October 5

I woke up in a tremendous amount of pain. My feet and legs were sore and stiff. My toes looked a little less like hamburger, but were still a raw red color. The only good news was that my chills had passed. Still, I was in no condition to do much sightseeing.

Fortunately, we weren’t going to be doing much of that. The plan was to spend most of the day driving to Albuquerque. While I usually don’t relish the idea of a six-hour drive, I was glad that I would be able to give my feet a chance to rest.

We checked out of the Holiday Inn. I was happy with our stay there. I liked the fact that the hotel had very easy access to the freeway, yet was also a short drive to downtown. The room itself was the standard Holiday Inn quality. However, the decline in tourism after September 11th had reduced the rate to $65/night for our non-smoking room with a king-sized bed. Even if the rate had been higher, I’d still recommend staying at Flagstaff’s Holiday Inn.

We drove into downtown to get some breakfast before heading out. Instead of going back to La Bellavia, we decided to try Macy’s again. The crowds that were there the previous morning were gone, so we went in. I knew that this would be an interesting experience, because the menu looked like an advertisement for culinary political correctness. All of the pastries were made with refined wheat, the coffee was brewed from beans picked at a cooperative, and the “cheese” was actually a soy based product so as to not upset any vegans. While the food definitely had a socialist bent, the prices showed that the owners knew all about capitalism. A raspberry danish and cup of hot chocolate were $5.50. Despite the good sized portions, Macy’s was too trendy and overpriced for me. I’d recommend going to La Bellavia next door, where one gets the same portions at smaller prices with no political commentary.

After breakfast, we drove down the street to Northern Arizona University to pick up some college attire. Then, it was back on to Highway 40 for the trip to Albuquerque. It didn’t take long before the pine forest around Flagstaff gave way to the high desert terrain typical of the rest of Arizona. We were about an hour east of Flagstaff when we saw a sign pointing the way to the Petrified Forest National Park. Dianne said that she wanted to stop to see the different trees. I was a little more reluctant, because I’d seen a few pieces of petrified wood before. Still, I didn’t think it would hurt to stop because we weren’t on any deadline to get to Albuquerque. So, we pulled off of Highway 40 at Holbrook and went to the park. We spent about an hour and a half exploring the attraction.

We got back on Highway 40 and continued our slow trek to Albuquerque. I think that Highway 40 gives the best sense of the vastness of the Western United States. It seems like the road goes on forever though with very little to disrupt it. Dianne had never experienced that, so it was fun watching her see it for the first time. But, even for someone who’s been through it a couple of times, it still makes a powerful impression.

Most of the drive from the Petrified Forest National Park to Albuquerque was fairly uneventful. The only variation from the “uneventfulness” was a wreck on Highway 40 just west of Albuquerque. In order to avoid the wreck, we took a detour through the town of San Miguel Ignacio. This town is part of an Indian pueblo. The view of how the folks in this town lived was a little surprising. It was clear that there is a lot of poverty in the area. The streets were dirt, and the stores (what few there were) looked rather run down. Yet, a sense of pride could be found amidst the rubble. The schools looked very clean, while the houses were relatively well maintained. Still, it was pretty clear that this town was substandard when compared to other parts of New Mexico. It truly was eye opening.

We made it into Albuquerque just after sunset. It didn’t take us long to find the Holiday Inn near the intersection of Highways 40 and 85. As was the case in Flagstaff, there were plenty of room at the Albuquerque Holiday Inn, thanks to September 11th related fears. But, these fears turned out to be especially advantageous for us, because it kept away people who would’ve been in town for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. With most of the crowd away, we were able to get a room just a couple of days before our trip. We were later told that we were very lucky because most rooms in Albuquerque are booked a couple of months in advance during the Balloon Fiesta week. The depressed demand again translated into a lower room price. Our room with a king sized bed cost us $89/night.

After unpacking, we headed off to grab some dinner. Lonely Planet suggested that some of Albuquerque’s best restaurants were on Central Avenue. So, that’s where we went. After window shopping past several restaurants, we decided to eat at Il Vicino. Il Vicino is noted for their outstanding pizzas, which are made with some unique toppings. I have to agree with this assessment. I had a four cheese pizza that was simply fantastic. Best of all, it only cost $6.95 for a personal sized pizza. The only downside to Il Vicino is that it is very popular. Thus, one may have to wait to get a seat. But, the wait is worth it. I highly recommend Il Vicino.

Having thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, we finished strolling around Central Avenue. However, my feet were once again throbbing, so we cut short our walk and headed back to the hotel. After a brief talk about what to visit the next day, we went to bed.

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