Holbrook, Arizona

We left Grants, New Mexico, under gloomy skies. It was dark for most of the drive, and we got into some light rain.

The kitties were in their usual state of boredom at the prospect of a new location.

I'm starting to think they like these driving days, since nobody disturbs their morning naps.

We could see a spot of sunshine off to the north, but that was all we saw until we reached the end of our drive and pulled into our final destination.

Along the way, we crossed the Continental Divide. If you're unfamiliar with the significance of the Continental Divide, just know that rivers on the east side drain into the Atlantic Ocean, while those on the west side (where we are now) drain into the Pacific Ocean. The landscape here was flat, and so it was hard to believe it made much of a difference.

We passed through Gallup. New Mexico, and then fairly soon after, we crossed the state line into Arizona.

There wasn't much to see along our route. This is northern Arizona, and so we see some of the red dirt one might see on a trip to Sedona.

We were about 200 miles from Grand Canyon National Park, but I still wondered if the landscape near the horizon below was the beginning of the long canyon.

Eventually, we reached Holbrook, and now we're firmly ensconced in an RV park for the next three nights.

As we were sitting in the RV yesterday evening, I noticed the sun setting through the trees, and grabbed this shot. Kind of fun. 

If I'd waited a little longer, I could have watched the sun dip below the horizon. I saw it, but I didn't get a picture of it. Oh well, maybe I'll get another chance while we're here.

Our reason for choosing Holbrook is its proximity to the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. We'll only need one day to explore the park, which means we'll have another free day here. It's probably a good thing because we'll be back to riding ATV's at our next stop. I can feel my body shuddering at the thought of more beatings on the ATV trails. Of course, there's really no way to know whether the trails will be rough (as in Colorado), or smooth (as in other places we've ridden). Still, a body can't be too careful. My body will judge when we get there.

Our internet connection here is slow, and so I'm hoping if I'm up early enough, I'll be able to keep you up-to-date on our sight-seeing activities. If I don't write for a day or two, you'll know that slow internet is to blame. And as long as we're talking about slow internet, it's entirely possible I'll have no connection at all on our next stop in Oracle, Arizona. Although we lived in Phoenix in the late 70's, I'm completely unfamiliar with the area northeast of Tucson. Time will tell. Either way, I'll be back to do some time-traveling, if necessary, so don't lose heart if I'm away for several days.