Santa Fe to Amarillo - Too Boring for Words

We've been spoiled over the past couples days with the beautiful landscapes we've driven through.  As much as we wished it could have continued, today we had an abrupt end to the eye-candy we had enjoyed seeing.  There was very little variations in vegetation and with no elevation changes the road just went on and on.  At some points the road curved to meet up with another highway or to go past a small town, but for the most part it was straight, and flat, and utterly boring.  It didn't help that we've gone through all our downloaded podcasts (thanks Ben for all the suggestions, they've been awesome) and listened to our new cds (BTW the Divergent soundtrack is awful.  It's so bad we started listening to it in New Mexico and it did not leave with us when we drove into Texas).  On a happy note though, it did get much warmer!  Turns out Texas is a lot warmer than New Mexico and we appreciate that :)

We did make one stop along the way at the Cadillac Ranch which has been around since the original Route 66 days.  We saw people adding to the graffiti already there (it's an evolving art piece), but the fumes didn't agree with Lizzy so we just enjoyed the art from a distance.

When we got to our hotel in Amarillo we found out that the ventilation system was actually on fire so we'd have to wait for the firetrucks and police to leave before going to our room.  We decided to take our dog and go find some bbq while we waited for the hotel to stop smoking.  Texan bbq is amazing!  Smoky and tender and fall-apart goodness :)  We're now hanging out at the hotel and relaxing for the evening.  Everything seems to be back in order at the hotel and thankfully nothing burnt down. 

Oh!  We did realize that we had our first casualty of the trip; Lizzy's bed was left in Santa Fe.  We think it might have been left in the parking lot of the hotel, but we can't be too certain.  Thankfully she's a spoiled dog and actually has two beds so we have a back-up.  Let's hope everything else makes it to Toronto with us!

Tomorrow we head to Tulsa, Oklahoma (home of Hanson! Is Tulsa known for anything else?) where our Food Network recommendations were all pizza places.  Never thought of Oklahoma as having good pizza (thought it'd still be bbq), but we'll do the hard work of eating the pizza and reporting back to y'all about it tomorrow night.

Breaking Bad and Getting Lost

Today was what we considered an "off" day which meant we weren't going to really travel, but we were going to be tourists.  Turns out we didn't really think this through as we spent more time driving around Santa Fe and Taos then we had spent driving the previous day. Whoops!  Either way we had a great day and got to take Lizzy on all our sightseeing adventures.

Before leaving Albuquerque this morning we stopped off at two locations often seen in Breaking Bad.  The first was the "A-1 Car Wash" and the second was where Walter White and family lived.  At both places there were other people taking pictures so we didn't feel as bad doing the same.

The homeowner was sitting in her garage staring down people standing outside looking at her place so we opted to stay in the car and take a pic from the "surveillance" position so often used in the show.  Unfortunately we didn't get out of the car so there's some glare from the front window.

After geeking it up we decided to head over to Santa Fe for a stop at Harry's Roadhouse which was seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network.  We didn't have the dish Guy had while visiting, but my veggie burger was delicious and Yarons soup/half grilled cheese sandwich was yummy.  They were even super nice and opened up a portion of their patio area so we could sit with Lizzy.  She loved the chance to sunbathe and to get out of the car for a bit :)

With our stomachs full we went in search of some history and sights.  We drove 1.5+ hours up to Taos to visit the Pueblos and the Rio Grande Gorge bridge.  We attempted to find the Gorge taking a shorter route Google Maps recommended, but when we found ourselves on a gravel path climbing one-lane switchbacks up the side of the Gorge with a freaked out dog, we decided that we would turn around when possible and save any possible damage to the vehicle that still had 6 days to go in our trip.  We ended up going to the Pueblo instead and completing a little walk-around tour of the area.

 
After our fill of history we went back to searching for the Gorge.  Luckily the bridge was actually part of a highway so we didn't have to deal with anymore gravel roads.  We got there as the sun was setting so the pictures were pretty shady.  The pic below is from standing on the bridge looking down.  I guess it's like a smaller Grand Canyon which is just as beautiful.

