Wordless Wednesday

So You Want To Take A Round The World Trip

It's always been on the bucket list to circumnavigate the globe. That is because we are avid cruisers. For some though the thought of several months on a cruise ship all at one time is overwhelming especially if you have a delicate stomach for sea voyages. I happened to run across an article that was quite interesting from Smarter Travel about things to think of as you plan a Round The World trip.

There are all sorts of ways to book your plane tickets. Airlines offer RTW tickets or you can book your own legs of the journey individually. The article suggests booking business class since in getting around the world you will most likely spend a total of around 50 hours on a plane. He didn't mention how much time in airports waiting for planes but he did say you should plan an extra day here and there for travel.

While searching through the article and later on a search engine, I found that there are several sites that cater to the RTW traveler. Be aware that some are geared to backpackers who live on a minimal budget while traveling. The RTW Calculator site was one. I thought it would be fun to calculate our World Cruise trip if we had done it by plane and car on our own and started entering the places we would go. I immediately got stuck because the first stops in the Caribbean islands aren't on their list. When I saw that Miami, Florida was calculated at a little over $30/night, I realized I was on a site for backpackers.

Another site, The World Travellers Club, gave sample itineraries you can book and estimated airfares. Using some of that information, I tried calculating how much our trip would cost if we were to go the air/land route. Keeping it an apples-to-apples comparison, I could only calculate travel, accommodations, and food and at that it would be an estimate. All of the other things like excursions and nightly entertainment I set aside. I also had to consider our comfort level for accommodations as well. We are definitely not hostel and backpacking travelers.

Our RTW cruise

When I got done, the air/land looked a little cheaper but it required a lot of work. Schlepping luggage from place to place and lots of reservations to keep in line unless we wanted to be daring and take our chances on accommodations and car rentals being available for us. Having to search out places to eat each night on a budget and wondering if the food quality was good. I'm wondering where we would have stayed in Madagascar? And certainly getting to Easter Island would probably have been a bit pricey. So in the end perhaps the air/land would not get us to all the places the cruise does.

On the other hand, the air/land would get us places we couldn't reach by ship. Do I see another RTW trip in the future?

World Cruise - Travel Clinic, Ouch!

There are two things that make me very anxious--snakes and hypodermic needles. Having twins was a good thing to start out with because then Bob had to come with me to the pediatric appointments and he could hold each one as they got their "puppy shots." I've gotten past that a bit but I still don't like getting shots so when we scheduled an appointment with a travel clinic in our area I was understandably nervous.

Before our appointment we needed to go online and fill in a form telling where in the world we were traveling. Are they serious? This is 108 days and let me count the countries. . .23! Knowing that Madagascar, the Amazon area, and parts of Africa (south, not west) are on our itinerary, I knew that we were in for some kind of preventative actions.

When we arrived and were seated with the nurse consultant, she handed us each a thick book listing all the countries and the things to watch out for in each. It felt like looking at all the disclaimers and side effects from every medicine you've ever seen advertised on TV all at once. I feared my arm was going to be a pin cushion!

This beautiful lady narrowed it down for us to the essentials and it didn't look quite so bad. I was current on my tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, pneumococcal, shingles, and influenza. Is it any wonder I hate shots? We would need some meds for preventing malaria (not the lariam we took once before that made us both loopy) and a booster to our original Hepatitis A that protects us for life. Then came the suggestion of a yellow fever shot and possibly typhoid. Yikes!

The bottom line, we will be on a cruise ship with little travel in the countries where yellow fever and typhoid are prevalent and that travel will be during the day avoiding the high activity time for insects and certainly not eating or drinking on land. The only hitch may be that one of the Caribbean islands we visit after we are in Brazil may require certification that we had been vaccinated prior to our visit to Brazil. The jury is still out on that one. We've heard conflicting stories and until we hear from the cruise line that it's necessary, we're going to pass. If we have to stay on the ship that day, so be it. One less shot sounds good to me.

