Albuquerque in Sight

The closer we get to Albuquerque the warmer it gets. Judy is driving, I'm updating the blog, and answering email.

I am using the word Albuquerque as many times as I can, so I might actually be able to type it at some point without a bunch of typos.

It was certainly cool when we departed Elk City this morning, and it didn't change much across Texas or the east end of New Mexico. This is the cold air, which is heading east to eventually collide with Hurricane Sandy. So says the Weather Channel. What I can tell you for free -  it's definitely cold out here. Try 28 F this morning. Be prepared everyone. Are we ready for winter?

Entering Texas around 9 am this morning I was humming Amarillo by Morning. I love this song, and especially as we find Amarillo by Morning.

Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone.
Everything that I've got is just what I've got on.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky
I'll be bucking at the county fair.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo I'll be there. 

For those who don't know north Texas along I-40, it can be described in one word: FLAT. Flat, but with farming. Farming, and sometimes cattle. Somewhere, there are also ranch homes, but you rarely see them from the highway, but you do see massive entrances (gates) and then nothing. Since you can see for at least 25 miles you wonder how far these ranchers have to drive to get out to the highway! I'm reminded of Dallas (the TV series).

New Mexico in the east is flat, but it soon turns to hills, big hills. It is also desert, and now there are no more farms. This is the land government settlement people gave the first nations people in exchange for putting their bows away. This was before our time. We are much more generous, we give them our old cars and trailers.

Over the years, when Judy has been seeking my counsel on things, she has asked where old trailers go to die. I guess she is thinking, where do we send our trailer when the time comes! I'm thinking NM along Hwy 40...where the other ones are. I wonder who these folks are voting for? Will four more years change their lives?

Speaking of Judy, I have just patiently explained that sometimes we let off on the gas a little when we get big hills, so that we don't take two mile hills in passing gear. Even the big trucks don't go full speed up big hills, I explain. I know she finds my driving advice helpful.

I'm having to drop this post suddenly because we are apparently changing drivers. :-)

Comments Update

It seems like allowing comments has caused frustration for people reading this blog, just too many steps I guess, so it wasn't working. If you have comments, please send them via email to me, and I'll include them on upcoming posts.
We're about to get breakfast, pack the van, turn off the Weather Channel and head for Albuquerque.

Territory we traveled just a few days is now under weather attack, which will include major snow in some areas (West VA, VA, PA). Fall and winter travel is all about luck, but it's certainly something we watch closely on the road, and when necessary alter our route to avoid problems. We plan, but we stay flexible. Our computer and the Weather Channel are our major source of weather advisories.

Good luck to everyone on the east coast, Hurricane Sandy looks like the real deal.

Little Rock to Elk City

We're up and ready to go, but there is some serious rain falling at the moment, so we'll take our time and see if it clears off. What we're not facing is Hurricane Sandy on the east coast, or snow and cold temperatures up north.

Destination today, Elk City TX. Here's the route.

Holiday Inn Express was a good choice for this night. Lots of little extras, and a great shower head. Coupons paid off again as our rate dropped from $120 to $74 with the coupon. They certainly take hot breakfast serious, best so far by a country mile.

A couple of notes regarding yesterday. About 50 miles before Memphis we saw our first cotton fields, a sure sign that we're in the south. On the west side of Memphis we crossed the Mississippi River, and you can't help thinking of the history connected with this river.

Highway work took us off the Interstate for an hour or so, we took an alternate route that ran parallel to I-40. What we got was a small glimpse at rural Arkansas.

Hazen AR - Parking two hour maximum

Trade in little towns is mostly dried up and abandoned. Very sad. Still, someone is always doing business and we ran into acres of rice farms. Rice farms in the American south? I'm going to have to Google rice farms.

Over the last few years I've passed through this area many times, and in the early years I was often found chugging along on the secondary roads, but no more, like everyone I'm seeing America from the Interstates at 65 mph.  If only for an hour or so, it was good to be doing the back roads again, even though The Coach was feeling all the bumps.

There was a sign in the service station where I stopped for gas looking for staff, including managers. They were offering $7.15 an hour.