(Pictures lost in numerous blog transfers)
After leaving Glen Canyon I went back to the hotel to get some breakfast, get my stuff and hit the road. I had quite a bit of driving to do before getting to Albuquerque with not a lot of stops in mind. I made it to Albuquerque before sunset and found myself an Urban Outfitter for some Instax Wide film and then a Target for familiarity and what I called slip on driving shoes. I then went to my hotel and made some cds for the next day's drive.
The next morning I woke somewhat early and made my way back down to Central Ave where the Urban Outfitter was, the area was cute and weird and reminded me a lot of Portland. Unfortunately I didn't get a great picture of it so we'll move on.
My first stop of the day was The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa. This little wonder is not very long across but it is quite deep. The wind was blowing something fierce and I heard that the water had cooled off considerably since the summer (not to mention I had a long drive) so I didn't jump in but I wouldn't mind going back again sometime in the future. The water was definitely gorgeous shades of blue. So strange, this deep, deep water hole in the middle of nowhere almost.
When I got back on the road again I was hungry and stopped to get some food, and while I did that I ran into the Nutella wagon which I did not know was a thing. Strange? Awesome? Do I wish I could swim in that trailer nutella? Possibly. It definitely wasn't the first weird thing I saw on the road (a pack of billy goats all eating one bush earlier in Arizona) nor would it be the last, but it was awesome none the less. And fitting that I saw it at Love's, because that is how I feel about Nutella.
After some food it was time to head to Tucumcari. I went there just expecting to see Tee Pee Curios but it was so much more. Tucumcari seemed to me to be a ghost town. There were abandoned buildings every couple of yards. Gas stations, Drive Inn Foods, Car Shops, etc. I wondered what had hit this town so hard. I saw a couple people here and there but the town definitely had a lonely feel.
After Tee Pee Curios I had a long way to go but not a lot to see. I drove through the top of Texas, seeing abandoned gas stations at nearly every exit. At both state lines there was mention of ghost towns, and I drove through Texola I believe, but I didn't get out of the car. It was a half abandoned town. Some houses were clearly left to disintegrate slowly while others were still occupied. I'm still working out my bravery in picture taking as well as what I consider respectful to surrounding inhabitants so I stayed in my car and just wondered at all the emptiness.
Earlier in the day I did have a focus of finding a New Mexico inspired blanket for cheap, I had stopped at a couple places the day before but had only found expensive versions of what I wanted. This day I was a little more successful, but only after stopping a good three plus times. FINALLY I found a black, white and gray blanket for maybe $7. This definitely set me back a bit time wise, but I kept telling myself I was on no absolute schedule and it would all be okay. I mean really, road trip here, not a race, the whole point was to enjoy it and have no pressure. Yay type A!
Anywho, after a stop in Amarillo (which in my head is pronounced amaree-yo, but I'm pretty sure is actually said with the l's) and the aforementioned Texola, I drove across Oklahoma, listening to Jason Aldean's Fly Over States far too many times to count, singing along and feeling so alive and happy.
It's still a wonder to me that I rarely felt sleepy on the road. I think the trick was not eating heavy meals and only snacking. Admittedly, I could have been snacking healthier but I was very glad to not get the road hypnosis that I was accustom to battling with my road trips from San Diego to Portland.
Any time I did get a little too relaxed and comfy feeling I would just start moving my head side to side taking in all that way passing me by. To the untrained eye it probably all looked really similar, but to me each house had a story that I was curious about. Technically a city girl I wondered how long it took these people to get groceries, and if their meal planning was necessary by nature and not fad. I wondered about where there was a grocery store and how long it took them to get from their gates to their front door. I wondered many things as the miles passed by. There were so many times that I saw scenes that made me want to stop on the interstate and take pictures. But alas I did not. I'm still not sure of what I would tell a police officer should they find me in the emergency lane with a camera in hand. I'll save that act of bravery for the future perhaps.
I made it into Oklahoma past sunset and settled into my last hotel of the trip.
Up next: The Homestretch
xoxo
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