It’s Not Me, It’s Him, Right?

Days #6 and #7: Cuckoo for Kokopeli

First a reminder, although today’s post has pictures, I’m really not in the picture business.  If you want to see great pictures, please check out Susan’s blog: http://toledonative-route66.blogspot.com/

Day #6 (Wednesday) started out in Santa Rosa, New Mexico and the goal of the day was to spend the day in Albuquerque.  A short day of driving, pretty much nothing to see on the way.  First stop of the day once we got near ABQ was Turquoise Trail, which reaches its peak with a trip up to Sadina Peak, a 10K peak featuring one of the easier mountain roads I’ve encountered.  At the bottom of the hill was the Tinkertown Museum.  The only thing I will say about that place is never, ever go to the Tinkertown Museum.

Once we entered the Breaking Badlands, I entrusted the trip photographer/navigator to take some pictures of some of the sights of the fine TV show.  First up is the White household, which I’m sure they never get tired of people driving by:

Then a visit to put a call into Saul.  It’s actually a vacant store in a iffy strip mall a few blocks away from the White House, so just imagine the giant inflated Uncle Sam on top:

Next up is a picture that if you’re a fan of the show, you may sort of recognize…

…as another food location.  This mural is inside the front door.  Strangely, this location (one of 15 Twisters locations in ABQ) is next to an ostrich and goat pen.

We also tried to take a picture of the Hot Dog place where Jesse buys a gun (among other scenes), but when we drove by the lights were off.

Later in the evening we visited Isotopes Park, home of the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes and farm team of the Dodgers.  The opponent was the Sacramento River Cats, the main farm team of the Athletics.  By seeing the lineup for the Athletics I finally found out the Tigers are done screwing with Jeff Larish.  Hopefully he gets a chance with them.  Nothing really special with the food, other than I tried BBQ nachos.  Apparently the key here is volume, as the kids around us were constantly being fed junk food well into the later innings.  We also missed getting a t-shirt from the cannon by one seat.

The night was spent in the Plaza Inn, which was likely a Howard Johnsons in a past life.  I have to ask why in 2010 does a hotel room only have two outlets, and neither of them with three prongs?

Thursday’s drive began a long trip to get to near the Grand Canyon.  We stopped in Gallup for lunch, the town Bob Dylan use to claim he was from, and saw a wonderful downtown of run down Native craft store after run down Native craft store.  Crossing into Arizona, we went through Petrified Forest, where we experienced at least three different weather patterns through the 28 mile trip, and the world’s least competent gift shop clerk.   In Holcomb on the way to reconnect to I-40, we came across the 2010 winner of the “Best Reuse of an Old Motel Sign” award:

After skipping over Meteor Crater ($15 to see a hole in the ground), we stopped for dinner in Flagstaff.  I have to ask people more familiar than us, is there anything negative with that place?  Home prices too high?  Hard to find a job?  Just curious.

After that, it was a quick jaunt to our Bed and Breakfast in Williams…which does not have working air conditioning…in Arizona.  Tomorrow we’ll spend the whole day at the Grand Canyon.  I’ll let you know tomorrow if a Toyota Camry can jump the chasm.