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607590362438/
PS - I have about 100 pics per day that I'll upload when I get home.
2 comments:
Hey Brandon, these are great pictures and what a trip. I'm glad it's going so well. NM is a great state.
Can't wait for the debrief during the PPalum dinner :-)
Hey!
Glad to know you are having such an awesome time. You really deserve it. I, too, cannot wait for the stories.
Love,
Megan
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