Visit to Arizona and New Mexico

(Click on photos to enlarge)        
                                                                         
Grand Canyon - brutally cold day, my favorite part was sipping hot chocolate...
Acoma Pueblo - still occupied - our guide gave a colorful tour.  An egalitarian society with property handed down through the youngest daughter - loved that!
Hiked down from the top - the pueblo sits at 7000 ft. - hand holds carved in the rock - it was envigorating - and left me with sore quads.   Truly beautiful country which left me wanting to see more. 

Getting there: 

Phoenix is a balmy 70 degrees when the flight lands. I catch a shuttle to the rental car hub where a very nice counter guy comps my reserved car to a more powerful model when I say Flagstaff is my destination. A two-hour night drive with a near 6000 ft. elevation climb awaits.



I take a brief moment to figure out how to operate the car’s lights and wipers, then head north on I-17. The miles whiz by doing 80 mph, past sprawling Phoenix, directly into a rain storm that turns into snow flurries. The car windows fog and I can’t find the defrost control. My brain doesn’t translate dashboard icons; it’s a plain fact. I couldn’t see them anyway without my readers. Pulling over to locate those elusive controls is one fleeting option. But no, I am on a mission. So I fumble a few knobs and dials, and nothing. Except my backside is suddenly hot. Eventually it dawns, “Ah, seat warmer.” I resort to lowering the passenger window thereby eliminating the fogged windows at the cost of a noisy and freezing car interior.



Flagstaff and the fabled Route 66, here I come. Frozen hands, yes. Also a hot ass.



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