The Adventure Begins

I just woke up for day two of six on Somerset's and my way to Pittsburgh. Day one was kind of a bust. It was fun and it was great to get started, but we didn't leave Phoenix until mid-afternoon and since I pulled an all-nighter packing the night before, I was happy to stop the first night in Flagstaff for a comfortable hotel stay in the last familiar town I will see for awhile. Yesterday in Phoenix was a hot one, and I enthusiastically told Somerset on our way out of town that there was no better time to leave than the middle of the summer. We reached Flagstaff by 5:30, parked the car downtown and set off to find a place to stay for the night (The elusive Hotel Monte Vista was booked - this happens every time I come here). As many times as I've been to Flagstaff, we seemed to be walking in an unfamiliar and particularly ghetto part of town, and for the first time I began to feel a little sad about leaving everything I have and love at home. After settling in to our hotel I took Penny on a bike ride uphill through the neighborhood. It was getting dark and even a little chilly, which I appreciated. I spotted an adorable restaurant called Josephine's that reminded me of Tricks, three flagstone steps leading up to a lush patio with a converted residential house behind. After I got back to our room, Somerset and I walked back over there for a late dinner before turning in for the night. Today we'll head East through Gallup, Albuquerque, and hopefully camp near Wichita.