Vaccinations were not the only thing discussed and we came home with the books that are full of information on what to be careful of in each country. It's mostly common sense stuff starting with "don't drink the water!" If you ever do this for travel, be aware that you will get more information than is necessary just so that they cover all the bases and possibilities. It could almost scare you out of going but remember that knowledge is power--power to travel safely.

By the way the clinic we visited was Passport Health. There are locations all over the USA.

Books For The Road - Always, Abby by Linda S. Glaz

Earlier this week I gave you a book suggestion for a long trip but there's always those short jaunts where you need a quicker read to get you from one place to another. Always, Abby by Linda Glaz fills that need. It's a nice read and a good story.

WWII soldier Will Judge brings home an orphan boy from Europe and by doing so, completely changes the direction his life was taking. It's a bit predictable as Will discovers his childhood friend, Abby, has grown into a beautiful young woman but then it is a romance. I won't say more.

The story takes place in the 1940s which made it very interesting for me in light of the novel I just finished writing. I love the sensitivity in the story line with the orphan, Henryk, or Hank as he becomes known.

If you like to immerse in a good romance while you travel and relax, this would be a good one to pick up or download. A sweet book for the road.

World Cruise - Stocking Up

In 108 days how many razor blades will Bob need? How much deodorant will we use? Toothpaste? Contact lens solution? The list goes on. We have been stocking up on the things that we feel we just can't do without or don't wish to use from what is supplied by the cruise ship.

For example, yes, the ship provides shampoo and body lotion but for three and a half months. I think I want to use my own and be sure my hair will be manageable and my skin won't rebel like it once did on a cruise.

Of course their are lots more important things to stock up on and we have juggled our prescription orders to be sure we will take enough of our medications along. I doubt there's a pharmacy that can fill them in Madagascar.

The whole exercise has made us conscious of how much product we use and when you buy it all at once (we want to go with full bottles), the bill is stunning. Thank goodness for CVS coupons for 20% off we received when we got our flu shots.

Our cruise line, Crystal, provides a luggage service that will allow us to ship our suitcases a few weeks before the cruise so all of this stuff will not have to be schlepped on an airplane. I'm glad because already we are filling up a suitcase.

Wordless Wednesday

Books For The Road - Illusion by Frank Peretti

Admit it. If you've read This Present Darkness you can't look up at a ceiling fan in church and wonder if there's a long finger extending down from there and stirring up trouble. So when I started in on Illusion by Frank Peretti I half expected to meet those evil demons once again. I wasn't sure I was ready. Turns out I needn't have worried.

Illusion is the story of a couple who have been married forty years and built a successful career as magicians. After surviving a terrible car accident in which he is told his wife has died, Dane Collins tries to pick up his life again. His path crosses with a young girl who uncannily resembles his wife at that age. She is having an identity crisis as she has suddenly found herself propelled into 2010 when her last memories were of visiting a fair  in the 1970s. Dane takes her under his wing as he helps her perfect her magic which seems to have a strange element that is making her an instant success. This is all watched in the shadows by people who can explain all that is going on.

I don't want to be a spoiler but if you hate reading about the supernatural, demons to be exact, this will ease your mind--it's sci-fi. Once I relaxed and realized there were not going to be any demons stirring up trouble, I enjoyed the read. It's a long read but it was a very satisfying story. Don't miss the Afterword by Peretti. In it he talks about why he wrote the love story.

This is definitely a book for a long trip--like on the road trip that we did recently.

The Best Of . . .

There are some nights it's hard for me to fall asleep and I try everything from counting up and down to a hundred in English and German to making up story lines for another novel. The other night I tried something different-listing the best ofs, biggests, etc., in our travels. Here's some of what I came up with.

The best cup of coffee -- Singapore McDonald's. Really! It was a cappuccino in a large ceramic cup with a beautiful design drawn in the milky froth. On the other hand, the most expensive cup of coffee was in Venice where we paid $15 USD because we didn't know a cover charge was included.

