The Final Stretch Home

I didn't forget about the final and most important recap of my trip Westward. Final Day! I had been through little parts of Arizona before but had certainly never driven through the entire state. I am in love with Arizona. The way the state changes gradually yet so dramatically all at the same time. It is truly a work of art and something that has to be seen to understand.

The morning started off on Route 66 in Holbrook, AZ - home of the Wigwam Village Motel #6. [That's right. #6. It's not the only one!] My favorite part was obviously the retro cars! I can only imagine what it would be like to stay there in a wigwam!

Next stop — Winslow, Arizona. Many of you have heard the song by The Eagles, Take It Easy. There's a line in the song that says, "I was standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona..." So, sure enough, they dedicated that very corner of the town of Winslow to that song. It was really pretty neat. 

Reading about that town and how it was frozen in time after Route 66 was done away with, was pretty heartbreaking. It's such a small, little town now. It's hard to believe how much it once thrived. This corner was a way to bring tourists back into town. I'm so glad we were able to stop on by and pay a visit.

Then it was off to beautiful Flagstaff. I didn't know much about Flagstaff other than it tends to snow there a lot. Did you know the snowfall averages around 100 inches per year? That makes it one of the snowiest cities in the U.S.

Anyway, we stopped for coffee in Flagstaff and not only was everyone friendly there but it really was breathtaking. It was such a pretty drive meandering through all the pine trees.

After Flagstaff, I learned a new life lesson:

Always take the scenic route.

Always. At the last minute, we decided to veer off the road at the "scenic view" sign. Friends, what I'm about to show you is the true, untouched beauty of the United States. This is the kind of view I live for. The kind of view that makes everything around you stop. All the worries float away. Life is just good.

Here is a glimpse into the land known as Sedona. Raw. Untouched. And unedited.

We made a stop at Sunset Point before driving into Phoenix for lunch. Then, it was onward into a tiny town known as Gila Bend [please note the Space Age Lounge] and then into Yuma before finally crossing into the California border :)

Pardon the horrible quality of that picture but I had to snap it! I was finally in my new state. Finally. However, the drive wasn't over yet. There were still a few hours ahead. Those hours consisted of driving through the desert. The real desert. It might as well have been the Mexican desert. The largest sand dunes I have ever seen.

And then we skimmed next to the border of Mexico, into the mountains full of boulders, through the border checkpoint [that was fun], and finally... onto my street :) But not until we saw that beautiful sunset...

Home Sweet San Diego

Tomorrow will mark one month since I officially made this city home.

And Monday will mark my 27th birthday.

This birthday will be different... for many reasons.

For now, I'll be enjoying my last weekend as a 26-year-old here in sunny Californ-i-a!

Catch up on the trip:

Day One

Day Two

Day Three