Day 23: Winslow, AZ : 383.7 miles; 5:41.

We started off early at 7:15 and headed towards Albuquerque looking for balloons.  Turns out that the Balloon Fiesta is going on (Oct. 6 - 13).  It is sort of like the Kite Festival in Long Beach, WA.  They have some events each day and then on the last weekend have a "Grand Ascension."  They do their events in the early morning or evening hours.  We saw the local newscaster broadcasting from the launch zone in the morning before we left.  We were hoping that they might still be in the air when we got to Albuquerque.

But we had about 100 miles to cover.  The countryside started out flat.  The monotony was broken by many billboards.  One inviting us to visit the brewery for "Alien Amber" beer.  We ran into some road construction with no workers in sight.  We decided that the only reason for the construction zone, which kept changing the lane closed (right to left) must be to keep people awake at the wheel.

At 7:59, we had our first siting of what we considered "real" mountains on the horizon.  Soon we were in the mountains to the east of Albuquerque and passing into the city.  Albuquerque (pop. 545,852; elev. 4957 feet) is New Mexico's largest city.  It was founded in 1706 as a Spanish colonial outpost and farming community along the Rio Grande.  Jim noted that there were very few high-rises in downtown here and the overpasses were decorated and looked nice.  The houses were all brownish, cream, or reddish and blended very well with the countryside.  It is a very pretty town. We passed some subdivisions that looked like Walter White's home in Breaking Bad.  But sadly, NO BALLOONS.

After Albuquerque, we passed mesa lands which looked like they might have been formed by the Rio Grande.  We passed through Navajo lands and came to a town called Grants (pop. 9,182; elev. 6,450).  A Navajo rancher named Paddy Martinez was curious about a yellow rock he found about 10 miles out of town.  Turns out the rock was uranium and within months the town changed from a farming community to a mining community.  This all lasted until a recession in 1982-83 which forced many of the mines to close.  

The countryside was scenic and colorful.  We passed signs for many National Monuments, which due to the government shut-down are closed now.  The wind was strong and we saw some dust devils.  We saw a sign that said we had crossed the Continental Divide.

We got off the Interstate at Gallup.  Gallup has a population of 21,678 and an elevation of 6,508 feet.

The railroad came to the Gallup region in 1881 to use the regions coal deposits for its engines. At thetime Gallup was a stagecoach stop consisting of a saloon/general store called the Blue Goose.  Gallop is known for coal mining and the railroad, but it is best known as the main trading center for most Navajo as well as nearby Zuni and Hopi wares.  The town has over 100 trading posts.

We got downtown and found it lined with trading posts, pawn shops, and galleries.  I didn't know where to begin, there was so much beautiful pottery, jewelry, rugs, blankets, etc.  Jim found a store he liked and we went in.  We were the only ones in the store and Jim immediately asked the proprietor how we could tell we were buying authentic goods.  We had a good conversation with Mike and he was eager to answer any questions we had.  I found a pot that kept calling to me, so we now have it in a large box in the back seat.  The pot was made by a Hopi artist named Stetsen Setalla.  Mike emailed a picture of the artist holding our pot in his store.  He takes pictures with his phone when the artists bring in their pieces for the store.

There is a Zuni Pueblo 30 miles south of Gallup.  The community has a population of 6,302 and is the only surviving settlement of the "Seven Cities of Cibola" sought by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado in his quest for gold.  It is one of the largest existing inhabited pueblos.  Ancient rites and traditions are still practiced.  You can arrange to visit the pueblo, but no pictures are allowed without a special permit.

We made a rest stop at McDonalds and got back on the I-40 West.  Soon we were in Arizona.  It was very windy.  The speed limit remained 75mph, so Jim was happy.  We passed through the Painted Desert and a sign for the Petrified Forest National Park.  We tuned to 1610 AM for information and the park person told us the park was closed and thanked us for our "understanding."  Jim said, "We don't understand at all."  When we stopped at the Arizona Welcome Center to pick up some maps, an older man was complaining about the Grand Canyon being closed.  He said it was closed unless you broke in at gunpoint.  Seems to me that Congress has grossly underestimated the wrath of seniors who cannot get into the National Parks.

In the distance we saw what looked like clouds.  Turns out it was a giant dust storm.  The wind kept getting stronger and stronger, so we decided to stop at Winslow (pop. 9,655; elev. 4,856).
The town was named after a president of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad and is a railroad, shipping, and trading center.

We stopped at one motel and they said they were full.  So we went across the street and found a room at the Quality Inn.  I asked the clerk if there was something going on in town.  He said no, that it was probably the wind.  He said they might shut the Interstate down, so folks were stopping early.  He also told me that the nickname for Winslow is "WindsBlow" and that the town had been chosen as the site for an international airport...until they considered the wind.

Winslow became known in the 70's from the lyrics of the Eagles first hit single, "Take it Easy."  The verse "Standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona" was the inspiration for "The Corner" in downtown Winslow featuring a life-size bronze statue and a two story mural depicting the story behind the famous song.  Winslow is also on "Historic Route 66."  We found the corner and took some pictures.  Notice that Jim's hair is horizontal from the wind.

Another downtown attraction in Winslow is the La Posada hotel restored to look like a Spanish hacienda.

Back at the motel, we watched the local weather and found out that the wind gusts in Winslow (50mph) were the highest in the state.  They also said it might snow tonight in Flagstaff.  Yipes.