The best road trip -- While Ireland and the National Parks were wonderful I'd have to say New Zealand wins this one. (Even though, my friend, we had to fly to get on the road.)

The most romantic meal -- Our anniversary dinner on the Piazza Navona in Rome. We ate at one of the outdoor cafes and listened to wandering musicians. I can't remember what we ate but I remember the beautiful night and the lovely music.

The biggest thrill--I know. To many of you this is probably not so thrilling but it was a challenge for me. Climbing the Sydney Bridge.

The best view from a hotel room--This will probably sound crazy but on one visit to Las Vegas we were upgraded to a better room at Ceasar's and we had a window that went from floor to ceiling and could see down the Vegas Strip. It was a spectacular view at night. We don't usually book rooms with a view in order to save money.

The largest hotel bathroom--I would have to say the Marriott in Quito, Ecuador, wins here. While we have had several beautiful hotel rooms on precruises, the one Celebrity put us in for our Galapagos trip was amazing. A suite, it had a sitting room, a huge bedroom, and a bathroom that had a tub, a shower, two sinks and enough room for a dozen people.

The smallest bathroom--Gotta watch those old English bed and breakfasts. I can't remember which one it was, but I do remember a bathroom obviously tucked into what used to be a closet. You had to leave the door open while you brushed your teeth because you couldn't bend over the sink otherwise.

The most expensive meal--This is a tie in my mind between a meal we had in Venice where we were told the seafood dinner for two was the special of the day but weren't told the price and then the evening we went up in the Eiffel Tower for dinner. Ah, but the view was terrific and the food tasty.

Well, that's a bit of what I came up with before I finally fell asleep. What would your list look like?

Tips To Plan Your National Park Road Trip

Lots of people are doing it. Some in RVs. Some drive across country in their own cars. Others, like us, pick a starting point and rent a car. Whatever you chose, be sure to chose your time of year carefully. Too early or too late and you will run into cold, icy, and even snowy weather. When we were leaving Bryce Canyon on September 27, they were expecting snow for the next morning. The elevation is higher and the weather turns sooner. Of course if you like snow. . .

Middle of the summer is going to be a hot time in the desert areas like Arches. Of course as any traveler knows, the weather is unpredictable no matter where you go. We were lucky to squeeze our trip in mostly between weather fronts created by two hurricanes off the coast of Mexico that brought the flooding rains one day of our trip.

If you want to stay at a lodge in the parks, especially Zion, book early, early, early. Bob was planning our trip about six months in advance and couldn't get into the Zion lodge.

There are little "hotel towns" that have sprung up outside the entrances to the parks. Springdale outside of Zion and Bryce Canyon City just outside the park entrance (you can catch a shuttle into the park from there). Moab is just a little farther up the road from the Arches entrance and at the southern entrance to Grand Canyon just south of the Village is a town called Tusayan where there are several hotels about 20 minutes from the Village. All the towns have some national chain hotels and restaurants/fast food places if you want to save some money on lodging.

The dress at the parks is casual. Everyone is in jeans and shirts/jackets with backpacks with the exception of a few who probably arrive on buses and need to make a fashion statement wherever thay go. Those are the ones who won't be hiking the beautiful trails.

Stock up on bottled water or take a refillable bottle. Most of the parks have spring water at the visitor center or the restroom areas where you can fill up. Be sure it's marked spring water. Don't fill up from the faucet in the restroom.

Dress in layers. Always a good rule no matter where you are traveling. The mornings and evenings will be chilly. The clear skies while beautiful in the daytime, don't hold the heat when the sun's not shining.

Did I mention hydrate often? Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico are arid climates. You will need to drink lots of water. Use a little Vaseline to swab your nose if it gets too dry and if you tend to have dry skin anyway, be sure to take some moisturizer.

Sun screen and bug spray are good to have. We only needed the bug spray once but other times of the year I'm sure would it would be even more necessary.

