A Day Across New Mexico

I though I'd go a little Ansel Adams here for the first photo. Cheesy, maybe, but I was getting a bit weary of so many of the same type of landscapes. Check the album for the more colorful ones. Anyway, this will be a short report tonight, as we are both very tired and Dad continues to feel poorly.

The trip across New Mexico was a beautiful one. It was amazing to see the progression of terrain over the 300 miles, especially through Albuquerque and beyond to Gallup. Not too far from Tucumcari, the vegetation began to shift from mostly green to mostly drab. For a long stretch of highway, the grass from a distance almost looked white, and the landscape was dotted haphazardly with low bushes, which seemed like a rash had spread. Soon the mesas became commonplace. They came in all sizes, from ones that might fit into a football stadium to ones that stretched for miles.

Later, as we came into Albuquerque, we descended through a long grade much like the Saluda grade in the mountains of North Carolina. Of course, it didn’t look like that, but the descent reminds me of it. Albuquerque was an astonishing city. Colorful, fresh, and distinctive. I’d love to visit it again for a couple of days.

We passed through several Native American lands from Albuquerque to Gallup. Most had casinos. At one stop, we rested at a gas station/McDonald’s complex and met a fellow from Denmark who was also traveling America on motorcycle. His name was Aage, which is pronounced like Owen without the “n.” He’d flown into Miami, bought a motorcycle, and began touring with his companion. Since the McDonald’s had wi-fi, he was checking his email while eating. I directed him to this blog, so hopefully he’ll see his picture one day.

Once we arrive in Gallup, we headed to Wal-Mart for some cough medicine for Dad. Hopefully that will help him sleep better tonight.

Thanks again for your comments. Keep them coming!

321.6 miles today. 1,894.2 total miles.