As dry as a...

Well, it seems to be as dry as a desert around here. Go figure! We've both been liberally applying the only lotion we have handy which just happens to be hemp lotion from The Body Shop (it's great stuff, by the way!). So not only do we look like San Franciscans, we smell like San Franciscans, too...

Saturday was our long drive through the desert from the Grand Canyon to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. We spent most of this leg of the trip following the old Route 66. Luckily for Steve, I was able to sing snippets of the Route 66 song for his enjoyment all day long.

It turns out that we were also following the railroad tracks most of the day, as well. We needed a food and bathroom break near Winslow, Arizona and just for "kicks" we got off I-40 early to take Route 66 through what looked like a pretty dilapidated town (Dairy Queen for lunch, anyone?). Just as we were giving up on local restaurants, we came across a beautifully restored hotel at the end of the main street. It was La Posada hotel, a lovingly restored railroad hotel built in the 1930s. It was the perfect dessert oasis for us weary travelers!

We sat down for a wonderful lunch at their restaurant, the Turquoise Room. The service was outstanding and I had their "signature" soup-- half black bean and half cream corn. It sounds odd, but it was delicious!

Steve and I wandered the grounds for awhile and watched a few trains pass on the railroad tracks just behind the hotel. We also amazed at the $99 a night rooms. How had we missed staying here?

The rest of the desert loomed before us and we had a fairly uneventful drive through the rest of Arizona and New Mexico (although see our earlier post about funny signs in New Mexico!). I was particularly excited about the storm clouds building on the horizon... I have been longing for a "real" thunderstorm after living in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, the thunderstorm stayed to the north of us, but we were able to see the desert outlined against a beautiful dark sky.

We stayed the night in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. While our hotel was the omnipresent Holiday Inn Express, it was on Route 66. So, after having much success with Route 66 in Arizona, we got off the highway early and traveled Route 66 in to town. It made for some great pictures with the "retro" vestiges of Route 66 highlighted against the darkening storm clouds.

The very nice desk clerk at the Holiday Inn Express suggested that we eat dinner at Lake City Diner in downtown Santa Rosa. Again, we were treated to a great service and a great meal. The diner was in an old bank building on the very small main street in downtown. We both enjoyed a few beers and some delicious Mexican food, albeit served in a leisurely manner. It was a fitting end to the day.