Lazy Days and Lazy Nights - Albuquerque, NM

First, we had to GET to Albuquerque New Mexico

Here is a look at the Double D RV Park that we stayed in at the Oklahoma-Texas Boarder.  Nice little park, and we had it all to ourselves.  $14 Passport America price.

It only took us a minute or two before we were into Texas.  Saw this cloud formation outside my window which looks very interesting.

 

The Texas Information-Rest Area is a typical "LARGE" Texas rest area.  Things really are bigger in Texas.  (Bigger does not mean better...) 

With the winds that are always in Texas, there are numerous windmill death traps along the highway.

The largest free standing cross in the western hemisphere, located along interstate 40 in Groom Texas. The cross,  erected in 1995, is 19 stories tall, and can be seen from as far as 25 miles away.

 

It only took a couple of hours, and a fill-up in Amarillo, to get into New Mexico.  

I-40 in Oklahoma/Texas/New Mexico follows what is referred to as the California Road (not the California Trail which is further north along I-80).  It was another route, not used as much, to the California Gold Fields.

The rest of the route in New Mexico was just full of wind.  I could not help but remember the time back in 2016 when our fuel pump went out along I-40 in New Mexico.  THAT was an experience we don't wish to relive...but the longer your RV the more likely something like that is going to happen again.

As I said yesterday, this if our fourth time at the Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post.  They don't seem to have as many 'iconic' older cars and RVs as they did before...probably couldn't say no to a goo offer that someone made.  It is still a nice park, and there are still a lot of older RVs, cars, tractors, and other stuff.

Indy and I sat out in the wind, in the front of the motorhome which blocked most of the wind, for a good hour.  She saw some birds, a half dozen dogs, one of which was of the Pitt Bull bread, but she was very nice to anyone and anything that came by.  She wished the smaller dogs would have come closer, she would have loved to have played.

Here you can see her sitting on my lap, and the wind has blown her face pretty good.  Took her for a walk down the doggie walk and she did her business, so I won't have to worry about letting her out again at 2:30 am as I did last night.  Hard to drive so much and keep on a potty schedule.

Tomorrow will be laundry day, and more R&R.  Looks like we are on track to be in California sometime Sunday or Monday, God willing.

Drab Kansas, Cracker Barrel Layover

At Cracker Barrel, Junction City, Kansas

Yep, we did make it to Cracker Barrel, Junction City Kansas…all 357 miles!  The last time we drove that far in a day was back in June when we drove from Citrus Heights to Crescent City on our way to Oregon.  We were just under that twice on our way from Citrus Heights to Lake Jordanelle back in August when we left California.  For the most part lately, we have been keeping under 250.

  

Today, the entire day, the weather was very drab…turn on wipers, turn off wipers, looks like the sun is going to pop out, the sun does not pop out.

After being surrounded by the Rocky Mountains for so many weeks, it was strange that the tallest thing we saw was windmills.  With around 15% of the windmills standing idle, despite a constant 10-20 mph wind from the North-Northwest, it made me think….   What if only 85% of the cell towers actually worked, would people care?  What if only 85% of the hydroelectric generators worked?  What if only 85% of the new cars actually ran??  What if your electricity was only available 85% of the time???  It seems that so many times when I pass windmills like these, that 15% of them are sitting idle despite a good wind.  Makes me wonder why…

Had a nice sleep at Flagger Reservoir, although a third RV came into the area around 10 pm.  We were the first of the group to leave, after feeding the dogs at 7:30 (now it will be 8:30 since we crossed into Central Time).  Arrived at Cracker Barrel about 5:15, about nine and a half hours later…stopping for coffee at the first gas station we could get into, at the Kansas Welcome Center to cook breakfast, at the first Pilot/Flying J in Kansas to get some real coffee, at a few rest areas, and at a Flying J in Salina for gas.  Had a good dinner, and scored a Blake Shelton and a Brad Paisley CD, each for $3.99!   As far as I can tell, we are one of two RVs staying the night in Cracker Barrel, and I re-hooked up the HHR just before writing this blog so we can just pull out and go in the morning.  Hope the coffee at the nearby truck stop is better than the Conaco we stopped at first thing this morning.  And we will probably stay at the first rest area along the way for a much longer so that by the time we pass through Kansas City…the traffic will be light.  We only have 150 miles to go tomorrow…