No photos today–sorry, but there’s no easily accessible Internet here in Holbrook, AZ!

We left Gallup, NM this morning about 8:30 AM MDT. We took a few photos on the way to Holbrook, AZ where we had a reservation at the Wigwam Motel–one of the last still in operation on 66.

We found the first geocache of the 6say at the AZ Welcome Center around 9:30 AM MST.  Just like that we moved all our timepieces an hour earlier.  Time to adjust again.

We took a couple of alternate routings today.  The first was an early alignment  at the Pine Springs exit off of I-40W.  Here we drove about 4-1/2 miles on a dirt road that was in pretty good shape.  Along the way we got to see and traverse the Querino Canyon high bridge built in 1929.  It was interesting to photograph.  Also at this site were the remains of a burned down trading post.

NOTE: For a good portion of AZ the interstate took over the 66 right of way so there is very little of the old alignment still available-no choice but to take the interstate!

The next attempt to see the old alignment of 66 was at the Pinta Road exit.   Here we took a one lane dirt access road that took us to a closed section of the old highway.  Unfortunately the information we had was out of date.  There was a gate chained closed and a No Trespassing sign on it.  Turned around and continued our journey to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.   We arrives there around 11:30 and stopped in at the visitor center.  After we got our map we were ready to go.

Made use of our Senior Pass to gain admission without cost.  Then we were off to many stops to take photos, a few walks (you couldn’t really call them hikes) and to discover 5 geocaches.  Ate a packed lunch about 1:30.

We departed the park around 4:45 and made it to Holbrook around 5:30 MST where we checked in at the Wigwam Motel for a 1950s/60s experience.

Ate steak again….  split a filet at the Butterfield Stage Co  Steak house and drank a local beer that was just okay.   The restaurant was started as an overland stage company carrying US Mail.  They were the only ones going through Indian territory and when people wanted to go there they had to improve their service to carry passengers.

Agter dinner we tried to take some sign pbotos and the bought some beer at a drive up liquor store–on a Sunday night no less!

Okay, we’re esconced in our teepee for the night.  On to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!