Our two main stops of the day were in Arizona. The first was a family history one...Joseph City. Named after the prophet, Joseph Smith, it was established by command of Brigham Young. My grandmother, Alma Tanner Carr, was born there.
There really wasn't much to see, and I didn't go far into town (even with a GPS, I fear getting lost). But we did find the town's marker for the old cottonwood fort that was initially built there. So after a few snapshots and a pit stop at Love's (gas was $3.18/gallon!!), we were off again.
The second stop was the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert Visitor's Center. We had lunch there and looked around the visitor's center and gift shops. Petrified wood is fascinating and we learned how it was made.
Then came...the long drive to Albuquerque. I think I had to tell Jonathan at least 5x how to spell it (he's my worst speller). Even though it was just drive, drive, drive, the kids did pretty well (we had a couple of Quiet Times). The countryside was not as pretty as the drive around Sedona and Flagstaff, but the sky was dotted with evenly-spaced white clouds and the temperature pleasant.
My back had had enough about 65 miles out of Albuquerque, so we found a New Mexico Visitor's Center to stop at. It was a nice find! It was a beautiful structure, with that desert feel, and large observation windows along one side.
The kids and I enjoyed watching the wildlife out of those windows. We saw a coyote, three gopher snakes, and a bunch of prairie dogs (watching out for the snakes & coyote). The ranger there was full of information (and able to answer Analiese's questions).
We found a Sam's Club in Albuquerque for dinner and to get gas and then proceeded to get turned around to get to the hotel. Apparently, there are two Central Avenues in Albuquerque, but the nice desk manager at the EconoLodge got us to the right one before too late. Even the GPS isn't always right.
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