Goodbye Earl

On into Albuquerque, NM - I used to say I would be a cab driver here when asked as a kid what I wanted to be. Lunch at Nick's Crossroads Cafe at 400 Central SW. Veggie plate for Annette, Chicken Kebab for me. A pleasant atmosphere with the wind blowing through an open door - about the first city we have lingered in since Chicago.
Across the Rio Grande with the usual routine of dodging on and off the Interstate to visit points of interest. We head for Grants, NM and cross the Continental Divide on the frontage road. We are slammed by a dust devil but the smart survives the side-swipe. In Grants there is a massive biker conclave - shiny machines parked in a row for at least a mile. We are greeted by waves and whoops from the bikers.
On to the campsite at Gallup, NM which is over 6,000 feet up. The campsite is new and not geared for tents ($20), as we are steered toward a patch of hard standing in a corner of the car park in high wind. We quickly realise this is not a goer and splurge on a cabin ($35). To Denny's for dinner and an early night - the wind has got up and we help some folk retrieve their belongings as they blow about the campsite. We get our washing done in a humongous laundromat which is on site - never seen so many machines in one place.
Day 9 - Up next morning and after a total refit we head into town to Earl's Family Restaurant - recommended by the folks at the campsite. This is Navajo country and we are served a superb breakfast [scrambled egg, hash browns and sausage with chili salsa] while Annette buys a medicine pouch at the table. The smart is causing consternation in the car park - a big guy says "I'd need two of those." We spot another "Muffler Man" in town, stop for a photo op and the smart immediately draws a crowd. A Navajo woman is practically in tears she wants the car so bad.
We stop to photograph a Ford Anglia 105E perched on top of a tower at a wrecking yard outside of town. To the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest ($10) in a National Park. The Cashier at a coffee stop tells me all about his Saab two-stroke and V4 cars from years gone by and rushes out to photograph the smart for his son. It is just amazing how fair people can be.
Now in Winslow, AZ to "stand on the corner" - hi to Derek Watts, Eagles fan. Annette is tumbleweed spotting. Flagstaff tonight and Grand Canyon tomorrow with luck.