I feel a little silly still titling this "Route 66" when we've been off of Route 66 for a couple days now. Nonetheless, the towns we're staying still have some of that older, mid-century charm. And this really was our "Route 66" trip even though much of the destination was far away from it. Sometimes the trip itself is also the destination.

Well, if you can't afford to spend the night there, at least you can eat there. We ate breakfast at the Space Age Restaurant, attached to the Space Age Lodge. I REALLY WANTED THEIR FLATWARE. It was white with cobalt blue trim and a little flying saucer on the rim. It was so me. Unfortunately, they don't sell their flatware, pity, the colors, the theme, and the fact we desparately need a new set of flatware would have been the perfect souvenir item to come home with. We had to settle with some Space Age Restaurant coffee mugs instead.

We spent a short time in Organ Pipe looking at the pretty cactuses. The Occotillos (sp?) were the only large ones in bloom, and they're not a cactus by scientific definition (most people don't know, though). Some smaller species that were planted by the visitor's center were blooming, however.

It was a long drive to Tucson through an Indian Nation, and we did manage to find a really good cactus supplier in Tucson. Stan took a long time buying plants while I wilted in the car away from the scorching arid sun. Although we managed to hit southern Arizona on a cooler day than I thought we would---well, relatively cool for this location, which means in the 80s--it's still a scorcher because the sun is more direct than what I'm used to "back home." It is actually fortunate I do feel so hot and scorched so that I do take cover and not try to spend much time under the sun. Had it been 60 degrees outside, I probably would have a severe burn right now. Birth control pills, my blood pressure medication, rosacea and light skin are not a good combination when mixed with sun. I've always been sensitive to the heat though. One time in 5th grade I almost fainted on "earth day" when our class spent the day at a park. My face turned colors and they took me back to school to the nurse's office. Same thing happened a few years ago at Arches. My face turning pink is a sign to get me into shade ASAP before it turns purple and yellow and white and red and blue and green. Yet I digress.

Go with your gut. Lodging looked grim in Tucson. Overpriced, sleazy, poorly placed near road construction and by the interstate (which was fine in Oklahoma City, but it was different...hard to explain). We decided that even though there are things we still want to see in Tucson, to drive about 30 miles down the interstate to Benson, AZ, a town on the highway. Rooms were cheaper, the setting was prettier, the desk clerk friendlier, and I could hear crickets outside. We'll be here for another day or two, using this as our base instead of Tucson. Sure, there's still things we want to see in the bigger city, but I don't want to stay there. Smaller towns are so much better to spend the night in when you're doing the roadtrip. (Unless they're REALLY small and only have really scary rundown motels). Benson is actually midway between Tucson and Bisbee, which supposedly is THE place to get copper-based rocks like Malachite, Chrysocolla and Turquoise. It's also near Tombstone, where I've always wanted to visit. I've been to Arizona twice before and never got to Tombstone. Third time's a charm, I guess.

Remember earlier when I said we only ate at Denny's the entire length of the trip thus far at that point? I forgot to mention the IHOP we ate at in Springfield, MO. Service there was very good, unlike Denny's, which we ate at again tonight (what's wrong with me?) in Benson. Well, they gave a 10% discount with the hotel we're staying at, plus, it's right next door, so... It keeps pulling me back IN! I feel like such a tourist.

Labels: Route-66-Part1, Vacation