California Bound - Day 3 - Memphis to Albuquerque, NM

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Up and out by 8:30am. The sky was cream-of-gray soup all the way down to the road. Gray, gray, gray...then we hit the Texas panhandle. The sky continued to be soup, only now there was froth too--fog.

Texas was all gold and light orange. Nothing was tall so the gray overtook the sky-scape. Texas is endless. Driving through Texas is tedious. During the last hour, the gray lifted and blue sky appeared. Then we were attached by a tumble-weed. It flew into the front grill of my car and over-lapped the hood. We drove attached to it for a short while then Tim drove off on the verge to un-attach. I got out and pulled and pulled that critter, finally removing him and all his appendages. Then I had to wait until cars passed to release him. So it was hit, catch, and release. He tumbled away, and we continued to drive—in opposite directions!

The MINUTE we drove into New Mexico the sky, sun, road, and landscape changed--all for the better. Suddenly the rocky land was dotted with twiggy, beseeching, limbs and green tree tops. Really, it looked like evergreens had just melted into the hot land and only their tops were exposed. Later I learned that the twiggy stuff was Chaparral, and the evergreen was cedar.

The closer we got to Albuquerque the more rolling the rocky landscape became. Then as the hills got bigger so did the rocks, until finally were seeing mesas with huge boulders hanging precariously off their sides. To my surprise, Albuquerque is in a little valley between mountains. As we approached the city, even the highways became prettier. Albuquerque paints their overpasses in southwestern colors. At night the roads light up with southwestern lights.
Homer directed us to our friend's townhouse. Because she'd said 'Townhouse' I had pictured a two-story, row house. But in New Mexico townhouses look adobe. She had a courtyard and carport out front -- then her adobe looking house. It's so cute. And she's marvy-creative--and done a lot with her house. She was a construction worker in Manhattan, NY, so she knows her way around tools.

We went out for Mexican eats, which tasted completely different from North Carolina Mexican eats. Then we drove through old town Albuquerque, which is full of charm and adobe. We went back to our friend’s house and had ice cream in front of an adobe fireplace. Good day

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Photos

Route 66
We got to travel on historic route 66 in spots.

Texas is endless...
and so is their gray sky...

Wecome to New Mexico!
Yahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Old Town
Marcita and I walking in Old Town

Old Town
Tim and Marcita in Old Town

Outside eatery in Old Town
Yummy--Mexican!

Comments

[Kristi]

Wow
Ummm you forgot me on your travels to NM!! I really enjoyed NM and sounds like you are too!!!