This post was written last night, I couldn't post it til this morning due to internet access. So Day 8 is for Sunday, March 8th.
Day 8 started off with a New Mexican style breakfast at Mannie's in Albuquerque. Fun fact : We saw Mario from Mario Bros. enjoying himself a meal of some sort. The guy looked just like him. That wasn't really the highlight though. I tried green chili for the first time and found out that there is a "state question" in New Mexico. Red or Green? They are referring to what type of chili you prefer. After a survey, most people in the state prefer green chili. I'm not sure what my opinion is on it. It is hotter than red chili, but then again, it depends on how it is made I suppose.
We left Albuquerque for Flagstaff after checking out a museum about Pueblo culture. We took the top down off the car and cruised on Route 66 for a bit through New Mexico. Eventually, it just became too cold; but was well worth the experience. We hopped back on Route 40 (Speed Limit 75 mph) and continued the drive towards the Petrified Forest in Arizona.
Petrified Forest was unbelievable. I could hardly believe I was actually viewing the vistas around me. You can see the painted desert in pictures, but until you have actually stood near a ledge and looked out into the distance at it; you can't really comprehend how it would feel. The vastness of the place is like nothing I've ever seen or experienced. It's hard to imagine that people have grown up knowning nothing but the gigantic space that surrounds them out here. It was also very interesting to see the petrified wood that seems to inhabit the place in that area. It practically turns into marble with age. The thought that dinosaurs and rainforest once dominated an area that is now an arid desert was fascinating.
After the 28 or so mile drive through the forest (which isn't actually a forest anymore) we hopped right back onto 40. Of course we had to stop in Winslow, Arizona and stand on the corner. Heck, a girl in a flatbed Ford even slowed down to take a look at us while we were there.
We took it easy for the rest of the drive, unfortunately we came upon Flagstaff at night; so we didn't really get to witness the elevation transition during the day. The desert suddenly becomes a pine tree haven next to an enormous mountain peak. The city of Flagstaff looked impressive at night. I look forward to waking up tomorrow morning and checking out the hiking trails. Our hosts tonight are very interesting as well. They are both students at the local University and have very colorful personalities. We plan on staying the night in Flagstaff tomorrow as well in order to get the full experience of this incredibly scenic place.