Take a soft sided cooler to carry sandwiches, milk for cereal, juice, etc. Almost every place we stayed had a small refrigerator. And if they didn't, there was always an ice machine somewhere. I take a couple of gallon sized Ziploc bags for the ice.

Be safe! Stay on the trails. There are a lot of tempting overlooks that have no safety rails and it's hard to know what's supporting the rock from below--if anything. We held our breath often as the crazys ventured out to small precipices to pose for pictures. One even balanced on one foot in some kind of yoga pose. Amazingly, only about 12 people fall in the Grand Canyon a year and they only register a couple of deaths. Don't be one of them.

If you're not a big eater, you might consider splitting a meal in the lodge restaurants--especially Bryce. The plates were huge there. You can always order more or it will give you an excuse for desert as well. Sometimes there was a charge for that and other times, not. Ask.

That's all I can think of now. I'm putting Bob to work planning the next one. We'll do a more northern route, even possibly driving from Ohio and back. On the list: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and of course a visit to the stone presidents.

The National Park Road Trip - One Last Day

The plan for the morning of October 5 was to sleep in a little (7:30 a.m.), catch a quick breakfast at the hotel, and go to the park that we'd passed the day before that was designated as one of the landing areas for the International Balloon Fiesta. As we listened to the local TV news while we dressed, we slowed our pace. They reported that the Mass Ascension of balloons would not take place because of the wind conditions.

Ah, there's nothing like having to regroup when you're tired. We perked after a little coffee and decided that we would go into Old Town Albuquerque and walk around a bit and then head to the Sandia Mountain Tramway for a ride to the top.

Old Town dates back to 1706 way before New Mexico became a state. We were a little early arriving. The shops weren't open and it seemed that a lot of the restaurants were closed as well--either we were way too early or they were closed for Sunday. The church bells were ringing at the San Filipe de Niri Church and we surmised that the cars parked along the streets were parishioners since not many people were walking the sidewalks with us.

As much as we had seen green chile advertised in food items at the Fiesta and in local restaurants, there were even more chiles here. But these chiles were red and were hanging everywhere in bunches. They lent a striking red accent to the adobe style buildings.

One proprietor just opening her shop saw me taking pictures and told me to wait while she got her sidewalk painting out that showed the flowers of New Mexico. She was happy for me to take the picture and then said we were welcome in the store she was just opening.

While I'm sure Old Town would have been lovely most any other time, our legs felt leaden and we were trudging along. It is a great place to  shop for some unique gifts and later in the day it would have been fun to sample some of the local dishes--provided you have your antacid, but we were tired. I think all the hiking and early morning rising had caught up to us. Dare I say at our age it doesn't take long?

After taking a look at another section of Route 66 that goes through Albuquerque, we stopped for another cup of coffee and started our drive out to Sandia Mountain. It was a pleasant drive and we got to see some very nice suburbs. When we made our way to the Tramway, a cable car that goes up to the top of Sandia for great views, we stopped at the entrance and asked how long the wait was. Two and a half hours! Thanks but no,thanks. We turned the car around and pulled off the side of the road a bit to reconnoiter as we say.

A jogger stopped to ask if we needed help. She was happy to give us some suggestions of trails in the area and even suggested a restaurant for us. Once she was on her way, we decided that we couldn't do another trail and would just drive around the mountain a bit.





We enjoyed fish tacos for lunch (no green chiles) and went back to Homewood Suites to pack for our trip home. It would be a long travel day tomorrow. Already Bob had received notice of airport delays in Chicago. Thankfully we both had good books to read. I plugged in my Nook. He plugged in his Kindle. We were ready to go home.

Wordless Wednesday

The National Park Road Trip - Evening Balloon Fiesta

Somewhat rested after a short nap and good college football game, we once again gathered our gear and headed for the International Balloon Fiesta. The Gondola Club was due to open at 5 p.m. and it was suggested we get there around 4:30. There was no traffic to speak of until shortly before the Park so we arrived even earlier and decided to walk the rest of Main Street that we had missed in the morning.

