Binoculars, check. Telephoto lens for wildlife, check. Hats and sunblock, check. Floors mopped, A/C set, toilet clean, dishes put away, okay then, we are ready to go. With the car packed already, we just needed to set the alarm and hit the road. Drats, we forgot to bring soy milk for our cereal, no big deal; we’ll stop at Safeway in Payson to pick something up. Oops, I forgot a knife for spreading mustard for my sandwiches and peanut butter for Caroline’s; still, no big deal as we can get something at a fast food joint or Starbucks. By now, we’re about 15 miles down the road and just a mile from where we’ll turn east to make our way out of town in earnest when something mysterious out of the universe triggers me to ask about Caroline’s boots. From the whip pan of her head towards me, I know that we don’t have them with us. While she could hike in her sandals, I turned around to head home. By the time we are back on the road, it’s apparent we won’t make it to our hotel in Zuni, New Mexico, by the time their front desk closes, in part because it’s an hour later over there. This delay will also cramp our ability to stop for photos or a proper dinner.

The next admission is loaded with shame. Knowing we’ll be getting in after 9:00 and that our food choices will be from the menu of nothing, we make two stops, first at McDonald’s in Payson for hors d’oeuvres, and then, 90 minutes later in Show Low, we pulled into Sonic for corndogs. Yeah, we did that. And then we drove, kept on driving, and drove some more. Well, we didn’t actually have to drive all that far, as today’s adventure is a mere 275 miles (444km) from home. but still, it took over 4.5 hours.

We’ve passed this intersection likely more times than most Arizonans ever will; we are at the junction of Arizona state routes 191 and 61, where the Witch Well Store and Tavern has stood for at least as long as we’ve been passing through. It’s the only thing out here for over 20 miles in any direction. Fifteen minutes after turning onto the 61, we are passing into New Mexico, and then just 15 minutes after that, we’ll be pulling up to the Halona Plaza and calling the Inn as we can’t find it in the dark. In a few minutes, we’re being shown our small, on the verge of tiny, room. I have to pop open the windows as things are too warm for me. As I sit down to write this brief post with a minimum of photos documenting the day, I’m surprised how chilly the air is outside here while it starts to dip below 50 degrees (9 Celsius), though the dogs barking in the distance don’t seem phased by lowering temps and they continue to chat amongst themselves, or maybe their barks are trying to ask their owners to bring them into the warmth.