Day FOUR!

Day 4:  Gallup, New Mexico to San Diego

  

Gettin’ our Kicks:  Before we left New Mexico we drove down part of Historic Rt.66! I loved all the old buildings. There were also a lot of Native American jewelry places.  We never ended up stopping…but we thought about it. There was this fountain  which I was slightly obsessed with. The water jumped around and made different patterns. I could have watched it ALL day :)

Walnut Canyon: REALLY REALLY REALLY beautiful place! Native American Indians used to live on the side of the canyon. They had rather small square stone homes and they had to climb down the side just to get water…Then they had to carry it back up! They were NUTS! Hmmm, maybe that’s why they named it “wal-nut” canyon! GET IT?!?! Hahahaha, I think it’s funny…

 Montezuma Castle:  Located in Arizona, it wasn’t just a “normal” castle. This is a ruin that was built into the side of a cliff by the Singuna people. It’s one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America it’s over 500 years old.  At the park they said that one day, the people just picked up and left. No explanation, nothing.

SEE IT?!?

Verrrooommm:  Sand storm. I saw one… in Arizona. 

Squish: The number of dead bugs on my car is ridiculous.  And I killed so many butterflies I lost count. 

  

Left Arm “Driver’s Tan”:  Thanks to the rotation of the earth, I now have a very tan left arm and a not so tan right arm. Thanks a lot sun shine… You’re the best!

BORDER PATROL: Once we started getting close to Mexico we hit border patrol checkpoints. The first station was by far the most entertaining. These guys weren’t in official uniforms. Wearing traffic vests they stopped us, looked in the back seat at large pile of suit cases, trash and maps, then asked us if we had any fruit. WHAT?! (They were trying to steal MY fruit! I felt offended.)  Then they asked if we had any animals.  (Now they want my pet?!)   What would they have done if I had a dog? Take him away with the fruit, oh.. the heart ache. Then they wanted to know if we had plants.  (They can take those.)  Long story short…(or not so short) …we didn’t have any of those things.  So they let us on our way.  Yes yes, they are doing their job…but oh what a strange job that is.

As we ended our trip in San Diego, there was great relief that the Lord had kept us safe along the way. No car problems...no tickets.  We were thankful, as well, for quite a few extra hours of sleep as our bodies adjusted to time changes.

We had traveled through The Great State of Virginia… down the  foot hills of the Appalachians into Tennessee with tall trees and lots of green… across the great Mississippi River… through Arkansas, dusty  Texas,  versatile New Mexico, blazed through 104 degree Arizona heat and mapped our way safely through sand dunes, mountains and speeding highways of California.  Overall, it was a wonderful trip with lots of interesting things to see along the way.  Mostly I will remember this trip as a sweet time with my dad that the Lord really blessed.