My brother and I are road tripping to Santa Fe, NM. It’s a 12.5 hour drive. I suggested the car versus flying. As we enter my third day of driving long distances post SF up and back, maybe that wasn’t the best suggestion.
Still, it’s nice to hang out with my bro. I’ve packed running shoes so will hit the streets of Saint Fe.
We stopped in Needles, CA, for lunch and in googling the town we hoped to see a giant Spike statue commemorating Charles Schulz essentially putting the town on the map. Sadly, we never found it. Needles isn’t that big of a place, and yet… Never under estimate the direction impairment of Kevin Hanna. It’s why I need to run marathons rather than just go for a run — I need somebody else to mark out a course!
While making our way across Arizona, certain things rang a bell. It wasn’t deja vu per se as it turns out I had been here before. Last year I ran the Petrified Forest Marathon and drove a stretch of I-40 out to my hotel in Holbrook, AZ. As a result, I took Steve on a three minute detour to the Wigwam Hotel, the inspiration for Disney/Pixar’s Cars Cozy Cone Hotel in Radiator Springs.
As the miles piled up, we grabbed dinner in Gallup, NM. Steve searched for food options and we wound up at Jerry’s Mexican American Food Cafe. The Stuffed Sopaipilla was decadent and delicious and even though we kinda split things I ate way more and way too much. But I regret none of it!
We filled up at the local 7-2-11. No copyright infringement there.
And now we are into the last three hours of the drive. Hours ago I thought for a moment I might try and squeeze in a mile or two once we got to the hotel. I never gave it much serious consideration and the reality is I look forward to curling up and starting our day off in Santa Fe bright and early tomorrow.
Funny though to think where my travels have taken me in the past and where my travels sometimes unexpectedly take me again.