FMF Day 8 - Flagstaff, AZ

 Now you go through saint looey 
Joplin, missouri, 
And oklahoma city is mighty pretty. 
You see amarillo, 
Gallup, new mexico, 
Flagstaff, arizona. 
Don't forget winona, 
Kingman, barstow, san bernandino.......

Another state, another time zone! Between the start of DST and crossing all these zones, I had no idea what time it was! I think I'm done changing zones for awhile, though. (Arizona doesn't do DST, so now they are on Pacific time.)  I thought I'd stop at the Welcome Center to pick up some info. They grow grapes...who knew?

This greets you as you wander around the Welcome Center. Hoo boy.

But the views are pretty wow-worthy

I find I'm much more comfortable driving through the mountains this year. Also, it's like a different season (which, really, it is - just not according to the calendar). Such different weather than last year's trip!

366 miles today / 2106 total so far.  The journey: map here  Gas has been right at $3.59 since Florida. Today I filled up in Arizona - for $4.09 per gallon. Yowza! Quite a jump!

Flagstaff elevation is just about 7000 feet. Still not bothered by the altitude; just the dryness. But I was prepared with lots of extra lotion! (TMI coming - lotion up the nose helps tremendously!!)  Flagstaff got it's name when a pine tree was used as a flagpole. Cool, huh? The daffodils are in bloom, but it's going to snow on Sunday. A lot!  I'm outta here before then!!!

Random thoughts as I was driving:

The scenery is beautiful as I'm leaving Santa Fe. I thought I'd be going back the same 2-lane highway, but instead I'm on I-25. The houses are all square and rectangular, all earth-tone. They blend in beautifully with the environment (but not my taste; I'm not exactly the most earth-tone person on the planet. :)

I love driving through the gigantic wide-open spaces. Trying to describe the feeling, I came up with wonderful, calming, peaceful, spiritual, and gorgeous.

Albuquerque has wonderful paintings, color, glyphs, artwork on their overpasses and sound walls. (I commented on this last year; was definitely looking forward to seeing it again this year.)  It's certainly not just boring concrete walls!

Toward Gallup, NM the rocks and earth turn red. Such an interesting color - I want to mix it with water and paint or dye with it.

We truly have a beautiful country!

You can't be doin' any one-finger driving across Arizona! It'll be calm - calm - calm, then a gust of wind will blast you and whip that wheel right out of your hands! Whoo wee! (And I still think tumbleweeds are totally cool!)

Are trains longer out here? (More cars?) Or does it just seem that way because you can see the whole train? (Nelda - you should be able to answer that!)

I passed a caravan of 3 bus-sized RVs from Indiana. I wonder if it's a group traveling the country together? Wow, wouldn't THAT be fun! (And I bet gas stations LOOOOOOOVE seeing them pull in!!)

And that was my day! Thanks for stopping by!