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Published: March 1st 2015
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Hola from New Mexico! We are writing to you all from a McDonald's in Silver City. (Thanks again, Mom, for the gift card!) Madison and I let go of a sigh of relief when we walked into this McDonald's to see several other transients with their laptops and no NO LOITERING signs. It can be difficult occasionally to find places to hang out when we need a break from van life. We've relied heavily on the Big 3: McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, and Walmart. Walmart has been our saving grace - we sleep in its parking lots every night. They actually invite travelers to stay. Most Walmarts even provide 24 hour roaming security. Thanks Walmart!
So, we've come a long way since Amarillo. We traveled through snow and heavy fog to get to Santa Fe. On the way, we stopped off at several old Route 66 traveler hubs. If you've ever seen the movie Cars, you know what we saw: motels, restaurants, and gas stations unchanged from their glory days in the early half of the 20th century. The scene was reminiscent of a museum. Many of these "hubs" were desolate and nearly abandoned. We saw several CLOSED signs. Once the
interstate system was established in the late 50s, several sections of Route 66 were replaced by I-40. With interstate highways come the familiar chains of hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. No longer needed were the mom and pop shops of the good old days. A familiar theme in American industry.
Once we entered Santa Fe, the fog lifted and we got our first glimpse of the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The city is nestled neatly into this range. All of the buildings are constructed in the traditional adobe style - this allows for a seamless blending of the city into the mountainside. There are no eyesores of mile-high metal touching the sky. The tallest forms are mountain peaks.
After spending a few hours in Santa Fe, we were warned that snowfall was heading our way. So we spent the night in Albuquerque, about an hour south. When we woke up in the morning, we found the van covered in three inches of snow. It turns out, that's enough to shut down the city for a few hours. We found ourselves eating breakfast with other stranded travelers and truckers in a gas station near the closed interstate. We
managed to make our way to the local climbing gym, Stone Age, where we spent the day and were (thankfully!) able to shower. One thing I loved about this gym is that when we walked in, we noticed there were no kids running around. When we turned the corner opposite the lead and top rope walls, we saw why: a whole area designated for children with low walls set up with auto-belays and a small freestanding boulder for the kids to play on. It was nice to not have to worry about little kids running underneath you while bouldering or lowering your climber while belaying.
After spending much of our trip in colder weather, we decided to head south after Albuquerque. We drove through over 100 miles of mountains and forest and canyons to get to Silver City, which is nestled just outside the Gila Wilderness in southwestern New Mexico. Later today, we'll head toward Tucson after doing some much-needed hiking. It's 60 and sunny here! We're finally able to toss our jackets to the side and feel the warmth of the sun. And that's what we're off to do now!
Until next time,
KM
P.S.
- Be sure to check out the photos below!
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