New mexico, Texas, Oklahoma

Obviously due to Henryetta, OK (never again) I didn't get a chance to update these states. Fortunately I had a draft blog from that day - because the sun is a distant memory, and Oklahoma I may never want to remember again. In fairness, almost all of Oklahoma was in the dark. Texas. How can I say anything bad about that state...it is like a foreign country. New Mexico was also largely a night state - although I did really like the red dirt.

Today we had a nice leisurely start out of Albuquerque, NM. We had a friend in the area and stopped at a nice café for breakfast before we hit the road. It was sunny in the morning but amazingly cold. I don’t know how people do that cold dry air. I would have to crop my hair off to deal with the constant static.

Already the time change is confusing and we are only on our first day and it is only an hour difference. As I type this in the car again it is 2:25, NM time and it is about 42 degrees outside. There is red clay/mud everywhere. We are approaching the NM/Texas border. Our permit driver has just started her shift and will be taking us across the border.


Most of New Mexico was done in the dark - I wonder if the prettier part was on the way in. There is a lot of nothingness – and not interesting nothingness - which admittedly has me concerned about Texas and Oklahoma. Although the billboard signs for Amarillo, Texas are really selling it.

On our 4th day of driving some of us are starting to feel the body fatigue. Mom will be pleased to know that we have used the car blanket and the first aid kit (in search of Advil). We are learning the muscle relaxing properties of the heated seats in the suburban.


We saw this guy from the freeway and had to exit to check him out:

One of our more exciting stops so far has been some nothing freeway exit between Santa Rosa and Tucumcari. They pretty much put the cattle guards at the freeway on and off ramps and call it good.

Hanging with his friends on the side of the road.

Note that Texas is suspiciously like New Mexico only less shrubs:

Around 3pm NM time we crossed into Texas and it became 4pm Texas time. It is always a bit alarming when you are putting down long driving days and in an instant you lose an hour.

Turns out that this part of Texas (crossing the panhandle on I-40) is actually all about the chicken, not beef - which is what I assumed Texas was all about. This part of Texas seems to love chicken, buffet, and billboards. Unfortunately the vegan in the party thought that there might be a better option than Subway in Texas.