Another Road Trip; TX-NM-AZ-UT-CO, July 2019

[PetitFrereArmada]

Knowing how traveling at night I end up eating pretty bad food choices at gas stations, I decided to make my own food to hold me throughout the night.

Smoothie made of 1 mango, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 apple, 1 banana and half cucumber.

Boiled feesh peanuts.

6 boiled eggs

2 cans of sardines.

Energy drink from Young Essential Oils.

This should be snacks to nibble on for 2 days in my cooler

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Starting odometer for the trip.

My trusted Garmin GPS says 12 hours drive as I am leaving at 10:00pm. It says I will get to destination at 9:00am. But since I see myself sleeping at a rest stop or truck stop tonight, I can get to destination only after atleast 15 hours on the road.

Midnight: First stop for gas after 2 hours of driving. 6 hours to day light. Let me see how far I go before getting exhausted.

1:45am. Love's gas station in Comfort, TX

3:45am. Road Ranger gas station in Sonora, TX

4:45am. Too tired to continue. Truly very tired and sleepy. Pulled up at the first rest area. Tried to go to sleep, but nosey trying to figure out if everybody there is sleeping or doing what. Decided to eat something from cooler. Took a walk eating and drinking my smoothie in the parking lot. All of sudden not feeling sleepy as I look at my watch and it says a few minutes past 5am. So it is going to be daylight soon. I asked myself, why not keep on going? Took pics and got back into car and left rest area at 5:15am.

6:00am. Pulled up at Flying J in Fort Stockton, TX. Places are getting brighter. Gas station is packed full. 4 more hours to destination. 8 hours done. Got back on the road at 6:20am.

7:45am. Sun is finally up. 2.5 hours now to destination.

Tome zone changed. Stopped at last gas station before my Final Destination! Pilot gas station at Van Horn, TX. I am tired!!! Its been a long night and can't check in at hotel, so I have to find a Mexican restaurant for breakfast/brunch!

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Best Mexican food I have had in a very long time. If you are in Las Cruces, NM, feel free to check this place out. Andele's Dog House.

The chips and salsa are to die for. And thinking I was too hungry, I ordered this plate which cost $23. Big mistake! The food was so much. I couldn't even eat half of it. So yum!!!

Get it with pork, if you like pork. Pork is the best meat in this dish. I got it with pork and beef. Soooo good. And after being on the road all night with no real food, it was well worth it.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

This evening, I drove to and back an hour each way to go and visit the White Sand National Monument.

 

[keylay]

Safe travels on your road trip! Good to get away from the Houston heat. I just got back from a trip to NW Arkansas and Branson with the family.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Safe travels on your road trip! Good to get away from the Houston heat. I just got back from a trip to NW Arkansas and Branson with the family.

Thanks man. I thought it was good to get away from the Houston heat, but I am here in New Mexico and it is worse. The heat is on a different level. Then tomorrow I will be in Arizona for the next 3 days and a few people here in NM have told me it is worse over there. So, I think I will really be out of this heat only when I get to Colorado. So, it will be nice when I finally get there.

Were you doing any wheeling in AR? I used to live in Arkansas. In Arkadelphia precisely. I am also very used to being in Hotsprings area and Little Rock.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

I went to Ruidoso today to visit the Ski Apache. Very nice scary and curvy ride up to 10,000ft. Great views along the ride up and down. The views are really stunning.

The road is scary and should be driven on with a lot of caution because if you lose control of your car and fall off the valley, you can fall to your immediate death, like the case he told me of that happened 30 days ago. They said a couple was driving down and lost control of their car and it rolled off the cliff, ejecting the woman passenger to immediate death. The drirver, which was a man, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. I hear he passed away also. This is the link to the story.

Death after car rolls over going down the road from the Ski Apache in Ruidoso, NM

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Off to Capitan, NM!

I finally got to learn the story about the real life Smokey bear. The little cub who became known as face for the Smokey bear in our nation, lost its mother in a wild fire and was found clinging for its life in a tree here in Capitan, NM. The baby bear was rescued but its body was charred and they thought it would die. The bear was treated and got better. Then transferred to a zoo in Washington DC where it was very popular. He grew old and passed away. Was buried out there but the people of Capitan, NM had to write to Congress for them to send the remains back to its land. It was dug up and brought back here and its remains lies here in the back of this building.

This is the small theatre where they show a 10 minute video about how Smokey bear all came about and the face of the real bear who was later referred to as Smokey bear.

Real footage of when the real smokey bear was found clinging for its life in a tree in a burning wild fire. Luckily, it was saved by brave firefighters.

He went on live a good life until his death. And here lies the remains if Smokey bear in Capitan, NM.

And this is Smokey's message to all of us;

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Next stop was Lincoln, NM. And unto the Lincoln street which was at one time considered the most dangerous street in America. This is where Billy the Kid made s name for himself also.

There is not much to see in Lincoln, NM, but it has a nice history to it.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

First stop in Arizona was a detour to the historic silver mining town of Tombstone, AZ. The town that refuses to die. It was ok. I was not very impressed. Not a destination I would recommend as a must-see to someone.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Founder of Tombstone, AZ

They say if you go to Tombstone and have to visit only 2 attractions, it has to be these 2 attractions.

This courthouse is famous for hanging 7 people just at the gallows at the back of the building. Right here.

Upstairs in the courthouse, you get tried in this room.

If found guilty, you are invited to the gallows to be hanged

7 people have been hanged right here at this court house.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Yesterday, after leaving Tombstone, I stopped at Saguaro National Park. There was not much to see and the heat was unbearable. Got back into my car headed straight to my hotel in Tempe, AZ.

Left hotel later that evening and went for a quick visit to the Hole in the Rock. Pretty nice formation and it was good that I got there in the evening. The access road was closed, but people could park their cars at the Botanic Garden and walk over to the rock.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Today, I started my day by going to the Desert Botanical Garden. It was really nice until I realized I could not bear the 108 heat and had to leave only after 20 minutes. Today, the high is supposed to 113. That is HOT!!!