From Santa Fe, NM to Flagstaff, AZ...
Today was definitely the most stressful in terms of driving. We hit snow, had to deal with some relentless tractor trailers, and almost the whole day was sent driving through the desert. That didn't stop us from having the time of our lives though! We made the best of it and once we got out of the rough patch it was smooth sailing. We got to see some remarkable natural landscapes and historical manmade landmarks. Tyler and I also got to make a pitstop at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook (so much fun)!
With the exception of the snow in the morning, the drive was stunning. I took notes of our stats and recs below for ya!
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STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
Total Duration: 6 h 45 mins
Miles Traveled: 483
States Traveled Through: New Mexico (NM), Arizona (AZ)
Our Favorite Part Of The Day: The Wigwam Motel
Our Least Favorite Part Of The Day: Albuquerque
Music:
The first 3 albums of John Mayer's discography
Highlights/Observations Of The Day:
We woke up to snow on the ground and a winter advisory in affect (it was only a dusting, but they don't have the infrastructure to deal with snow like we do in the Northeast)
We stopped to grab 2 extra gallons of water before we left civilization - we knew we'd be in the desert the whole day
We had to stop in Albuquerque to charge and couldn't be more grateful that God redirected us to stay in Santa Fe
Most of the day turned out to be snowy, overcast and dreary
The tractor trailers were RELENTLESS - we really didn't have any problems with them until they were trying to pass each other at 80 mph on a 2 lane highway in the wind and snow
We passed over the Continental Divide
We stopped to charge in Gallup, NM, "America's most patriotic small town"
We passed "New Mexico's Land of Fire and Ice"
We drove on parts of Historic Route 66
We drove past the Zuni Reservation and through parts of Navajo Nation
We stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park but unfortunately couldn't go in and enjoy it because of the weather (we'll be back)
We stopped to charge in Holbrook, AZ and then Tyler and I drove over to the Wigwam Motel (It's so silly but it was so cool!)
We saw Tow Mater's grandpa
The desert has SO many colors in Arizona, it was really remarkable
We saw trains EVERYWHERE
We passed a sign for a Moose Crossing (fortunately/unfortunately we didn't see any moose)
The weather finally started to clear as we approached Flagstaff and all of a sudden we were surrounded by mountains and trees
You can feel the altitude going into the city but the air is so fresh up there
We saw our first exit sign for California, LA! We'll be taking it tomorrow!
We got settled into the hotel and then headed out for dinner - downtown is so cute and dinner was delicious.
Total Cost To Charge The Tesla:
$56.15 (4 stops)
Where We Stayed:
Flagstaff, AZ - Country Inn & Suites by Radisson. It was nice, good place to stay but very thin walls.
Everything from the lobby to the hallways to the room, was clean except the carpets. I didn't feel great walking barefoot in our room.
Very thin walls, we could hear our neighbors loud and clear.
The layout of the bathroom was kinda weird, but now I'm just nitpicking. It served us well as a place to rest our heads.
Great location.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Places To Eat:
Beaver Street Brewery - The food was really yummy - hit the spot for sure. If you go, you've got to order the Brussel Sprouts (trust me). They have happy hour every Monday-Friday from 2:30-5:30pm with a great selection of drinks. We thought everything was reasonably priced and the service was great - I was going to grab my water and I spilled my first drink on my pants and the table (classic) and they didn't charge us for any of our drinks that night.
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We've made it all the way to Arizona, and tomorrow... WE'RE GOING TO CALIFORNIA!! WHOO HOO (still can't really believe that it's real LOL).
Can't wait to tell ya all about it. Tomorrow's gonna be a lonnnnnnngggg drive...
Sending love always,
J.S.