Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona*

Wednesday.
We're leaving the campground and go looking for an ACE hardware store where my brother hopes to finally get his MagLite 6. On the way we cross downtown, but none of us really wants to get out of the car for some sight-seeing. It is still snowy/rainy - not enjoyable at all. Next disappointment: No MagLite 6 here either. Maybe they'll at least have those shoes Sebastian wanted in Gallup's Walmart (they didn't have his size in the one in Canyon, TX, and he's been asking for a Walmart ever since)...
He's lucky as is the rest of us. We all find one thing or the other so at least this little shopping was successful today.

(more pictures at: http://galerie.photo-fisch.de)

Back on I-40 towards Flagstaff. There are a couple of touristy points on our schedule today, but the snow gets thicker and thicker. After only half an hour with the snow piling up on our windshield, strong winds, and trucks passing like it were the easiest driving conditions, we give up and stop at a gas station, stocking up on gas in case we need to overwinter somewhere *smile*
The cashier is very slow (this gas station is our first one without self-service), he had cleaned his modem yesterday and had trouble with it ever since. So no credit card payment here.

Meanwhile, the snow has stopped. We continue westwards, reaching the Petrified Forest National Park around 1pm. Given the unsteady weather we are expecting to keep it short, just drive those 28 miles through the park. But already the first view onto the southern rim of the Painted Desert lets us jump out of the car to take in the view - and tons of photos. *smile*
It is still chilly, but we stop at almost every view point and spend almost 3 hours in the park - definitely a must-see in better weather!

We're trying to speed up to reach Flagstaff stopping in Winslow ("Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona", The Eagles), at the Meteor Crater (to discover that it is closed for today; it' 6:35pm already), at the Twin Arrows which look even more run-down than my travel guide depicts. That's what you call 'Faded glory' I suppose. Mom's more practical: Someone travelling Route 66 in 10 years will find hardly anything left with all this wear and tear. The last gas price at the (also closed) gas station attatched shows 1.369 per Gallon, so it's definitely been a while...

We exit the interstate in Winona (Don't forget Winona!), not much to see here, but the road leads a bit into the San Francisco Mountains and we enter Flagstaff from the north. The first campground offers neither Wifi nor showers - what a no-go! *smile* The second one, a KOA again, is way better in terms of its equipment so we stay here, taking a walk to a nearby BestBuy for an external hard disk to put all the photos on (still no MagLite for my brother) before our frozen microwave dinner. 10 for 10 Bucks was the offer - it shows or rather it tastes, but not all that good *g*
Oh well. Mom asks to go out for dinner tomorrow. She has not yet been to KFC, so that's on our list of must-do's *smile*

* The Eagles

Miles traveled by RV: 225
Current location: Flagstaff, AZ
Next stops: Grand Canyon and Williams, AZ