Have you slept in a wigwam lately?

After the wonders of Monument Valley we made our way south again and back to the Route 66 in Holbrook. The drive was so beautiful - kilometers left and right without anything inhabited. We also drove by the painted desert and the petrified forest.
 Holbrook, Arizona is home to another iconic motel, The WigWam Motel. Petteke was so happy we were going to sleep in a teepee, but did not really understand we would not need a sleeping bag and that there was going to be a toilet in the wigwam. It was a warm day and after a few hours in the car we were ready for some family fun. The girl at the motel office told us there was a splash pad a few blocks down the road, so off we went. Olivia had such a good time running from the water mostly and Lolo practiced his baseball and golf skills. After we did a little apero in front of our wigwam and went to dinner, before turning in for the night. Olivia loved it, and wanted to stay for another couple of days , but we had to hit the road again. Grand Canyon here we come again, this time with a kid!




















 

Monument Valley, Utah

We made another detour to Monument Valley. On our West coast roadtrip 5 years ago we did not have time to pass there so we made sure to fit it in this time. One word: Breathtaking! You drive around for miles on a dirt road and we had nobody in front of us or behind, so it felt like we had the valley to ourselves. Photos don't do justice to the real beauty nor its size, but it will be in my memory forever. After our visit we drove to this tiny village Bluff where we had booked a surprisingly nice hotel with a pool with views on the mesas. After a good night's sleep, we had lunch at this great place across the street. Their homemade prickly pear lemonade was so good! - Lolo was so happy to eat a real crispy salad! 
And the pie, oh the pie!
 

























Una vez en Santa Fe

After Tucumcari, we made a little detour to Santa Fe, but not without passing by The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. The Blue Hole appears in the midst of the desert like a great blue gem, a very cold gem also. It took me about 30 minutes to find the courage to jump into the 24m deep cold transparant blue water. When I jumped in it felt like all the air was being pushed out of my lungs, but afterwards I felt so good!
Anyways, after we continued the trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. That city was a completely different story: the architecture, the vibe, the shops, the art galleries. It didn't feel like America for some reason. We had a killer margarita on the rooftop of one of the oldest hotels in America. We met so may nice people today - One of the reasons I love coming here in general, everybody talks and is friendly and helpful. It makes me more smiley and friendly too. 
We had a good day in the 'City Different' !