RATON NM TO ALBUQUERQUE NM AND WE EVEN GOT TO MEET RETIRED ROD ALONG THE WAY:))

GREAT TO MEET RETIRED ROD & BISCUIT TODAY:))

We were up well before the sun again but decided to drag ourselves around as slow as we could until first light.  Now that we are in the South West we don’t want to miss any of the scenery we sit around 6 months waiting to see.  No need to check weather maps anymore because weather is always the same.  Clear sunny skies, warm days, & cold nights. (Update: I spoke too soon & we got nailed with gusty winds, rain, thunder & lightning tonight)

OUR LAST FEW MOMENTS AT THE RATON KOA

On the road at 8 a.m. & really enjoyed the drive south on I-25.  Sun was already up a bit & into it’s latter sunrise phase.  Traffic was light as we made our way through huge rolling hills & grassland.  Really liked the stretch between Las Vegas New Mexico & Santa Fe with it’s sweeping valley views, twists & turns.  Our Ford V-10 was working overtime hauling us up long grades & dumping us down the other side.  It’s those long view vistas we miss in Ontario.  It’s nothing here to top a rise & see clearly 10, 20, or 30 miles off into the distance clear across a valley from one side to the other.  High plateaus & mesas covered in Pinion Pine.  Again, Autumn Cottonwoods were peaking their yellow majesty along valley floors for miles.   

A LATE SUNRISE FROM MY DRIVER’S WINDOW

  

CRUISING DOWN I-25 THROUGH NEW MEXICO GRASSLANDS

Santa Fe New Mexico sprawls it’s way along one of those large valleys.  We could overlook it to the west as we passed by on I-25.  Looked different than what I had imagined.  Did not see any tall buildings anywhere like in the core of a downtown one might expect.

 

ROLLING BY SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

I hadn’t had any breakfast & I had Cracker Barrel on the brain.  Kelly checked her sources & found one at the northern edge of Albuquerque right on I-25.  We had us a plan & we had us a destination.  Exit 231 wound us off the Interstate & minutes later we were in Cracker Barrels parking lot.  It was high noon.  Not often we order the same thing but today’s luncheon special for $5.99 was turkey & dressing with mashed potatoes & gravy plus a side order of cole slaw, a couple corn bread muffins & 2 biscuits.  We pretty much wolfed the whole works down in a matter of minutes.  It was just that yummy.  We both had to be wheeled out on fridge carts & dumped into our Motorhome. 

POSSIBLY OUR LAST TIME AT CRACKER BARREL FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS

From reading Retired Rod’s post this morning we knew he was also somewhere in Albuquerque staying at a place called the American RV Park.  For some reason we thought it was close to downtown so knew we wouldn’t be heading down there.  Traffic through Albuquerque was already hectic & with our Garmin Gerti GPS yelling directions at me again we just kept rolling.  Figured we would get in touch with Rod through his blog later & suggest he come on up to Congress this winter for a nice ride on his bike.  Or even better, bring Biscuit along in the car.

ROLLING WEST THROUGH ALBUQUERQUE

Figured we would head for a familiar overnight spot just west of Albuequerque.  A spot we have stayed at while in transit 3 times before.  It’s the easy to find Route 66 Casino right on I-40.  We also knew of another familiar spot just a few miles before the Casino.  Camping World.  All RV’ers love Camping World & we are no exception.  It was while exiting off I-40 that we spotted the American RV Park on the east side of the Interstate.  Aha, so that’s where Retired Rod is hiding out for a few days on his way to Phoenix.  But first, Camping World.

STORM A COMIN TONIGHT METHINKS

 

GETTING SLEEPY……OOOOPS, ALL GONE:))

I seriously wonder if there any RV’ers out there who have gone into Camping World & not come out without having their wallets lighter by a hundred dollars+ or so.  Yep, happened to us again.  Last year it was a new BBQ.  Today it was 2 new Gravity chairs for our Congress home.  And another Isotonic foam pad for my over the cab bunk.  I have not been sleeping well on Winnies too firm mattress pad.

 

YEP, OUR STORAGE BIN IS FULL NOW:))

The afternoon was getting on so we slipped over to see if we could find us a RETIRED ROD on the other side of I-40.  Well, he wasn’t hard to find.  Right up near the road, Motorcycle parked out front & a bike trailer on the back of his Allegro Bay.  Kelly went to the door & Rod recognized her right away.  Now here’s a fella it’s easy to keep a conversation going with.  Right up front & friendly as heck.  Got to meet the charming little Biscuit too & of course her & Pheebs got along just fine.  Rod & I have been keeping track of each other’s blogs for a fair few years now & it was nice to meet the fella behind all the words today.  Said he might just swing on by Congress this winter sometime:))

ROD WAS JUST BACK FROM A RIDE TO THE MEDICAL CENTER

 

 

TRYING TO GET THE GUYS LINED UP FOR A PICTURE

 

It was only another 5 or 6 miles west up I-40 to the Route 66 Casino.  Grabbed a tank of gas at the 66 Gas Bar & headed on over to a large parking area where RV’ers generally congregate for the night.  Only a couple other rigs in here.  Looks like we could be driving in some rain tomorrow.  Sky is cloudy & dark to the west & our radar map shows rain headed our way.

 

STORMY CLOUDS A GATHERIN 

WHEWWWWW, CLOSE CALL FOR THAT WHITE PICK-UP TRUCK

 

We are close enough to our home in Congress now to make it by Friday afternoon sometime.  We may do that or break it up into a couple days.  We’ll see how it goes.  Want to thank folks for suggesting some camping spots in the area plus a tram ride in Sandia.  That Sandia idea & seeing the lights of Albuquerque is now on our Bucket List for next time in the area.  Thanks Moonfly13:))

TONIGHT’S SUNSET HERALDS A COMING STORM

GROANER’S CORNER:((    Three old timers chatting at restaurant! They sat down at a table while waiting to be served. One of them said; Hay Jake! Isn’t this your 50th anniversary? Jake replies! Yep. Well, the old timer asked, what are you planning on doing? Jake replies, well! I remember taking my wife to Arizona on our 25th anniversary. The other old timer asked, Oh ya, so what are your plans for your 50th anniversary? Jake replies, I’m going back to pick her up!!!!!!!

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.