We left Albuquerque pretty early in the morning, but unfortunately both of us woke up sick with sore throats. We headed west on I-40 and stopped to get gas and cold lozenges in Gallup, which is like the only town in New Mexico west of Albuquerque on I-40. I guess before I-40 was built, travelers took Route 66 and couldn't drive as far in a day and they used to have to stay the night there. There were a few old motels in Gallup and there wasn't really much else there, I'm not really sure why it exists. Anyway, after Gallup, we made it into Arizona and ascended a few thousand feet to get to Flagstaff. When I think of Arizona I think of deserts and rock formations, but Flagstaff was a mountain town with snow and trees. There weren't many quick eating options, so we ate at Taco Bell. After Flagstaff, we went west a little further and then headed north toward the Grand Canyon.