Day 1- Drive to Albuquerque

As usual, I had planned on driving off at 9am but didn't really do so until 1:41pm.  I kept thinking of more things to check up on.  I know, making a list and checking it twice would be a good solution to my chronic "what else do I need?" but that list changes with each trip.  On this trip I had to think of what could I bring that would last me for the entire trip: seasonal clothes, things for Zeke, what all could I take to give to Erin and her boys.  The Honda CR-V is not a cargo-loading vehicle.

I took off in the heat of day, driving east on Hereford Road to AZ92, then turning on AZ80 to the bordertown of Douglas.  AZ80 turns to NM80 at the stateline.  I pulled over at the Geronimo monument to nap a bit, that stone monument noting where the Apache warrior was captured in Skeleton Canyon.  It was going to be a long drive if I couldn't even make it 90 minutes.

I eventually got enough energy to drive on, stopping in Lordsburg for gasoline and being surprised that the gasoline cost more here than in Arizona.  Prices in Lordsburg were always fifteen cents cheaper than in Hereford, but today it was $2.89, up five cents from the price in Hereford.

I drove east on I-10, turned off on NM26 which cut northeast to I-25 and Hatch, a small farming community known for its varied chilis. I stopped to eat at a Lottaburger place, a Texas food chain I hadn't tried before.  It took me 20 minutes to get my order as two women were working: one taking orders and the other preparing the food.  Waiting and then eating my meal took up 45 minutes.  This was crucial time as a dust storm was developing to my southeast.  I didn't notice it until I was on NM26 and out of town.  I didn't pull over or stop, but did slow down until conditions deemed me to stop.

The storm bypassed me, but the purple hues of the sky, mixed in with the clouds, made for some interesting colors.  Dust storms are serious weather conditions and signs across I-10 in New Mexico tell drivers to pull over, turn off engine and lights, but to stay buckled in.  Winds continued to howl but the storm blew to my east.

It was past 6pm when I drove through Hatch. The tourist spots were all closed for the day.  I drove on, hoping to find something else to check out in subsequent towns.  I made it to the historic district in Truth or Consequences (its name was changed from "Hot Springs" in a TV bet) at 8:34pm, but the lone brewpub in town, which I didn't know existed, was already closing for the night.  I wasn't in the mood for beer; I just wanted to check it out.

Winds continued to howl as I progressed northward on I-25.  I ended up falling asleep at a rest stop 66 miles south of Albuquerque, short of my goal for the day.  I didn't get much walking mileage in, either, but hope that slump ends once I get on the road tomorrow.