On the road again! Tucson to Durango, CO!

Monday night, Memorial Day, May 29, 2017

       

Well!  When I started thinking about how to write a blog about a driving day, I was initially a bit daunted by the task.  However, that was until we started out from home.  Up a bit before 5 am and out the door by 6 am.  Little to no traffic, though it should be noted that Costco is closed (including gas station) on holidays!  Just for the record.

Lovely multi-armed saguaro everywhere!

Somewhere near Globe

Robert had done some playing with the AAA website Triptik, and found a wonderful way to Durango, Colorado.  Actually, it was so fantastic that we are thinking of changing our return home from Indianapolis just so we can do it again!  With the exception of about 60 miles of freeway between Holbrook AZ and Gallup NM, we were on all secondary roads – they were stunningly beautiful in all directions, and somehow, refreshingly free of traffic going in our direction!  We were very surprised! 

Heading toward Show Low

Beautiful downtown Holbrook AZ

Our route took us out of Tucson and then north on Oracle Highway.  We passed through Globe, AZ and then up into the mountains and Show Low and Snow Flake (love the name!).  We finally crossed old Route 66 at Holbrook AZ and got on the freeway there.  Off again at Gallup, where we stopped at Arby’s for lunch and a gas fill-up.  From Gallup, we went north toward Ship Rock, but turned off before Ship Rock and headed to Farmington, NM, which is a really well developed city!  Who knew?!  From Farmington we passed into Colorado, and very quickly reached our destination for the evening, Durango, Colorado. 

More of Holbrook on Route 66

Toward Ship Rock

Beautiful country and beautiful sky!

All in all, a beautiful 9½ hour drive.  I had expected to feel exhausted but the trip was so lovely and stress free that I want to do it again, as opposed to driving through Iowa or Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.  (That is basically all freeway all the way, and truly, there isn’t much to see.)  We even passed up some Indian ruins that I think I’d like to explore if we come back this way.

Got to our lovely Homewood Suites in the outskirts of Durango, and checked in about 4:30 pm.

We’re in suite 312.  I really love Homewood Suites because they are suites!  Every room has a small but practical working kitchen – completed with microwave, 2 burner stove, full-size fridge and dishwasher, plus all utensils.  There is a dining area and full-size living room, plus a bedroom and bathroom.  All very compact, but plenty of room for us, and we enjoy having the extra space.  Fortunately, they have luggage carts, so we got everything inside and settled down.

Their nightly Happy Hour was just beginning, so we headed downstairs.  Lovely variety of cheese and crackers, celery and carrots and dip, as well as a great green salad with tomatoes and carrots and croutons.  And, of course, free wine as well!  Yippee!!  We decided, as Robert had made his yummy Rotollo di Pizza yesterday, we would eat that with the salads and cheeses, and spend the evening in front of the baseball game.  Who could ask more than that!

Near Ship Rock

First view of the snow-capped Rockies in the distance!

So, back upstairs and blogging away.  Early to bed tonight, and a wild and wooly day tomorrow, driving through the Rockies to Denver.  Hopefully good weather for our Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners baseball game tomorrow night!

Lots of love!

m

xxx