The routine

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Carlsbad, Las Cruces, Deming, Tucson, Camp Verde, Laughlin

Well we have put a few miles on the van. All these travel days have much the same pattern. The dogs start to whimper from under the bed. So I roll off take a step and I’m in the bathroom. Then whether Ross has sat up or not I fold up the top duvet (now he’s up and dressing) and power the bed into a sofa. I put the table leg in and then I get dressed. Ross walks the dogs, I fire up the Rancilio and make breakfast. After eating it’s dishes then pack up and drive. The morning is either sightseeing locally or shopping or driving and then the afternoon is driving. We do photo stops regularly. The highlights have been good the last week.
In Carlsbad we did the caverns. I made a big mistake. We took the elevator down (equal to 75 floors) and then did the route through what is called the big room. Very impressive and good for the imagination (sci-fi, fantasy, murder-thriller). Then we did the natural entrance route. You walk up and out. Only thing is any sane person was walking down and then they walked big room then the elevator out. Why did I think the reverse was better? I thought I needed the exercise after all the car sitting we’ve been doing. Well wrong. It was like a steady, uphill Grouse Grind but on an asphalt pathway in the dark. The worst part was when we got out of the cave we had to walk ¼ mile in 100 degrees sun to get to the kennels (they don’t allow pets to be in cars – good idea). I was completely red-faced and I think Ross was worried.
As we left Ross calculated that we had enough gas to get us to El Paso even though there were warning signs about last gas for 160 miles. You’re right, we crawled into a gas station on fumes. The last hour Ross was driving on the highway so slowly I could count the cacti. The air con was off and it was 34 outside. That was an hour of silent driving. I was picturing me on the highway with the dogs while Ross hitchhiked for gas. The fuel indicator will never go below the halfway mark again!
Hobby Lobby. This is a Michael’s, Joanne’s, Pier One all rolled into one. Hope they expand up the coast into Washington soon. That took me an hour and a half to race through and I kept the cost under $150. Not bad.
Saw my first roadrunner stop at our campsite, take a look around and scoot off while I was painting at a picnic table.
Fort Bowie – has a post office and a store – a pecan store. I wish I’d bought a dozen jars of their pecan praline honey butter – yummy.
We’ll be here at Avi in Laughlin for another night but for now I’m off to find the beach and hot tub and then some more blackjack. Even money on the bj but down $10 on slots (I never play them except they gave us $5 free money in a slot and I added $10 – hate the slots).

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