GOING WEST/TUCSON JAN 31 2017

January 31 2017 Going West

Left home this morning about 8:00, heading west. 50 degrees but warms up nicely.  Good time to be leaving Houston with the Super Bowl coming to town.  We'll catch the show in Benson, AZ.

Foggy morning, light traffic as we head out 10, around San Antonio and onward.

  Long drive today, a little over half way to Silver City, NM.  After a gas stop in Fort Stockton, we decide to push on another hour to Pecos.

We arrive in the small town of Pecos  close to 5:00, just as their West of the Pecos museum is closing.
The museum is in 2 old buildings, the red one was the first, built by an ex-Marshall named RC Johnson. Originally a saloon and Queen Hotel.

 Across the way is an old train station that is now the chamber of commerce/visitor's center/rodeo hall of fame and who knows what else.  We do a quick visit of the Rodeo Hall of Fame which is several cases of displays, and a few saddles and other items.

 Apparently rodeo began here and they continue to have a big event every June. The grounds contain an old eclipse windmill, a replica of Judge Roy Bean's Courthouse,

an old jail and the gravesite of Robert Clay Allison - a gunslinger who died in 1887.

 There are still many ranches in this area, although this is the Permian Basin and there is a lot of oil activity as well.

We ask for a dinner recommendation and then go down the street to Alfredo's - a popular Mexican restaurant.  Great steak quesadillas and flautas and the majority of the customers are oil field hands.

We park at the local Walmart for the night.  Today is payday and Walmart is hopping because they have a check cashing service.


Wednesday, February 1

We arise about 6 and continue northwest on 285. Nice sunrise behind us and lots of early morning drilling traffic.

Oil rig early AM

Temp was 47 degrees this morning at Pecos, but drops into the 30's as elevation rises.  We take 262 west and pass by Guadalupe National Park as we head towards El Paso on 62/180.  We see a coyote crossing the road, hawks, a roadrunner and other birds.  Further west the land levels near Desert Haven and we pause to watch a herd of pronghorn.

We wind over the Franklin Mountains and parallel Fort Bliss for several miles before getting back on I-10 north of the city of El Paso.

We enter New Mexico about 10:20 (Mountain Time now) and have smooth sailing until we are stopped by an accident a few miles before the city of Deming.  We can see the black smoke from a burning truck and traffic is a dead stop in both directions for about 90 minutes.  At this rate we'll finish our books quickly!

The accident - ouch!

There is not much along this highway.  Several cattle lots, ranches and few towns.

We are finally are able to continue and turn north towards Silver City.  We stop for an oil change there before arriving at Anne's around 3:30 in the afternoon.  Fun time catching up as we graze on a plethora of veggies, cheeses and other snacks. Yum.

A small herd of mule deer wander through Anne's yard, which is a common occurrence. Anne's dog Dixie takes exception to their presence but they seem unperturbed.

 We try to do a short hike on a nearby trail but find the going too muddy.  Anne says they have had a wet January with a few inches of snow only last week.

We check out maps and our route for tomorrow's adventure to an area called the Cat Walk - deep canyon with a walkway over the water north of here in the Gila National Forest.  Dinner is a wonderful Incredible Taco Pie with veggies and a delicious lemon pound cake w/sherbet.  Yum!

After a game of cribbage, which Anne wins handily, we call it a wonderful day. The night sky is clear and cold and the air wonderfully fresh.  We switch on our heater in the Trek as temperatures drop.