Monday, October 3, 2016

DAY #31 - Made it to Albuquerque, New Mexico (from Flagstaff, Az)

As we left from Flagstaff, AZ this morning, we drove until we found a BROWN SIGN to tell us that the METEOR CRATER was just off the road.  Well, we have learned that it is hard to pass up a brown sign.  So, we drove 6 miles off the beaten road (highway) to see this.  SO glad we did.  Well worth the extra hour that we spent here.

The huge 1,400 lb piece of meteorite is on location so you can actually touch it and feel it.  It is the REAL piece....not a fake!

There is an 'open window' with that gorgeous view in the background.  That is NOT a foto on a wall. This was a very nice place to come visit.  We would love to come here again and spend more time.

The crater was a pretty amazing thing to see up close and personal!  Unfortunately for us, the WINDS were a real concern today and the walk-around-the-rim was not allowed.  We could only walk where there were railings.  And even with that, we held on for dear life!!!  AMAZING.

Our next stop today would be at the PETRIFIED FOREST National Park.  This was also very, very cool.  Those logs in front of the sign are petrified tree trunks.

Parts of the forest had so many pieces of the petrified trees just strewn everywhere and mixed in here and there were some cacti.

I even found a beautiful cacti in full bloom!!!  I thought that was also pretty cool.

This was a very cool piece of petrified tree.

We interrupt this little 'show and tell' for a bathroom break.  And, just in case you were wondering where the next bathroom might be for planning purposes, the establishment wanted to make sure you knew the answer to that!

The Petrified Forest runs right into the PAINTED DESERT!  And this did not disappoint either.  It was gorgeousness all around.

And right in the middle of it all, there we have ROUTE 66 going through.  With an old abandoned car to prove it!!  This was just too cute not to take a foto of!

At this point we were behind schedule and really wanted to get to ALBUQUERQUE by sunset and see the temple.  The scenery all along the way was just GORGEOUS.  Not one single dull turn in the whole drive today.

And you know what......Heavenly Father kept that sunset around just for us.  It was literally on it's last rays as we pulled into the temple parking lot.  We were so grateful for that.  Beautiful temple in a beautiful part of Albuquerque.

As I turned around in the temple parking lot, this is what I saw.  Indeed blessed with our timing!

Our adventure to HOME SWEET HOME continues.  So much to see each and every day.  We are SO BLESSED!  Love y'all.....Headed to the 515....hope y'all are ready for us to come home!!  Oh, and by the way.....we LOST and HOUR today.  :-(  We had just gotten used to having 3 hours!!