On our way back down to Santa Fe we took some side roads and got a sense for the old-world way of living.  At one point both Yaron and I commented that we forgot we were in the U.S.  Everything looked and felt like somewhere else as it was so un-like anything we had ever seen in the U.S. before.  Quite an eye-opener and a very surreal experience.

Tonight we spent some time at Dual Brewery which had this amazing horseradish mustard which was full of flavour and different heat layers.  We seriously need to try making this asap!  Yaron also tried a Belgian-style sour beer that smelled like apple juice and wasn't completely awful.  I think we might have found a beer I would possibly think of maybe drinking if I really had no other options and was dying of thirst.  No faces were made when I tried it which is also a plus :D

Tomorrow we will be switching time zones and states again as we head into Texas.

Till then, nighty night!

P.S. Here are the links of our time lapsed videos from day 2 and 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-vogBMxBk&list=UUTCa3MrbgnZ46Omt-WtbefA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEDd2uxc8vU&list=UUTCa3MrbgnZ46Omt-WtbefA

Recognize me?

Flagstaff to Albuquerque

We had a similar start this morning as we got on the road before 9am came around.  With our two longest driving days behind us we were looking forward to an easy day.  We ended up stopping after about 2 hours at the Petrified Wood National Forest.  It was sunny and warm with a nice breeze.  All in all a beautiful time for a short hike.  After being in the car and hotels for two days Lizzy was definitely excited to stretch her legs.

She may have liked it too much as she decided to claim the National Forest as her own.  Every animal needs to have a Lion King moment right?

The petrified wood was amazing to see.

 And the landscapes were beautiful.

Now we're hanging out in Albuquerque resting up a bit for a night of bbq and beer :D  

Second day on the road

Sometimes computers and I just don't get along. After typing up a nice entry I pressed the wrong button and it got deleted. Yay?

This morning we got on the road earlier than yesterday as we realized we would be changing time zones in the afternoon and we were planning to stop at the Mojave National Preserve. We had a short hike at the preserve which was a great opportunity to stretch our legs and let Lizzy roam around. Thankfully we didn't see any wildlife, but I'm not sure if Lizzy was pleased about that.

I've been completely amazed at the beauty of the desert while driving today, but also at the sheer lunacy of the humans that have chosen to settle here. I think I'll stick to locating near a body of water thank you very much.

Tomorrow we head to Albuquerque with a stop at the Petrified National Forest. I'm looking forward to another hike and getting out of the car for a bit. We're also hoping to enjoy some bbq tomorrow night and checking out some local breweries. We don't plan on going on any Breaking Bad tours, but we'll share pictures if we see any places from the show :)

We've been recording a time lapse video each day, but are having issues posting it. Once we have it figured out we'll definitely post it for everyone to see.

Have a good night!

Arizona

After a brief stop at Hole-in-the-wall trail in Mojave National Preserve, Lizzy has ventured out of her home state and into Arizona.

Lessons learned on the road: Day 1

1) Road trips are an awesome time to work on your singing. You have a captive audience who can't really say anything bad since they'll be stuck with you for the next ten days. This is always a good time to try out your upper range as well.  If singing isn't your thing then you can also work on your seated dance moves. These come in handy when at a function where awesome music is playing and your table is too lame to get up and dance.

2) The U.S. needs to have more rest stops along their highways. Preferably with a Tim Horton's attached to it, but at least not make people wait so friggin long for the next bathroom to show up. Note to self, drink less tomorrow.

3) If you're traveling to Barstow, CA and staying at the Best Western you should be prepared and drive up with your white pickup truck. Our orange crosstrek looks very out of place amongst the ten+ white pickup trucks outside. Good lesson to learn for next time...

4) Cheesy 80s music is appropriate for any and all occasions. I finally heard the actual song that the Golden Girls theme song was from. Now I can't get it out of my head.

Until tomorrow... Happy travels!