The sun was pretty warm. Don't believe anything you hear about a "dry heat." Heat is heat and the only part of dry heat is the part that makes your nasal cavities dry creating a stuffy feeling and often a slightly bloody nose. We'd been fighting that all along our Southwestern trip. I countered it somewhat with Vaseline swabbed in my nose but it only helped a little.

After a day and a half in Albuquerque we were getting the idea that these people really like their green chiles. Every food we saw had green chile worked into it--stew, sauce, in hamburgers, scrambled eggs. You name, they added green chile to it. Heartburn heaven.

It was getting on to five so we headed back to the Gondola Club and found a long line of people waiting to get in. Tables filled up fast but we found our morning table still available and joined two couples who had also made a National Park Road Trip--different parks though.

The evening after dinner was to be one of Twilight Twinkle Glow where balloons inflate and they glow but don't fly and the start of  America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race, a race to see who can stay up the longest and travel the farthest after their balloon is inflated with hydrogen.

While we finished our desert and coffee, we watched a couple of balloons trying to inflate near our view point. There was a slight breeze and inflation looked a bit dangerous as the balloons would sway in the breeze. In the end, for the Twilight Twinkle Glow only a handful of balloons inflated and twinkled a couple of times before it was called off completely.

So too was the start of the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race. It was postponed until midnight or later when the wind would die down. (Later we learned that the balloons did not launch until early Tuesday morning.) The year before the winning balloonists had traveled all the way to Ontario, Canada. (The winning 2014 team made it to Findlay, Kentucky in 53 hours 27 minutes.) There are no rest stops along the way. 'Nuff said.

While the balloons couldn't do much for the evening show all was not lost and we enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display at the end of the evening before going back to our hotel. Exhausted, we fell into bed and I don't think either of us heard the noisy A/C kick on and off once our eyes closed.

Through My Lens - 2014 International Balloon Fiesta

The National Park Road Trip - The Grand Finale

It has long been on my bucket list. I don't even remember when I first heard of it but when I did, it stuck with me and the desire to see it only grew. Albuquerque, New Mexico. The International Balloon Fiesta. We were here!

Neither of us slept very well at the Hometown Suites where we were staying. For one, the A/C was loud and located right in the bedroom. Who designed that?? When it was off, the room heated up even though the night was cool and we could open the windows about three inches in each room. Bob gave up and turned on the noisy A/C.

Part of not sleeping though was excitement and anticipation, I'm sure, on my part. We had to leave at 4:30 a.m. in order to arrive at the Balloon Fiesta Park some time around 5 which was suggested in order to get into the parking area on time. My wonderful husband, knowing how much this meant to me, bought us all-day tickets for the Gondola Club. It got us special close-in parking, breakfast and dinner, and a front row seat for all the festivities on the field.

A golf cart driven by a cheery volunteer (must have been a morning person) took us to the Gondola Club which was a huge tented area with chairs and tables inside and out. We checked in and were in time for the start of a fantastic buffet breakfast.

Great hot coffee helped warm us until Bob found an outdoor heater. He claimed a spot under it and I wandered down to a corner of the outdoor area nearest the temporary fence where I could set up my camera and tripod. Thanks again to my beautiful daughter-in-law, Lori, for all the suggestions for how to get good shots at the Fiesta.

In the dark of the early morning, shadowy forms began to rise from the ground and suddenly started to light up for a couple of seconds here and there. It was the early morning dawn patrol getting ready to test the winds. About a dozen lifted off the ground at about 6 a.m. and floated over our heads to the cheers of thousands on the field below us. I was in awe.

But so much more was yet to come! As dawn lightened the sky, more and more balloons began to fill and grow from the field to huge colorful objects, some round like balloons and others taking on the shape of many different characters--a beaver, a cow, Yoda, Darth Vader, Angry Bird, a fire hydrant with a little fireman soon following, dogs, cats, a witch on a broom, the list went on.

