Free Ranging ~ Day 2 New Mexico, Texas & Oklahoma

Nothing exciting happening in New Mexico, except rain, there were some really pretty mountains that almost looked like they were painted {sorry no pictures}. Oh yeah, the Super 8 off of Juan Tabo is a renter beware type of place.  The staff was nice but the rooms left much to be desired.

Leaving New Mexico arriving in Texas there is about 100 yards of no man's land, we joked with Doodles that that land must not be owned by either state, he promptly said, we'll then I'll take it.  So Doodles has claimed it as his with a population 2, him and his dog.

In Texas on I-40 there was a lot of windmill farms {I don't know what they are called} and nothing but flat brown land. There really wasn't anything exciting that happened here, we were just thankful it was the smallest part of Texas we had to go through.

Another little fact we forgot about is time zone changes, as soon as we hit the Texas border our clocks changed, so now we are now 2 hours ahead of Arizona, boy did this really throw us off. Our bodies aren't ready for bed but our clocks are telling us, it's time for bed.

Just before entering Oklahoma Doodles and I swapped seats, he was doing the chicken head bob in the front seat.  Poor guy did not look comfortable. When we swapped seats he stretched his legs a bit and ran into his first pile ever of what appeared to be fire ants, he promptly walked back to the truck. Another thing we aren't used to is the humidity ...OMG...it was humid and miserable...my hair just is not cut out for this weather.

Just inside of Oklahoma there is one of the nicest visitor/rest stop EVER.  The workers were nice.  I think western Oklahoma is beautiful, muggy, but beatiful and green.  So glad we came and that I can check this one off my list!

                     

Doodles got a kick out of the trashcans at the rest stop.  They looked like saddles, for horses, not sure why he is riding it like a bill.

                     

We hit 1000 miles away from home today just outside of Kingfisher, OK.  Here is a bit of trivia it is the birthplace of Sam Walton. Just in case you wanted to know, Grangeman is a very distant relative of his as far as ancestry.com indicates.

It was about an 8 hour drive to our first destination in Oklahoma in Enid.  One of my dad's cousins lives there and she and I haven't see, each other since we were both about 6 years old.  Yes, my dad has a first cousin 30+ years younger than him, that's what happens when your parents have large families... I've been dying to re-meet my great aunt.  I can't say how much that short visit tickled me and how much it meant to me. I have to admit, this surpassed standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ for me.

After Enid our final destination in the first part of our trip...Ponca City, OK.  We arrived safely, the scenery is absolutely beautiful.  I guess this was or is a big refinery town and some big wigs live or lived here.  

Tune in tomorrow for more about that, as I'm not entirely sure what else we are going to do other than stare at each...that's no fun.

M & S
Uptown Grange ~ Free Ranging

Free Ranging ~ Day 1, New Mexico

We left around 1:00 today.  Stopped got out drinks before hitting I-17. We saw 2 Austin Martin distributer cars, really neat, the 2nd one we saw had two younger guys driving in it, I bet they would have a blast if they could let it loose.

First stop was Maguireville rest area, {76° outside} Grangeman and Doodles went in first while I guarded the luggage...yeah right, how am I going to stop someone.  While I was waiting I saw this kid almost fall head first into a trashcan, he decided he needed to walk on the wall.  I just chucked to myself.  When it was my turn I walked to the restrooms and I noticed a worker raking the rocks and doing it so lightly just to get the pine needles out, lines were perfect in the rocks, you can get row of pine needles towards the bottom of the picture.

There was a decent amount of rain on the way up to Flagstaff.  When we arrived in Flagstaff it was a beautiful rainy 61°, so nice and relaxing.

Leaving Flagstaff going East on I-40 there was a lot of traffic, but got to see parts of Flagstaff Doodles and I haven't seen before.  On the stretch between Flagstaff and Winslow we got a semi truck to honk his horn, now did that bring back some memories. Doodles had never tried it before and he got a kick out of it...memories being made right there.

Finally made it to THE corner in Winslow Arizona. You would think being a native I would have visited or been here before.  This so far is the highlight of my trip.  There are a few knick knack sort of shops on the main Route 66.  Met a nice old man who probably could have told us the history of Winslow...

Stopped at a Flying J for gas and a break. I always looks for Big Hunk candy bars at truck stops because they usually have them and they are my favorite.  Was bummed that this one didn't carry them.  I did get my Route 66 sticker though.

The rest of the trip into New Mexico we just sight saw and played tag with cars.  They would pass us, we would pass them.

Once we hit New Mexico, we started getting giddy. We were like a bunch of kids having a sleep over, laughing over the silliest things.

We discovered that at 7:00 on in and around Grants, NM, they either close shop and roll up the streets because we tried a few places to stop and get something to eat and they were all dark or the power was out in the area.  We got a kick out of it the rest of the trip joking about about it.

Doodles divided that he knows the history of everything and declared himself a historologist, later he became something else....well, he is something else.

We made it safely to our motel room in Albuquerque, NM around 8:30 Arizona time.

Tomorrow will be an easier leg of the trip, since we'll be leaving in the morning.  Good Night.



M & S
Uptown Grange ~ Free Ranging