Disclaimer: This post was updated in October 2022, as the original only included 1 photo. Most of the details were written back then, although a few things needed to be figured out.

Jutta and I left early this morning for a road trip that would take us from Phoenix to New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and back to New Mexico before returning to Phoenix, Arizona. But first up was a quick stop at the Petrified National Forest.

We didn’t head out into the wilderness or down any amazing trails but did a bit of sightseeing from the car so Jutta could refresh her memory of her previous visit.

This is one of the nice aspects of keeping our National Parks Pass current as it doesn’t bother us to dip in for a brief visit, and just that quickly, we were back on Interstate 40 driving east.

With such a long drive today and Jutta’s tendency to get sleepy in the car, there’s nothing like a Blizzard from Dairy Queen to pick her up. We were passing through Gallup, New Mexico, where gas and toilet facilities were also likely needed.

With this being one of Jutta’s longest stays in the United States and Arizona moving into summer, I thought it would be a good idea for her and me to not only have a little 5-day mother-in-law/son-in-law road trip but to get her to cooler climes. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten that monsoons get started earlier in New Mexico than for us just west of this state. Oh well, soon, we’ll be heading north.

Did someone say they needed a coffee? Hey, that’s a good idea! So it was time to call Caroline and ask her to find us the nearest Starbucks. She came through, and we are reenergized and can keep plowing ahead.

I can only guess that we were somewhere between Colmor and Springer, New Mexico, although we could be a hair just south of that, too.

It was dinner time when we crossed into Colorado, and once again, Caroline came to the rescue, directing us to Blackjack’s Saloon & Steak House in Trinidad.  Instead of taking a break after dinner, I was determined that we would position ourselves as close to Wyoming as I could get us. Two-hundred thirty miles further north, we finally called it quits in Longmont, Colorado, only about an hour from Wyoming.

Today’s drive was one for the record books at 948 miles or 1,525 kilometers, nearly the equivalent of driving all the way from Germany’s south to the far north and back again. So, why would I embark on such a difficult endurance test for my mother-in-law? Our trips need to be memorable, and grueling is just one aspect; there’s more to come.