Over the desert and through the desert to grandmother's house we go!

Our stop in New Mexico, although brief, was very memorable.  Maddie's Grandma Arda had hosted Gus and Maddie on their move to Nashville over two years ago and was happy to host us on our return trip home. If all cross-country travelers had a homestay option like Grandma Arda's, they'd be oh so blessed. 

Her home is welcoming, warm with colors of the Southwest, and wonderfully alive with the company of her three Australian Shepherd pooches.  Violet and Kimberly are 14 and 10 respectively; they are the friendliest and sweetest dogs you could ever know. But, it's the new addition to the family, Lila, the Toy Aussie, who steals the show :)

We rolled in having hit the midpoint of our journey, approximately 1,750 miles logged. We...were...hungry. Arda had dinner prepared when we arrived. We enjoyed chicken florentine (a new recipe of hers that is definitely a keeper) followed by homemade bannana bread paired with raspberry frozen yogurt.

After a long night's rest, thanks to the extra hour we gained transitioning to Mountain Time, I got up and enjoyed a cup of coffee with Arda while she shared with me her favorite hotspots of the area. I had heard rumors from a previous roommate who attended New Mexico Tech that Mexican food in his home state was lethal to the unconditioned palate simce chilies are used liberally in all dishes. Arda told of one such place down the road. What really caught my eye was her fantastic turquoise jewelry. She said she takes all of her guests to the local Saturday market where you can buy the gorgeous stone jewelry directly from the artist. Unfortunately, we mistimed our trip, but I'm sure we'll be back through a few more times :)

We're on the road now bound for the Grand Canyon. We have dinner reservations at El Tovar Lodge just after seven. GPS has  us arriving  shortly after six, perfect.

Ciao for now!

-E