Catching up...
I got to Ft. Stockton, Texas on Saturday night around 9 pm when the sun was dipping below the horizon. A part of me wanted to press on, and head north to New Mexico on 285 and bed down in Carlsbad or Roswell. however, when I spied a bunch of motels just off the highway at the intersection of I-10 and 285, I figured maybe this was a hint. I was tired anyway.
One of the hidden advantages of driving into the Mountain Time zone in the morning is the feeling one gets of having gotten an "early" start. I actually hit the road at around 7:45 am on Sunday, which made it 6:45 am a mere 100 miles or so north-northwest of me.
About halfway to the Texas-New Mexico border, I drove through the thriving metropolis of Orla.
The casual reader will note that the terrain in the region is flatter than a pancake. Indeed, it's like this pretty much all the way up 285 past Roswell. If, as the wags have it, a flying saucer did crash land somewhere in the vicinity, one thing is for sure: the pilot didn't have to search really hard for a flat place to bring his craft down.
The last time I drove through Roswell, I actually drove past it, by taking the trucker's route. At any rate, I didn't pass through the center of town, else I would have seen this:
Admission to the museum is free, and there is a well-stocked souvenir store attached to it. I went in to take a look around and while it has a peculiar kind of charm, it's far from a must-see (unless you are a UFO devotee). Just across the street from the parking lot you'll find a number of small shops, along the lines of these:
I was delighted to find there to be a tattoo parlor next to the UFO souvenir shop, but unfortunately, it was closed (not that I was going to get a tattoo... I just wanted to see what their popular designs were). Off to the right of the picture is another souvenir shop, which I strolled into to stretch my legs, whereupon the owner did his best to sell me pretty much everything in the store. I found his spiel a little hard to take, and left soon after.
Eventually, I found myself in the "home stretch" between Santa Fe and Pagosa Springs. Just below the Abiquiu Reservoir, the blooming trees impressed me with an oh-so-intense green.
A few miles further, I stopped at an impressive sandstone formation that I've passed many times to finally photograph it. It is located near something called "Ghost Ranch," which is famous for something (Georgia O'Keefe?), but today apparently houses some sort of conference center.
Out in front and extending into the distance was the rest of the road home, with three dimensions instead of two.
* * * Barely enough time to catch my breath. I helped Galina open the store this morning (apparently she forgot about her vow to take a day off). Things are getting interesting there, according to a phone call I just got, so I'm on my way back there now.
Cheers...
One of the hidden advantages of driving into the Mountain Time zone in the morning is the feeling one gets of having gotten an "early" start. I actually hit the road at around 7:45 am on Sunday, which made it 6:45 am a mere 100 miles or so north-northwest of me.
About halfway to the Texas-New Mexico border, I drove through the thriving metropolis of Orla.
The casual reader will note that the terrain in the region is flatter than a pancake. Indeed, it's like this pretty much all the way up 285 past Roswell. If, as the wags have it, a flying saucer did crash land somewhere in the vicinity, one thing is for sure: the pilot didn't have to search really hard for a flat place to bring his craft down.
The last time I drove through Roswell, I actually drove past it, by taking the trucker's route. At any rate, I didn't pass through the center of town, else I would have seen this:
Admission to the museum is free, and there is a well-stocked souvenir store attached to it. I went in to take a look around and while it has a peculiar kind of charm, it's far from a must-see (unless you are a UFO devotee). Just across the street from the parking lot you'll find a number of small shops, along the lines of these:
I was delighted to find there to be a tattoo parlor next to the UFO souvenir shop, but unfortunately, it was closed (not that I was going to get a tattoo... I just wanted to see what their popular designs were). Off to the right of the picture is another souvenir shop, which I strolled into to stretch my legs, whereupon the owner did his best to sell me pretty much everything in the store. I found his spiel a little hard to take, and left soon after.
Eventually, I found myself in the "home stretch" between Santa Fe and Pagosa Springs. Just below the Abiquiu Reservoir, the blooming trees impressed me with an oh-so-intense green.
A few miles further, I stopped at an impressive sandstone formation that I've passed many times to finally photograph it. It is located near something called "Ghost Ranch," which is famous for something (Georgia O'Keefe?), but today apparently houses some sort of conference center.
Out in front and extending into the distance was the rest of the road home, with three dimensions instead of two.
Cheers...