Arizona Road Trip

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A marathon 1800 mile drive to Cottonwood with a swing to southeastern Arizona and central New Mexico to get home. Left on Tues. eve Dec 23 in order to avoid the incoming winter storm, progged to hit the Frontrange on Wed. Missed all but a few flurries heading over Raton Pass. Crashed at Comfort Inn in Santa Fe. and woke up Wed AM to iced over roads and a few inches of fresh. Wwe walked the old town square and visited the Georgia OKeafe gallery before heading west again by noon. No snow to speak of for the rest of the drive.

Spent a few pleasant days visiting with my parents while stuffing face on cheese fondue and fondue bourgenogne and squeezing a nice hike in above Sycamore Canyon.

Took off to the south on Sat. AM to hit up the Superstitions for a hike in the PM. Then over towards Tuscon for a short, surprise visit with Julie Bram, Norma's boyfriend at the time of her passing. Camped at Catalina State Park. Sun. AM walked the Sonoran Desert Museum then drove east to Chicarua National Monument to camp in the snow among awesome volcanic spires. Hiked up on the mountain crest for a few hours in the AM on Monday before hitting the long road for a 13 hour drive back to Boulder. Grand scenary the whole way until it got dark around Albuquerque. We got motivated to get home so stuck it out until 2AM to pull into Wildwood Lane.

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