Mostly Tumbleweeds

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This place is BIG. Before the Big Bend/Marfa diversion, we had planned to go from San Antonio to Amarillo, but as we were close to the border with New Mexico, we thought we'd take another detour. We set out North from Marfa with the intention of reaching Roswell for the night, but after a long day of driving we stopped just short, in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Carlsbad is famous for its nearby caverns, but we skipped those, given we're all a bit claustrophobic when it comes to caving, or Spelunking, as they call it here. The highlight for us was the coin laundry (it had been a while!) and buying CJ some new clothes. Either he's grown a lot, or all the tumble-drying has taken its toll on his English clothes.
The next day we visited Roswell. It's quite a big regional centre, and the UFO 'industry' is localised to a few streets in the centre of town. There is a UFO museum and 'research centre' and several alien-related gift shops. I liked the street lights.
We picked up a flyer with directions to Billy the Kid's gravesite, which was in the general direction of our intended route. The journey there was mile after mile of dry grass and tumbleweeds stretching out to the dark blue sky. Beautiful, but a bit monotonous. The gravesite was down a side street in the historic town of Fort Sumner, where about 9000 Apache and Navajo were interned in the 1860's. The headstone had been stolen and recovered twice since then, so it is bolted down with iron bars and the three graves are housed in an iron cage.
Again, the distances got the better of us and we spent the night in Clovis, New Mexico instead of making it to Amarillo. The hotel was so close to one of the busiest train lines in the country, they provided ear plugs! After sleeping next to the V6 in MK for the last 6 years, we didn't even notice the noise.
This morning, we should have asked someone the way to Amarillo (seriously) because I got us a bit lost. But we got there eventually, and went to the famous Big Texas Ranch for lunch. This is the place where you can order a 72 oz steak dinner and if you eat it all within 1 hour, it's free. Otherwise, it's about $100. No-one took on the challenge while we were there, and we contented ourselves with modest steaks. It's an amazing place though - like a huge saloon from old cowboy films with hundreds of stuffed animals hung up everywhere. CJ was pretty pleased to get a new cowboy hat, and we played in the shooting gallery after lunch. Very cool.

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Photos

Billy the Kid's new gravestone
...the original one is obscured by metal bars.

Big Texan Ranch
quote of the day: Nic, when he saw it 'it must be that unassuming building over there.'

Big Texan Ranch
CJ discovering the delights of Texas Ribs in his new cowboy hat.

Comments

[Jo & Al (+ Spongie)]

What a corker!
Hello! REALLY enjoying reading your exploits - but I have to comment on poor CJ's corker - that's some black eye, bless him! Missing old Blighty yet??? ;0) So how does the Texan chilli compare to Nic's? I could just eat some of Nic's chilli right now (but at the moment, all I want to do is eat!!). Look forward to reading the next episode! xxxx

[Dani & Trevor]

He has grown all right.
So, at last we see a glimpse of the shiner! CJ looks remarkably cheerful though!

[Fiona]

crikey
Poor Calvin - it almost looks like you've put eyeshadow on one of his eyes!! Sounds like Taxas is a bit like WA - big, dry, and the locals are quite parochial. You'll be acclimatised before you get here!!

[Mum and Dad Bennet.]

The mark of zorro.
Wow, that really is a shiner. What a brave little boy he is, battle scars I suppose. I think Calvin will have to write a book when he gets home.