The Road to New Mexico

It was a long, straight road from Oklahoma to New Mexico... You could actually see the point in Oklahoma when the terrain changed from green to desert-like. The land was pretty flat and green in Ok... the soil the color like deep burnt orange, and there was a section where there were alot of windmills... they looked like giant airplane propellers...lol... kind of like a "wind farm" I guess...I kept trying to take pictures of them as I drove....but gradually, by the pan handle of OK, the soil turned lighter and lighter and the lush green grass gave way to what looked like a light covering of green grass... just really a superficial covering of grass. By TX, the green had turned to beige, some green and assorted brush... My original plan was to get boots in Amarillo, but I since I had such a long drive... I just blew thru TX. But soon after passing the largest cross, and Amarillo, I began to see some plateaus... and then by the time I entered NM, the landscape looked like a western movie... the green grass was gone, and the land looked dry and covered with shrubs... tree covered mountains appeared... by Albuquerque, there was a snow covered mountain in the distance! It was beautiful! I had lunch in Tucumcari, NM... I couldn't resist... It was right out of the old Little Feat song, Willin'... "...I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari..." anyway... I checked my oil and was a bit low... I found a service station on the old historic Rte 66 and had the oil checked... He thought I should wait until a full quart was necessary... I told him I was on my way to CO... asked if I would make it... thougthfully he replied.."I hope so..." lol... I then asked if I could get back on 40 west from here... he looked at me and said ....."I thought you were heading to CO?...that's the wrong way.." lol... he really thought I was a nut!
I made it to Albuerque by 5:00 and found the hotel easily... The city is surrounded by these beautiful mountains. After talking to Linda's friend, I thought maybe I'd check in, wash my face, and head back out for a glass of wine in the "old square" downtown to watch the sunset... I got directions from the desk... and thus began one of my realizations about NM... They give terrible directions! I followed the map...went up and down the streets... and couldn't find any "downtown". I kept thinking... "sheesh.. I've followed a map all the way from Gaithersburg, how come I can't find this?!" There weren't even any signs for the downtown area. I ended up, at....Macaroni Grill...(it was on the map the hotel provided)....lol... and sat outside, had 2(!) glasses of wine and watched the sunset... talked to the waitress about the mountain in front of me and discovered at the peak, there is a tram and you could drive up there... I asked how to get there... she didn't know... (lol)... it was a pleasant evening...
Anyway... this has been a week on the road! I've sure seen a lot... been places I've never been.... done it on my own... It's been exhilarating and sometimes lonely..but all in all a fabulous experience! On to Santa Fe!