2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO TO TUSCON, ARIZONA

April 20th, 2017 

10:40 a.m. We left the hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Odometer reading 51125.

I didn't write anything yesterday as I was under the weather. We think it was a combination of the heat (should have worn a hat but didn't), I forgot to take my water flask. Yes I know, after all that, so I felt very dehydrated and possibly was feeling the effects of the altitude. I remembered we both felt very whoozy and light headed the last time we were here.  (I found out last time from a gentleman whose son was in the chorus at the nearby opera theater, that an oxygen bottle was put nearby for the express use of out-of-towner opera singers, who were affected by the altitude.)  

This time Gregg was okay thankfully. It was only 72° when we went out, but it felt much, much hotter.  It could have been something to do with the strawberry milkshake!!! I don't handle dairy very well, and what we ate was a bit of this and a bit of that after that nice healthy breakfast, not exactly our usual fayre. We seemed to be on the go for most of the day and everything was in a bit of a rush. Ohhhhh I was just asking for it, especially as my diet at home is usually pretty bland.  Lessons learned!  After a dreadful night, I spent the whole day in bed just sleeping. 

Gregg got out a couple of times, one time to the drug store for some medicine for me, and another time when I was feeling much better but not quite up to going out, and I insisted he explore.  The 'do-not-disturb' sign was on the door all day.  Such a waste of precious site-seeing time, but we had two wonderful days in Santa Fe and will be heading back one day, 100 percent prepared! I feel a bit weak this morning but glad to be feeling better than I was. 

11.00 a.m. We passed a sign saying that we were in the Santo Domingo Reservation. 

Gregg read that 2% of the land in America is reservations. 

11.20 a.m. Just passed a sign for the San Felipe Pueblo.

11.39 a.m. Passing a winery called Black Smuggler.  

We passed orchards before that. Saw the irrigation pipes. This is semi desert, bordering on desert we are driving through. 

12.32 a.m. We have gone 3,000 miles on our journey now. 

Saw a sign for parking at Albuquerque airport $2.50 a day.  As Gregg said, you can't beat that. 

We are heading to Tucson, Arizona. We will visit the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum at 2021 N Kinney Rd., Tucson, 85743

1.13 a.m   Saw a sign to a town called Truth or Consequences, NM. 

1.19 a.m. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. 

None of these places we intended to stop at. I just like to make note of places along the way, and then look them up that night when we stop at a hotel.

2.15 p.m stopped for gas in Elephant Butte, (pronounced Byute) NM.  A man gave Gregg a friendly nod of his head as he was coming back to his car. He looked like some kind of law enforcement official.  He had short, slicked backed black hair, a pencil mustache, in his late 20s and looked like he was straight out of a 40s movie and was a handsome man.  He was wearing a black shirt, grey slacks, a gold badge on his waist band, along with his gun and looked very smart.  However, I would think it was a bit hot wearing black in New Mexico.  

12.50 p.m just passed through Hatch, NM, the chili capital. 

We passed over the Rio Grande River before that. 

2.00 pm. We crossed the Continental Divide at 4500 ft above sea level. 

3.10 pm we have just stopped at a real nice little restaurant called Kranberry. 

Gregg had an open faced steak sandwich....

and I had a sensible grilled chicken salad, and didn't eat all of it.

This was my first meal since the day before yesterday and I was feeling more like my old self.  Nice lady who took care of us.  I didn't get her name.  

There were photos of Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh on the wall. And also a photo of the Spirit of St Louis, which we have hanging in the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.  What a small world!  They touched down in Lordsburg, New Mexico, and we on a whim decided to stop here for lunch.  I like these little bits of history we come across. 

Saw a dust swirly driving along, looks like a mini tornado without the devastating effects. We could see it going around and around and then it was gone. There have been signs for miles warning us that this area is prone to dust storms.  When one hits the signs say, do not stop in the road, move to the side.  

3.35 p.m we entered Arizona. 

We have been seeing orchards. Hundreds and hundreds of bright green trees. Again, this is a very dry area. Well irrigated obviously. We saw a sign for pecan and walnuts and wine. We are thinking that these may be pecan and walnut trees. 

Passing the Cochise Stronghold, Exit 331 

4.48 p.m. Going past Tombstone, Arizona. 

Stayed the night in Tucson.  We forgot to change the GPS directions from the city of Tucson to our hotel. We realized our mistake when it put us right in the middle of the city and no hotel.  A happy mistake though. It was fun to look around this beautiful city.  From there we changed our directions to our hotel and we arrived 15 minutes later.