The Painted Desert

Hi everyone.

Well today was a real treat!  Before we left Albuquerque we weren’t sure what there was to see and do.  We’re a bit museum’d out – Seems the Americans like museums, they have one for barbed wire, vacuum cleaners, skateboards – anything they can think of!

However, we heard there was a place called Tingley Beach Park which had old buildings. Apparently it’s part of the old historic area of Albuquerque. We found the ‘beach’ which seemed to be manmade lakes/ponds from the Rio Grande.  It was a gathering place for families wanting to teach their kids to fish which I think is great – better than sitting in front of a computer.

Instead of driving back the same way, we took a detour – which proved to be a treat.  We found ourselves in the centre of the historic district.  Beautiful adobe buildings, a church that goes back over 300 years! A little park in the middle with a rotunda/bandstand.  All the businesses had to keep to one story, and the building in the tradition of adobe, plus no sky high signage - i.e. like the McDonalds signs etc. 

The historic centre of Albequerque - dates back 300 years

More of this delightful area

The church is over 300 years old

Inside the church- the bricked floor was really uneven- walked over by so many 

Seeing this area, after our arrival into Albuquerque yesterday when it was rather run down, really turned the city around for me.  Other things we also noticed were the fabulous route 66 signs.  It’s been really hard at times to find the signs, they get stolen, but what Albuquerque does is have a column on each corner with a 66 sign atop each – they seemed to be neon, but because it was daylight of course they weren’t lit up. 

There was a lovely freeway interchange – yes lovely – truly- it was colourful – in the colours of the desert around it, but the bridges were painted the native Indian colours of blue and a rusty brown. 

The route 66 signs in Albequerque

From Albuquerque we took the freeway and came off at Grants then drove on route 66 through very small towns of Milan. Anaconda, Bluewater and on to Prewitt.  This was to see the licence plate display at an old 66 garage – gone – well not quite, but it’s basically gone!  Derelict!

We stayed off the freeway, and on route 66 – but image this – the freeway on our left, us in the middle and the train track on the right – the trains – omg!  Constant  freight trains – and they were huge!  Neil at one stage counted 76 carriages – these carried double level containers and 31 truck trailer units on other carriages – this was pulled by four engines.   The ground shook as it went passed.  But this wasn’t the only train we must have seen at least a dozen trains today – all along this same route and all this size or more- yep they do it BIG in America!

Next stop was Gallup – where we stopped to have a nosey at the El Rancho Hotel.  This is really old, but still operational and has had presidents (Regan when he was a film star), Doris Day, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Clark Gable and many others visit and stay – We asked if we could have a snoop which we did and they have  four sides of the upstairs with signed photos of all the stars. 

Flat and barren land

The beginnings of the canyons

Some of the homes in the Navajo area - really sad 

The hotel for the stars

The lobby - on the mezzanine are the photos of the stars

Gallup was also meant to have a Code Talkers museum, the Native Indians who were code /radio messengers during WW2.  But it was basically a café with pictures.  That’s one of the things we’ve found in the USA, wherever you go there are places to eat at the each attraction.

From Gallop we headed into Arizona on freeway until we got to the Petrified Forest national park

Took about 2 ½ hours to drive, stopping to look at different vistas.  The wood /logs are awesome, crystallised inside.

The changing landscape

Adobe info centre

This shows the burgeoning cloud - it became black and spread for miles and miles

The beginnings of the petrified forrest

The inside of a split petrified tree trunk

Petrified wood

Bits of wood everywhere - all petrified

This guy swooped so close - wanted to be fed - he looks small - not!  Really big 

The crystalised inside of a tree trunk - doesn't really do the beauty of it justice

The park started off with scrubby rolling hills, and canyons, then changed abruptly to what appeared like huge /massive mounds o f dried cement  with no plant life at all, then again changed to plateaus, canyons, and quite a bit of dried grass covering it all – at times looking almost yellow.

Tonight we’ve parked ourselves in Holbrook Arizona.

See you tomorrow - somewhere

Jane and Neil