At 6:30, the Morning Glow began. Those balloons that were fully inflated began to glow with a controlled burn. The announcer would count down so that they would glow together--somewhat. That was helpful to all the photographers who had their cameras on tripods with a delayed shutter. (I've learned that hands off helps keep the camera steady while the shutter is open longer.)

Soon after, there was the playing of the National Anthem and the Fiesta Balloon rose into the sky with the flag. The music done, the balloons began the Mass Ascension. It was estimated that there would be about 600 balloons participating. The biggest year was 1,000. I wondered how in the world they would all get off the ground without running into each other.

As the balloons began to rise and the sun was high enough to dispense with the tripod since I didn't need a longer exposure for pictures, we stuffed the tripod into my backpack and walked down onto the field where the balloons were still being inflated and launched. The Mass Ascension would take about two hours.

Careful to not step on lines and stay clear of the crews, we were able to walk among the balloons and get a close up view of how the balloons were inflated. It is all done with hot air provided by the heat of propane tanks. Some of those flames seemed so big that I wondered they didn't catch the material of the balloons on fire.

Along the way we found out how the Mass Ascension was organized. There was a team of people dressed in black and white striped shirts like referees and with a big white Mickey Mouse type glove on one hand who would give the all go signal when it was safe to proceed. They were all connected by radio so that various balloons in the field were spaced far enough apart for take off. It's an amazing organization and I'm sure the 43 years of experience have lent to the success.

Crews were often dressed in themed costumes that went with their balloons. At times it almost felt like an early Halloween. Silly hats were the order of the day. And one very daring lady had a fake naked butt hanging on the outside of her jeans. She was the one of the crew who crawled under the balloon to help lift it off of the wet dewy grass. I wondered if the smooth plastic butt helped her to slide beneath the nylon.

The sky was filled with balloons before long and as the day dawned, the winds shifted a bit. Instead of passing directly over the Gondola Club, they were now veering slightly more to the East. I wondered where they would find a place to land. Albuquerque is a growing city and stretches out in all directions. This year according to new reports we'd read, they had sodded a new area that could be used for landing. We also read that a new app was made for balloon operators and tablets containing the app were handed out to balloonists to help navigate (as much as you could a balloon at the mercy of wind direction).

As the sun rose higher in the sky, we positioned ourselves with the sunlight behind us in order to enjoy the balloons more without squinting. It allowed for better pictures as well. The two hours passed quickly watching the spectacle on the ground take to the skies and soon it was obvious that not all would be airborne. The larger character balloons often don't take off but inflate just for show. They are a bit trickier to navigate.

There was still one character balloon before us that we could watch inflate and when it did, we watched delighted children get a "ride" on it. The younger ones were too short to be seen over the gondola so the owner lifted each up for a picture. The tether held the balloon just about three feet off the ground. Later we saw him take older kids up a bit higher, still tethered but about 15 feet off the ground. What a thrill for them. Appropriately the character balloon was a stork.

We found ourselves about halfway down the huge field now mostly empty of balloons and decided to walk back to the Gondola Club along Main Street. Vendors of all sorts mostly with food and souvenirs lined the street. It was like visiting the county fair back home. A larger tent held an entertainment area for bands and/or dancers.

When we got to the place where people were amassing to take the shuttle bus back to their parking areas, we were doubly thankful for the special tickets we'd gotten. The crowd was huge. Still, it was a great way to come to the Park. You could park at several designated areas a couple miles away and get a bus ride (school buses) to the Park and back to your car. The cost of a park and ride ticket was only $12-20 depending upon when you purchased it.

Back at the Gondola Club, we got another cup of coffee and used the temporary facilities set up there which were almost like a regular restroom. Another star for my husband. As we exited to rest for the evening festivities, we collected our gift, stadium seats w/blankets, and souvenir pins. We drove back to our hotel and I crashed for a couple of hours only to awake to the sounds of my husband cheering on the Buckeyes. His second treat for the day--wide screen TV for his beloved OSU Buckeye game. And they won!

