Another day for the books: it started off as a possible failure, but turned fantastic. Our hoped-for “meet and greet” with other car folks at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Care hospital fell through, no one showed up. BUT: Angelica Solares, Senior Project Manager of the facility, and her husband Danny, DID attend, and were magic.
What an enthusiastic, dedicated person. Angelica was enthused by our project from the start, and professionally understands our mission to spread understanding about early screening, diagnosis and treatment for Colorectal Cancer. She is involved in all peripheral programs connected with outreach to all types of cancer patients state-wide, education, interface with the public, special programs (like us) and more than I could absorb. Mike contributed all our unused water and snack supplies purchased for today’s event, which she will use for upcoming group counseling sessions.
Angelica took us on a tour of the Cancer Center, including the infusion, radiation, diagnosis and research facilities. Modern architecture, marked by open glass vistas, and filled with artwork from New Mexico artists. Danny is an architect, motorhead, and wonderfully informative guy. There’s so much more to say about our visit, so we’ll try to add more later. Suffice it to say, Angelica and Danny and the work being done at UNMCCC hospital are deeply in our hearts, and deserving of any help we can furnish.
As usual, LUNCH was our next call. Two Fools Tavern in Albuquerque is famous for its old-world pub atmosphere, and award winning fish and chips. Mike found us some inside public parking just as a rain storm cut loose…while we were all driving with tops down. We found the Tavern, waded through the mob of diners, and signed up. Result: more fish and chips than we could handle, perfectly done and delicious. Great lunch that lasted us all day. The drive out of Albuquerque was tedious, but took us past some iconic Route 66 landmark buildings and signs. After escaping the traffic, we hammered down I-40 toward the Petrified Forest.
Us “C3on66” guys actually don’t drive on every inch of the old Route 66. The old Route has been destroyed in many places, replaced by superhighway. The remaining stretches of Route 66 outside the cities are usually very dilapidated and poorly maintained pavement, with derelict old buildings along the way. NOT at all scenic like you see in advertising brochures. So we use the good roads and go places that Mike says we should see, like Petrified Forest National Park today. You pay $25 PER VEHICLE(!!!!) to drive the Rainbow Forest Road from the Visitor Center. The scenic views are unmatched by anything we’ve seen, even though we got there in the evening, while a huge rainstorm was possibly blowing in. Hard to describe the scenery: high desert, non-green, mesas, valleys, weird shapes sculpted over the eons into dips, bowls, hills and fields of stone and sand and petrified logs! Photos were taken, Mitch got the best pics, but the scenes aren’t the same in pictures. We ducked most of the rainfall, continuing our good luck today, then bundled up against the cold at the Trading Post shop (installed my seat heater with Mike’s help) and headed out to Holbrook, AZ for our WIGWAM motel stay.
Wigwam Motel is not what you might imagine. Concrete TeePees with old cars sitting out front for decoration, built probably in the 1950’s. Small inside, tiny bathroom and shower with slanted walls, and nice beds covered in Indian blankets. A freight train track runs just behind the motel complex, and we’ve already had a couple of the mile-long freight trains come by; Pulled by three engines, with another two engines bringing up the rear, these mammoth trains are controversial. Our stay here is about the kitschy-est thing we’ve done on the trip so far, lots of fun if we can sleep through the trains!
