Day Eighteen

Las Cruces, NM to Gallup, NM

347 Miles

Today was a travel day and an adventure. This morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise. The photo doesn’t do it justice. The sun rose every so slowly from behind the foothills.

On the road again we went. Many of you know; I do not like unexpected things. Well, the atlas and gps did not indicate that there was an Inspection Station on Route 25 north. It is a major highway. Every car and truck on the highway must pull over for an inspection with Border Patrol. (We were about 50 miles from the Mexican border.) I was apprehensive only to think we would have to unpack the rv, open the jeep, answer questions about the dogs and our trip. But we were very fortunate. The officer asked how many people were in our vehicle, we answered and that was all. Simple…but not expected. 

Now if I open a law firm someday, it will at least have a P.O. Box in this town:

The southwestern part of New Mexico was very arid. Many of the rivers are bone dry. A local told us during the summer they will get about 8-12 inches of rain, but are currently short 6 inches. It is easy to spot where the river flows. It is the only green area you can see.

A New Mexico rest stop warning:

The red cliffs (I am not sure that is the technical term) of Arizona are beautiful. When driving west, there are many inclines and declines through mountains and canyons, but on your right will be these burnt red cliffs.

Dad and I are both exhausted after three days of travel. The wind makes the driving much harder. Tomorrow, we take a day trip to see the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and Hubbell Trading Post. 

A