The National Park Road Trip - Petrified Forest

While I'm not sure we got a great night's sleep worrying about bed bugs, we were up and thankful in the morning to not have any evidence of them. The Travelodge had breakfast included and a new item for us, a pancake machine. While we weren't ready for pancakes again, we were fascinated as we watched others make them. You push a button and inside the machine some batter is pressed between two griddles (I'm guessing) and when it's done, it slides out a small conveyor belt at the other end. Cool!

We packed up our freshly laundered clothes and headed off int he direction of the Petrified Forest National Park about a half hour drive from Holbrook. 

We reached the South Entrance and stopped by the visitor's center for a little orientation on the park. This area, although hard to believe now, was one a wetland inhabited by large reptilian dinosaurs. The conifer trees fell into the streams and they were washed to adjacent floodplains. A mix of silt, mud, and volcanic ash buried them and with the oxygen supply cut off, it delayed the decay of the logs. Silica-laden water seeped into the wood and replaced the original tissues causing the logs to be petrified. After that, continents moved, land rose, climates changed and over time wind and water wore away the layers that covered the petrified logs exposing them.

There is a whole history of human inhabitants as well. Remains of a Pueblo Village were on the list to see along the way. Sadly precious stone was also embedded in the petrified wood and when discovered, miners came and dynamited many logs to obtain the gems. Eventually, the park was established to protect what remains.

Puerco Pueblo

The road between the north and south entrances to the park is about 28 miles long with lots of interesting stops along the way and trails to explore. We passed on the trails mostly simply because of time and, let's face it, we were getting a little tired and sore from hiking so much. We did take the short trail behind the South Visitor's Center and get a close up look at the petrified wood there.

Up the road from the Center, we stopped at the Crystal Forest which apparently was quite something a while back but has been pillaged so much by visitors (even though it is illegal to take anything out of the park) that what made it look like a forest of crystal isn't there any longer.

Petroglyph

The Agate Bridge still stands however and is supported not with a piece of concrete below it. It was once a large tree that fell across a small stream. In the really old days, you were allowed to walk across it.

Just before the Pueblo Village, we stopped to take a picture of the area called Teepees. Lots of beautiful colored layers of earth.

Old Route 66

The Puerco Pueblo is a partially stabilized 100-room village built between 1250 and 1380 and may have housed nearly 200 people. There was a short trail around the ruins and views of the petroglyphs. One of them resembled a stork carrying a baby. I smiled. That legend must really be old.

As we crossed over Route 40, we stopped to check out the old car that marked the place where the infamous Route 66 used to be. We didn't realize we were actually traveling part of it as we made our way to Albuquerque. 

Painted Desert

We stopped at a few more view points to view the Painted Desert before we got to the Painted Desert Inn. Originally the Inn was built of petrified wood but the owner, Herbert David Lore, had built it on a seam of clay and over the years as the ground swelled and moved from moisture, the foundation began to crack. Enter the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps. After the purchase of the property by the National Parks, the CCC came in and reconstructed it with an adobe style. In the 40s it was a stop along Route 66. Some of the original mural paintings by Hopi painter, Fred Kabotie, can still be seen and the dining area is still done in a 40-50s style.

Painted Desert Inn

While at the Inn, we asked about the old Route 66 and if more of it existed at the park. One of the ladies there told us to look for a dirt road marked Authorized Personnel Only before we got to the Northern Visitor Center. We couldn't drive down it but it was a part of the old 66. We found it and Bob turned into it just long enough to take a picture. As we did, our GPS registered the Route 66. It's the little things sometimes that add flavor to a trip.

We didn't linger too long in the Northern Visitor Center. We had miles to go yet before we would reach Albuquerque, NM and our final destination, The Balloon Fiesta.