Albuquerque, Roy's Hometown

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The highlight of the day for Roy was going through the border patrol checkpoint just before Hatch, after we left Las Cruces. He got to relive his glory days as a border patrol agent before they had infrared lasers to detect humans or drugs in your vehicle.

Luck would have it Hatch had a gas station. We were running dangerously low, if we had followed the GPS it would have been another 60 miles and we wouldn’t have made it.

We arrived in good time to American RV Park, Albuquerque. Views of the Sandia Mountains in the distance and a chance to drive on old Route 66 coming off exit 149, now I-40 to get here.

A quick trip into the old town was fun, eating at La Hacienda Mexican restaurant on the square, surrounded by southwest crafts and jewelry among the old adobe buildings.

I’m thirsty all the time now, the change in elevation and the dry hot environment is noticeable with a humidity level of about 15%. We are about 5000 feet above sea level and while it isn’t the alps, its higher than Florida.



Saturday morning we started out the day by going to see Roy's old home, down by the railroad tracks and took a stop at the old candy shop he used to frequent. It was fun for him to reminisce his youth and tales of crazy car rides, rodeo riding and a trip to his old high school.

We walked around old town again and I couldn't resist a gorgeous ring made by a Navajo Indian out of Pilot mountain turquoise from Nevada. Apparently the mine here have been shut down for a while and there are few left.

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