Trails.....

...they all lead somewhere. on a journey of 3000 miles one is bound to cross a few trails. for us, there were a few famous ones: the AT, skyline drive, blue ridge parkway, wilderness road, cumberland gap, natchez trace, santa fe trail, chisolm trail, and of course, the mother road, route 66. no doubt there were a few others along the way, then finally....the turquoise trail. an ancient trading route, the present-day turquoise trail connects albuquerque and santa fe, passing through farming and ranching towns, and artists' colonies, like a step back in time.
it had been raining through texas - big rain- after all this is texas, but the skies cleared as we crossed the badlands of new mexico..... made famous by billy the kid...and countless c&w songs. temperature contnues to drop as we slowly climb - started the day at 44, now 38 and still dropping... is that snow?.. ....a quick pitstop at cline's corners.....made necessary 'cuz of poor 'stop' planning. in a hurry to get outta amarillo...no coffee...later. later turned out to be much later. not many options for coffee (or anything) in the west texas panhandle. passed on 'stuckey's even though they offered fried gizzards and livers (everyone knows gizzards and livers are an afternoon snack - not breakfast)...tucumcari, 62 miles...coffee!! after much anticipation, a few more stuckey's, lotsa rain, and road construction....finally... Love's (a gas-pee-coffee stop that has served us well on this trip and others) ..... tucumcari, next 4 exits.....we make our plan - off at the first exit - cruise main st (rt 66) - into Love's.... then back on the highway... oh well, best laid plans...... Love's isn't on 66, just a lotta crap ..... group decision, abort - back on 40w - we'll find something else......... which happened to be a stuckey's a half hour later (coffee jones hit really hard)....watery coffee...lotta laughs, more rain, more construction. an hour after that - Love's. gas, a pee, and good coffee. an hour and a half later....that final pitstop in cline's corners. final leg - 285 - straight as an arrow - an hour down the road - the sangre de cristos ahead..... then the city different. land of enchantment, we have arrived.