Left at Albuquerque

We finally have decent internet reception to update you on our trip...so here's to start catching up a bit!

Day 1 - Saturday, May 17

We decided that our first leg of our journey would end at Albuquerque, NM. I always remember in Bugs Bunny cartoons when someone would get utterly lost because of Albuquerque. It was this mystique which drew us to Albuquerque.

Our route from Orange County, CA took us through Arizona and some of the most amazing places in America. We took the 91 East through California to I- 15 North to the I-40 East through Arizona and New Mexico. On the way through Arizona we took a short detour to visit the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. (we have both visited the Grand Canyon before, so we decide to explore something different) It was perfect timing since the sun began to set just as we left the park. We arrived in Albuquerque at 10pm and lodged in a La Quinta Inn to re-energize for the next day.

Here are some pictures thus far...most of course being the view from our car. It's quite refreshing to get away from the busy and congested OC...to be able to admire the vast landscapes and see miles ahead of you without electrical poles, high-rise buildings and freeway overpasses obstructing the views. The Petrified Forest in particular was awesome.



To recap, on the first day we've driven approximately 850 miles and here's a short list of places we've visited on our first day:

Ludlow, CA
Williams, AZ
Gallup, NM
Albuquerque, NM