I said A, L, B, U, Querque

Hello from New Mexico. After a marathon day of driving (350+ miles), it's hard to summon up the energy for another post, but here we go.

Yesterday was our big visit to the Grand Canyon. The weather cooperated, and it only got up to 78 on the rim. We took a short hike down to Ooh Ahh Point on the South Kaibab Trail. Erin the guide dog had one of her biggest workouts yet, but she came through, and we all made it out in one piece. The views, as expected, were spectacular, and we all got a real nice workout.

Today was mostly devoted to driving, but we found the time to stop and see a few sites. Our first stop was the Meteor Crater, which we learned was formed by an impact over 50,000 years ago. Much like the Grand Canyon, the crater overwhelms the human capacity for perception. We devoted equal time to admiring the view and trying not to be blown off by the very high winds. Big thanks to Eliza for picking up a lifetime pass to all national parks and getting us in for free.

Our other big stop was in Petrified Forest National Park. Once again, the free pass came in handy, and we got to not only see some remains of these trees, but to admire the view of the Painted Desert. I'm now realizing that I need to purchase a new memory card for my camera, as I've run out of room and it's only day four.

We had a wonderful dinner tonight in Albuquerque at the Nob Hill Bar and Grill, and tomorrow it's on to Santa Fe. To wrap things up, I should mention that Erin has fallen in love with Adrian, and now continues to attempt to lick his face each day at 3:30 AM. Truly a match made in doggie heaven.

Thoughts from the rest of the group.

Adrian: The Painted Desert was definitely surreal.

Eliza: Be sure to include how I saved us $25 so far! (ed note: I already had included this)

Sarah: When you fly and change time zones that's one thing, but when you drive and change time zones, that's pretty trippy.

Til next time,,.