Finally, A New State!Jan 7, 2012
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We couldn’t wait to get on our way from Midlands, even though we had no real plans for Las Cruces, NM. We had been there before and done the touristy things in town, but it meant we had left Texas behind. As we drove towards El Paso we began to see the desert mountains in the distance and were really excited about seeing something other than sagebrush and tumbleweeds. Of course it is still desert, but the mountains and the colors of the rocks in the desert are really beautiful. If you have never spent time in the southwestern US, you are really missing some of the most dramatic scenery in the country.
Our only problem coming across this area was the wind. I don’t know how hard it was blowing, but definitely hard enough to cause for white knuckle driving even after dropping our speed by about 10 mph. We got through El Paso in the early afternoon which meant we didn’t have to deal with rush hour there, which is a true godsend as the drivers there are without fear and dart in and out without a care for themselves or anyone else. We stopped over the line in New Mexico and gave a cheer for safe passage through 823 miles of Texas countryside. We were now on Interstate 10 which is also known for windy conditions in this part of the country, and when the warning signs are for “EXTREME CAUTION” and “ZERO VISIBILITY POSSIBLE” and “REMOVE STOPPED VEHICLES FROM TRAFFIC LANES” it makes you pay attention.
Our campground was nothing to get excited about, but we were set to just spend the night and get on our way in the morning. I think we are about ready to get where we are going and get on with the next event in our lives, but the scenery is beautiful now and I think we will just relax and enjoy the next week probably without doing much of anything. We head out in the morning for Tucson, AZ for a couple of days; then one more stop in Arizona and we are on to our destination for the next couple of months in El Centro, CA.
