Leaving Santa Fe (via AlbuQuerque) and to Winslow AZ, October 14-15

We drove back past Albuquerque towards Winslow.  This post consists mostly of observations that are made off the beaten path of tourism.  This is why you can enjoy the west.

but bridges were interestingly appointed

Landscape ranges from boring to beautiful and sometimes both.  Example: west of Albuquerque is a rocky setting with this village built around their church.

At Red Rock (a county park and rodeo ground near Gallup, NM) we saw this rock formation aptly named Catheral Rocks.

We overnighted at Flying J truck-stop, Winslow, AZ.  We went into town to see the "corner in Winslow, AZ"  immortalized by the Eagles "Take it Easy."

There's even a flat-bed truck.

And Beth with the guy on the corner.

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National parks were closed due to government "shutdown".  We visited Little Painted Desert county park northeast of Winslow.  It wasn't sandy like deserts in movies..  We saw a picturesque badlands area with colorful rock formations.

Drove down south of Sedona.  On the way, in the middle of pasture land we followed and then  crossed Jack's Canyon.  We really didn't know it was there until we crossed the bridge over it.  I'm guessing it was about 4 stories deep at least. 

South of Sedona we saw cactus patches growing with other attractive flowering shrubbery or weeds.

 Oct. 15.  We are staying at Flagstaff KOA.  Nighttime temp is 26F, so we use our water tank instead of leaving hose hooked to water overnight.  Our back neighbors are from La Grande, OR, which is not far from Will's house.  

To Santa Fe Oct 13

Sunday morning was the last mass ascension of the Balloon Fiesta, and we were there bright and early.  It was a perfect day for the balloonists, and all the balloons were able to launch.

We were so glad we got to experience this event in Albuquerque!

Leaving Albuquerque, we took the Turquoise Scenic byway up to Santa Fe and camped near there.  On the the way we drove up to Sandia Peak, the highest point of the mountains east of Albuquerque.  We took pictures, but it was too hazy to see the city below and the Rio Grande River.

This area was ruled by the government shutdown.

 On the way down we stopped at Tinkertown Museum, touted as New Mexico's premier folk art museum.  This quirky place was the dream of one man who wanted to create his own  roadside attraction. 

 The building was largely made of colored glass bottles concreted together.

Whoever said the Tinkertown Museum is a monument to collecting, craftsmanship and imagination got it right. Admission is $2-$4, but we needed  a few quarters for the full experience.  For a quarter, small towns and other intricately carved scenes with moving parts became animated. 

Then there was the circus

Boot Hill was two quarters to play.  Lots of movement including grave diggers and St Peter vs Satan for a soul.  

 This bullet pencil collection is one of many private collections donated to the creator of the museum.

other noteworthy postings and documents included these.

We drove a little ways into Santa Fe but did not see much other than many square adobe houses, all about the same color.  We camped outside the city and enjoyed the sunset.