Travel Tips

Well this February T and I hit the road in ole Eleanor with our sights set on Santa Fe. We knew it would be a long one, but with a cooler full of sandwiches and a pac of beef jerky we had nothin' to fear! We jumped onto the Interstate-5 in Eugene and made proper introductions since we knew we'd be following her south for a long while....

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T at the helm!

Now, driving through southern Oregon and northern California in the dark just isn't as fun as you'd think! We did see the moonlight majesty of Mt. Shasta, but we were sure happy to hit the hay in Sacramento (even if it was at a sleazy Super-8!).

The next morn, T took to the wheel and we burned rubber out of that motel, hopefully never to return! We had smooth sailing along the 5 but were glad to turn off in Bakersfield and bid her goodbye.

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Moonrise over Mojave

Eastward and Onward

Well, we aimed the car east and only after stopping for a cup o' joe at a real coffee shop did we pass through the urban sprawl of Bakersfield. We jumped onto I-40 and drove into the beautiful Mojave Desert. We almost drove off the road at the sight of our first cacti, an almost foreign sight for Northwestern eyes! We rolled through hills and dales and past windfarms and trains. As the land was flattening out we saw the huge full moon rising ahead. We couldn't stop our 'oohs and ahhs' as the moon rose and the sun set, a truly beautiful sight as we plowed ahead into the dusk.

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Hey, T, is that sand or snow??

As the darkness gathered we focused our sights on Flagstaff for the night. The full moon was illuminating the desert and as we barrelled through the hills we couldn't tell if it was covered with snow or sand, silly girls! Only after we stopped for fuel did we realize that it was freezing cold outside....definetly snow on the ground! So, we slowed our speed, and eased on into Flagstaff to stay at the historic and happenin' Weatherford Hotel. There we had a few laughs over a local Nut Brown brew and stayed in a quaint, old-fashioned room.

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Train in the Desert

Freezing in Flagstaff

We awoke in Flagstaff ready for the final leg of our drive. Unfortunately, it was below freezing outside and it took a good forty-five minutes to get the ole diesel lady, Eleanor, into driving shape. At least we had our java to de-ice our freezing fingers as we waited.

When we finally hit the open road we could hardly contain our exitement knowing that within the day we would arrive in Santa Fe. We zipped by petrified forests and dinosaur farms, clicking off the town names as we motored on through. Winston, Holbrook, Gallup, Grants, and then onto I-25 in Albuquerque.

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Santa Fe in our Sights!

The Final Leg

Our hearts were light when we saw the first sign for Santa Fe. Almost there! And of course our nerves set in. Would she like us? Would we like her? Only one way to find out, by pressing on to 7,000 feet.

And then, after climbing hill after hill, there she was in the distance....Santa Fe. Sixteen hundred miles after leaving Oregon, we had made it.

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From Northwest to Southwest

Now, after a three day road trip, T and I were pretty fatigued, but rather than sleep we decided to go out and treat our stomachs to some Southwest flavour! We got horribly turned around in downtown Santa Fe--one adobe seemed the same as the next--but we finally arrived at Tomasitas with a hunger. We downed margaritas and stuffed ourselves on sopapillas. T's Northwestern stomach had an issue with the chili, but after that meal, we were baptised into the Southwest. Ok, Santa Fe, now we're ready, show us what you've got!

Still to come...the long trip back. Oh, and if you are interested in my actual time spent in Santa Fe, check out my pages. Hasta pronto!