Snow?? We're sure not in SLO anymore!

There was a little more snow overnight at the Grand Canyon but not enough to cause us any problems. We opted out of going to watch the sunrise at the canyon because it was cold and it was so early. Plus at our hotel we had to pay a $50 pet deposit which is only refunded after an inspection. We were informed that the "inspector" didn't arrive until 7a.m. so we couldn't check out until then. Of course, Mr. Ripley did not do any damage to the room (which was no great shakes anyway) so we got our deposit back and headed out a little after 7.
Instead of following the GPS instructions to take the road back to Williams and get on I-40 there we opted to take another road which would take us through the Coconino National Forest and still get us to I-40 around Flagstaff. It was a gorgeous drive! We were glad we didn't listen to that woman on the GPS! Of course, she recalculated and told us what to do anyway. If the GPS were indeed a real person she would be so frustrated by us because we are constantly straying from the original route. Anyway, the Coconino National Forest was covered with snow and had beautiful tall pine trees and some white-trunked trees that we thought might be Aspens. Most of the road was okay but there were a few places that still had some snow and ice and we wondered for a minute if we'd made the right decision. But it turned out fine.
We got on I-40 in Flagstaff but got back off again in Winslow AZ (remember the Eagles' song Take it Easy?) because it's another old Route 66 town and also to see the La Posada hotel which is mentioned in several of my guidebooks and also suggested by my friend Nancy. Our timing didn't have us there at mealtime but we wandered around the place for awhile. Our next detour was to check out the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook. I should mention that the camera battery died so there will be pictures of either of these spots.
We stopped in Gallup NM for lunch at the El Rancho Hotel. This place was a stop-off for movie stars back in the day and was originally owned by the brother of director D.W. Griffiths. You could tell it would have been quite stunning back in the day but is now sort of sad and slightly deserted. The restaurant is still operating and we had a decent, simple lunch there.
The scenery before Albequerque was gorgeous--the beautiful red rocks and the way the light plays on them was amazing.
We arrived in Santa Fe late in the afternoon and easily found our hotel thanks to the GPS. We're staying at the Old Santa Fe Inn and it's great. It was an old motor court which has been renovated very tastefully with a Southwestern touch. It's a short walk to the plaza area and there are lots of nice shops and galleries on our street and even a little park where we can walk Mr Ripley. We had dinner at a place called the Plaza Cafe which is right on the Plaza (surprise).
I'm looking forward to a full day in Santa Fe tomorrow.