Only made it out to Needles

I am constantly amazed by the number of activities we can cram into a single road trip.

Since my last post, I have had dinner with an old friend in Albuquerque; photographed some of my favorite signs in western New Mexico; bought a leather cowboy hat at Continental Divide (my favorite souvenir thus far); gone for a jog/hike on the trail at Blue Mesa in the Painted Desert (would have jogged all of it, but the steep downhill switchbacks with no guardrails were NOT suitable for running); gone jogging in the Kaibab National Forest; checked e-mail from the porch of a feed store in Parks, Ariz.; fed fawns at Grand Canyon Deer Farm near Williams, Ariz.; shared a story with the Guardian Angel of Route 66 (more on that when I get home); eaten at the Snow-Cap in Seligman, Ariz.; listened to the call-and-response squeaks at a prairie dog town west of Seligman; followed an amusingly acerbic tour guide through Grand Canyon Caverns; bought school clothes at the Hackberry General Store and the Powerhouse Museum; found inspiration for two good lesson plans; fed carrots to four of the famous Oatman burros; had a pleasant exchange with an agriculture inspector just west of the California border; and taken some killer photos of the 66 Motel sign in Needles. (Sadly, the motel didn’t have any rooms available, so we just went to a franchise joint down the road.)

We’re headed for Ludlow tomorrow. I’m way excited about staying in the Ludlow Motel, jogging in the Mojave, and hanging out at the fabulously mid-century Ludlow Cafe. Theme for tomorrow: Peace and quiet.

Hope your weekend has been full of adventures, wherever you are.

Emily

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