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Loaded up and ready to go.
The first day took us to Lubbock, Tx. We toured Texas Tech, where Chris and Jen went to school. Had dinner with their friends, and an early bedtime.
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First stop out of Lubbock was Muleshoe, Texas., and a visit with Ol' Pete. Some call him Muleshoe's most famous resident.
(Donna is not part of the statue)
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A few hours cr
uising brought us into New
Mexico.
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We made a short stop in Ft. Summer and visited the Billy the Kid Museum. A few interesting items and a whole lot of junk.
A refueling and refreshment stop at Clines Corner allowed a photo-op at the Continental Divide. All the tourist trinkets hid the natural grandeur of the area.
After arriving in Albuquerque and checking into the hotel, we rode the Sandia Peak Tramway for a libation and the wiew.
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The tram rises 3,819 ft from its base at 6,559 to the peak at 10,378.
The 2.7 mile ride takes 15 minutes at 12 mph.
Its really, really cold up here (when you don't bring a coat).
The 11,000 sq. mile view of the Land of Enchantment is spectacular.
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After crossing into Arizona, the ride was mostly in Navajo and Hopi reservations.
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West of Tuba City, Az., we started seeing the Vermillion Cliffs from forty miles away.
It is one of those sights that, while you ride and ride and ride, doesn't seem to get any closer.
Finally, a break in the scenery. Marble Canyon, on the Colorado River.
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The original Navajo Bridge was opened in 1929. At the time it was the highest steel arch bridge in the world. A span of 834', height of 467'.
The new bridge was completed in 1995, after two years of construction.
There is still some snow in the shaded areas.
Grand Canyon North Rim
Six thousand feet at its deepest point and 1.5 miles across at its widest, the canyon is immense and colorful. With an average elevation of 8,000 ft, the North Rim offers views of the canyon from a higher vantage.
