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Great to see Jim again and meet Dave for the first time. Super nice GTS Dave snagged up in Mesa and was in the Tucson area to pick up a piano. Keep the pics flowing of the jouney and enjoy the rest of your trip. T&T
The short answer...because the air is so dry and clean.
Long answer... On humid days water molecules will condense on to dust. These dust/water particles are large enough to scatter all the wavelengths of light, resulting in a whitish haze, sometimes to the point the sky looks more white than blue if it's really humid. Higher altitude will result in a deeper darker blue. The blue comes primarily from Nitrogen molecules scattering the blue (and violet, but we are better at seeing the blue). The scattering is not the result of light bouncing off the nitrogen. Nitrogen molecules are sort of like little wine glasses in the sky. They "resonate" when struck with blue-violet wavelengths, then re-radiate these wavelengths in all directions - like a ringing wine glass resonates in response to a voice hitting the right note (the natural resonant frequency). The result is the sky looks blue everywhere. Einstein didn't come up with this theory, but he did prove it.
Originally Posted by 928 GT R
Soooooo,
Why does every roadsign have 10 - 50 bullet holes in it?
The Piano portion of the trip is a bust. Like 928's, high end piano's do not like extended periods of storage or neglect. This formerly spectacular 1921 A.B. Chase had not been played or tuned in at least 30 years and suffered immensely in the dry climate of Arizona. Hopefully it will find a sympathetic buyer or owner of an antilear (piano restoration shop) to guide it back to glory.
We ended up in Holbrook, Arizona last night after a great drive up Highway's 60 and 77 from Tucson. This drive included an awesome drop into and climb out of the Salt River Canyon. Roughly 4,500 vertical feet down and back up on nicely paved, sinuously curved, switchback roads. The car, securely harnessed in the trailer surely would have been loving these roads. Tomorrow, (or is it today already) The GTS will be released from its jail cell and make the drive from Albuquerque to Taos Ski area with stops at Sandia Peak and Santa Fe.
8% grade!
At the bottom of the canyon the river is 928 ft above sea level! Crazy!
Jim's a total trooper even though he is a bit leery of heights. Other drivers would have had a "Code Brown" in a few places along the decent into the canyon.
Its hard to capture the scale of New Mexico and Arizona's mountainous landscape. These are world class vista's and roads for sure and I'm a little envious of the Rennlisters who live out here (even though the heat would roast my Brain Pan...)
How cool! We are just getting ready to hit the road from Holbrook Arizona and head to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then the plan is to spring the GTS from trailer jail and head north, do a side trip up Sandia Peak on Hwy 25. Then head north on 285 to Santa Fe and on to Taos Ski area. Then back to the GTS trailer jail this evening and stay in Albuquerque at a Marriot!
10-05-2018, 12:34 PM
(for DaveK9)
Super nice GTS Dave snagged up in Mesa and was in the Tucson area to pick up a piano. Keep the pics flowing of the jouney and enjoy the rest of your trip. 
T&T
