Recap

Best Mexican Food: Taqueria Cuernavaca on the ave in Ventura. Yes, surprisingly, it beat out everything we sampled in New Mexico, and we sampled a lot. The tacos al carbon are unbelievable.
Best Farmers Market: Santa Fe, by a huge margin, for the roasted peppers and the blue cornmeal.
Best National Park: Capitol Reef, for the orchards and the hikes.
Most Scenic Stretch of Highway: three-way tie between Hwy 410 by Mount Rainier (the green lushness and the alpine lake next to the highway), the Moki Dugway in southern Utah (like gliding off a cliff), and Durango to Ouray (the aspens!!)
Most Impressive Natural Sight: tough decision...we'll go with the bridge at the end of the hike up Negro Bill Canyon near Moab.
Best Base Town: Moab because you will need the oasis - the ice cream, the filtered water for VanMan, the natural foods store, the restaurants, the river. 
Most Impressive Man-Made Sight: any of the many Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.  
Best Brewpub: McCall, because it was funky and had great food as well as great beer.
Biggest Surprise: you can look for days in Utah without finding shade.
Best Thunder & Lightning Storm: sitting in the hot springs pool at Ojo Caliente (although they made us get out till it passed).
Worst Deal: $40/night at a state park in California (which had pit toilets).
Better Deal: $10/night at a New Mexico State Park (full hook-ups plus shower facilities).
Best Deal: no fee, at a gorgeous National Forest campground in Colorado (actually available many places, if you know where to look)
Best Small Town: Bisbee, because, remember, they have the best year round climate on earth. And a weaving shop.


No, we're not home yet. But today is Day 58, and we are on track to be home two months after we set out on September 8. Husband has driven nearly 7,000 miles (me, zero)!