Suddenly in a hurry

Week 4

Lake Pattagonia to Tucson (via MEXICO!), through eastern Arizona to Canyon de Chelly

1503 km

Lake Pattagonia, which had been recommended as beautiful, was a disappointment. To me, it was just a little lake in the desert. At least I got to swim!

At this point, it dawned on us how quickly time was running out. Although we do not have a tight itinerary, there are loose dates which guide us through our travels. In order to meet appointments on the coast and back home, we had set May first as the day to arrive at the Grand Canyon. Suddenly, we didn't have enough time to see everything we wished to. We would find ourselves moving steadily for nearly two weeks after this point.

However, we did get to spend a few hours in one of my favorite places: Mexico. We walked across the border and spent a few hours walking around Nogales. I bargained my way into a few goods and soaked up the atmosphere. Hopefully, the little shot in the arm will last until we arrive in southern Mexico in November.

We really liked Tucson, an easily navigated city with character and charm. Folks were friendly and I managed to get my hands on less common magazines I was pining for. Thunder was serviced (oil & lube, check-up), clothes were cleaned, and web materials made ready. We accomplished a great deal.

We spent a day at the Petrified Forest, much more interesting than it sounds or appeared from the gate. The painted desert and the petrified wood were a humbling lesson in geography. And on the last day of this week we arrived at stunning Canyon de Chelly, one the highlights of our journey so far.

Gateway to week 3:
Day 22: Wind
Day 23: Mexico
Day 24: Housekeeping on the road
Day 25: Running out of time
Day 26: The power of nature
Day 27: A small canyon from above
Day 28: A small canyon from below

| Ralph in Arizona |