One journey ends...

From The Crawfords in AZ Blog Photos

It was a beautiful day for a drive. I started this morning with the temperatures in the upper 30s and finished in the lower 70s. The skies were mostly clear all the way.

I will warn anyone who attempts this drive to be prepared to be in the middle of nowhere for quite a while, but it is very beautiful to see the landscapes such as the canyons and snowcapped mountains. I turned off of I-40 to take a more direct route and avoided Flagstaff. This means that I kept my promise to not visit the Grand Canyon or Sedona until the family can go with me, but AZ 377, 277, & 87 brought me through some smaller canyons and areas that still had a good amount of snow on the ground. Parts of Arizona is very green right now, but I am sure that will change when the summer heat gets here. This place is very different from Virginia, but I already love it.

I am here in one piece and it is now time for me to get my new home for the next several months organized. As this adventure ends, I am looking forward to the next one. The one where I start my new job at ASU and find a new home so my family can join me at the end of June.

Trip Facts
Started: Albuquerque, NM
Finished: Mesa, AZ
Miles Driven: 411
Drive Time: 8:15am to 3:30pm (7.25 hours)