Final Leg Home

When I left Albuquerque I was headed to Cottonwood, Arizona to reconnect with another of my former athletes, Jeremy Ebert whom I hadn't seen since his high school graduation 22 years ago. Like my trip from Colorado to New Mexico I had time for side trips on my trip fro New Mexico to Arizona because Jeremy was working. The first place I stopped was El Malpais National Monument. The main reason was to gather information for a potential future visit to New Mexico to visit National Parks and Monuments. 

The drive from Grants to just before Flagstaff is very familiar to me because I have driven I 40 (Route 66) or been a passenger in my parents car. But this time I made a side trip I hadn't taken before to Walnut Canyon National Monument. While there I hiked down into the canyon and was amazed at the number of cliff dwellings in the canyon. 

When I left the Monument I drove to Cottonwood, AZ and checked in to my hotel to wait for Jeremy to finish work. We drove to Jerome, a mining town that is famous for its history as well as the legends of ghosts that inhabit the town. We ate at the Haunted Hamburger where Jeremy's middle daughter Destiny was our waitress. It was fun getting to meet her. Jeremy and I are talking about connecting for a future race. 

I had originally planned to visit a friend in Southern California on the way home but plans changed so I decided to drive home in one day. It made for a long drive but I listened to Willie Nelson's autobiography on tape and the trip went well. I listened to Tom Brokaw's "Boom" on the way out and both books were outstanding.