We woke up with ominous clouds in the sky. I checked out my weather app and was concerned that there was an 80 percent chance of rain! We ate breakfast and tried to leave early (as if we could outdrive the rain!). Outside Albuquerque we pulled into a gas station to fill up for our long drive to Flagstaff. Gasoline in New Mexico is much cheaper than Arizona and Nevada.
The rain did indeed fall but not as we expected not until we started ascent to the higher elevations! It was stop and start and at one time visibility was only a few dozen yards and the spray from the trucks made it worse! Trini kept telling me to slow down although I was already slower than the trucks! We didn’t have time to explore the Route 66 historical roads we passed, I did exit at one time but the route was taking us further from the main freeway and the weather was getting worse.
We exited when we spotted the sign “Continental Divide Route 66″. By this time the rain was pouring. Fortunately, we always kept a small umbrella in the car. This spot is the highest elevation in our route at 7,300 feet above sea level.
The Continental Divide is a natural boundary that separates watersheds flowing to different oceans in North America, primarily following the crest of the Rocky Mountains. Water that falls west of the Divide drains into the Pacific Ocean, while water to the east flows toward the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Across from the Continental Divide marker was the ubiquitous souvenir store! Needing a restroom break we went inside and the Native American owner and her family greeted us warmly (that helped as we were wet and cold)! After about half an hour browsing, Trini and I went out of the store with several T-shirt souvenirs to include – magnet!
Descending from the higher elevation the rain abated somewhat. We sighted a giant tepee near a rest area which turned out to be another souvenir store! We went inside to satisfy our curiosity and pretended that we were serious tourists looking for something to take home. We were ready to leave when Trini showed me an arrow that I thought would look nice displayed on the wall, so we bought a pair.
Petrified Forest National Park is named for its extensive deposits of petrified wood, which are remnants of ancient trees that have undergone a fossilization process. This unique geological feature, along with the park’s colorful badlands and diverse ecosystems, makes it a significant site for both natural history and paleontology.
When we arrived at the Petrified National Park, it started to drizzle again and the temperature was dipping. But a little rain was not going to deter us so we took out our tiny umbrella and continued on to enjoy this unique experience!
By the time we reached Flagstaff where we were staying overnight, the rain started to pour and went on all night! Great timing ….
