More info on Four Corners, and I-40 from Albequerque, NM to Flagstaff, AZ
and surrounding areas:
Mesa Verde:
In the Four Corners area; highly recommended.
Painted Desert and Petrified Forest:
I-40 in Arizona near the New Mexico Border, just east of Holbrook. An
interesting place to stop for a few hours, especially if the weather is
good. The Painted Desert is slowly eroding (nature, not man); it's not
quite as dramatic as it once was. The petrified trees are a wonder in
themselves.
Sunset Crater:
An interesting and dramatic sight just north of Flagstaff on U.S. HWY 89;
created by a meteor, it's not small!
Montezuma's Castle:
Major cliff dwelling built by those who inhabited the region prior to the
Apache and Navaho. South of Flagstaff on Interstate Hwy 17, and just north
of Camp Verde. For an interesting drive there, or back to Flagstaff
afterward, take U.S. Highway 89A between Cottonwood and Flagstaff (A =
Alternate Route). AZ Hwy 279 connects I-17 at Camp Verde and U.S. 89A just
north of Cottonwood. The highway is very scenic and goes through Oak Creek
Canyon. Do it only if you have the time, and if nobody in your party gets
carsick easily. It's not nearly as fast as the interstate; you can get
stuck behind some very slow moving trucks without opportunity to pass, and
it's loaded with switchbacks. It's usually easier on the queasy traveling
it uphill from south to north.
BTW, if you take I-40 from New Mexico to Flagstaff, and you're into the
Eagles (a rock group), you'll *finally* find out where Winslow, Arizona
is. Don't quite know what the Eagles saw in it though; it's another small,
dusty Arizona town and aside from the interstate it's somewhat isolated
(but not nearly as much as Holbrook or Gallup, NM).
Take long and short lenses. Unfortunately, you're about a month late for
the color of the deciduous trees; all their leaves will be down by
November. However, the region around Flagstaff is loaded with Pine and Fir
too, so there will be major areas of green around. At one time, Flagstaff
was almost exclusively lumber industry with major saw and paper mills. If
it's still there, have a meal at The Lumberjack Cafe. It has an enormous
lumberjack outside it, and has been there as long as I can remember, which
is, errr, ummm, a long time (before I-40, was completed, tourism, and
retirement communities).
-- John
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