Sunday July 20
Driving from Las Cruces, NM across the Texas border, back to New Mexico, crossing into real Mexico at Santa Teresa was part of the days adventure.
We stopped for gas in Texas at Rudy's Country Store.
It was "so Texas" we had to stop and check it out by eating a little something there. Ken had half a pound of brisket (which isn't really a little something) and I had a corn on the cob. The waitress says, "here let me get you a plate", and tears off a piece of white butcher paper, our tray was a plastic bottle case. The staff wore t-shirts that said, "I didn't crawl my way to the top of the food chain just to eat vegatables." There were big sinks to hose off in after you ate. They do seem to do everything BIG in Texas.
Great crossing going south, single lane, long line-up going north. Just before we crossed into Mexico I saw three of the hugest dairy farms I have ever seen.
We had the Sierra Madre Mountains to the west and the Sierra Magdalena's on the other. Very rocky soil.
Chihuahua is a huge city of 700,000 people that we by passed. Everytime we crested a hill there was more city and more houses.
This campsite is really a pasture with toilets. Now we are camping in the back of the van.
Saturday July 19 (Our 22nd Wedding Anniversary!)
Once we finally got going on our way out of Tucson, AZ we drove by a parking lot for many, many big airplanes. We saw a different part of Tuscon than we saw last year. We saw adobe houses and beautiful cactus gardens.
I painted while we drove. We stopped at a big pile of rocks, bolders actually, in Arizona. It was spectactular considering it was a pile of rock. Then we stopped at the New Mexico entrance which was a tourist information booth (wireless stop, too). Ken saw a trantula crossing the road (carefully) while we were driving. It had rained in the desert. We drove by lots of nut trees – walnut and peacan.
We arrived in Las Cruces, NM at dusk. Las Cruces appeared to a wonderful small city. We walked around the downtown. The sidewalks were covered with little roofs for heat or rain.
Ken saw a big frog or toad outside at the hotel. I got dressed to go look but the reptile disappeared.
We stayed in a hotel this night, too. The room was wonderfully done in a very distinctive Mexican theme.
In the morning we discovered the restaurant had Frida Khalo pictures on the wall, etc. Driving out of town I discovered they landscape with cactus.
Friday July 18
We are now venturing off into the desert from San Diego via El Cajon, CA.
We bought a picnic lunch at Vons to take with us because we did not want to be stuck eating the awful food we had last year in Gilabend. Ken took me to a quilt shop in El Cajon to see a b-line quilting frame. The owner's mother would show it if you phoned her and made arrangements, what a production. I did not get a demo.
We drove through the desert and stopped by some abondoned structure with green trees for shade (green bark that is). Lots of bird action – very hot!!! We ate lunch. This is the Sonora Desert and has those cactus with arms.
We stopped at a few rest stops to get some movement happening in our bodies.
It was very hot. I passed the time painting.
I got a good sunset shot.
We arrived in Tucson, AZ in the dark.
Most exits into the city were under construction. Somehow we found our hotel that we pre-booked about an hour previous. This was our first hotel since leaving home.
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