Westward Drive Trip: OK, TX, NM

Here we are on our 2nd grand land adventure…a drive across the southwest USA and up the west coast. We have three months to complete the 94 stops/scenic drives that Scott has planned. I will be surprised if we can achieve his goal but we’re giving it a try! When we left St. Louis on March 15 we had reservations for only 4 nights so we are going by the seat of our pants. This is the complete opposite of our Europe trip. Before we left we decided to update our 13 year old car for a new car with safety features for this exceptionally long drive. Perhaps by the end of the trip we’ll be able to figure out all the features!

Our first big destination was Big Bend National Park in SW Texas. We had stops in Oklahoma City, OK, Amarillo, TX, and Lubbock, TX , and saw thousands of oil pumps on the way there. Cadillac Ranch was our first tourist stop because who doesn’t want to see cadillacs partially buried and literally dripping with spray paint? In Lubbock we toured the Silent Wings Museum which was very impressive and emotional. We were educated about and we were in complete admiration for the extremely brave men who glided into enemy territory during WWII. Wars and flights are not usually my bag but this is a must-see if you are in the area. Our second big hit in Lubbock was the National Ranching Heritage Center where we gained a deep appreciation for this integral part of American history. The museum and restored authentic structures gave us a real sense of this way of life which is so different from our Missouri lives.

Our first big destination was Big Bend National Park in SW Texas which I had suggested we skip as it was rather out of our way. Boy, am I glad Scott insisted he visit this beautiful area. It was exciting to see a flock of Barbary sheep, many Roadrunners, a coyote and 8 Javalinas! The mountains, blooming cacti, geographical features were breathtaking. We drove for miles to the far corners of the 1250 square miles, we had sone wonderful hikes, and followed along about 100 miles of the Rio Grande as we also drove through the Big Bend State Park. The park is so big that despite the so called “crowds for spring break”, the park was silent. It was so silent could hear some of their many swarms of bees and we delighted in hearing many of the 450 species of birds (more than any other national park). This was my first time in a desert and I’m in love… this park gets an A+ in my book!

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in New Mexico, also was a huge hit! As a Missouri girl I have always loved touring caves. Let me tell you…Missouri caves are piddly compared to these caverns and we only saw a small portion of the 119 caves spread over 42 sq. miles. The first section was a walk downward with so many switchbacks we had walked the equivalent of the height of the Empire State Building and my quads could feel it the next day. I though this was pretty cool but the 1.2 mile walk through the Big Room blew my mind. The following day we snagged tickets to the King’s Palace then my head actually began to spin! The sheer quantity and size of the drapery stalactites, the columns, popcorn, ribbons, soda straws, and curtains here was astonishing. There were very few dim lights and we could only whisper creating an eerie environment. On the exterior of the caves we learned about the salty sea with complete with a reef, and fossils during the Permian period 250 million years ago.

Alamagordo, New Mexico, brought to attention by the Oppenheimer movie, had 37 mph winds with gusts of 50 when we arrived. Scott enjoyed the History of Space Museum and the actual spacecrafts. His analysis was it was very well done technically. Much of it was over my pay grade but I did enjoy it. White Sands Missile Range, where the first atomic bomb was dropped and is still the premier military test range in America, and White Sands National Park are the major attractions in the area. It was apropos that we had high winds the day we drove through the sandy dunes which are formed by blowing gypsum. It looked and felt like we were in a white-out snow storm with limited visibility of less than 1/4 mile.

Our last stop in New Mexico was Pinos Altos, located at the Continental Divide, in the Gila National Forest at an elevation of 7000′. Our plan was to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Instead, there were a snow storm and we were snow bound in our cozy cabin for 2 nights. We relished being able to laze around since we have been in 10 locations in 14 days. We did manage to drive 1/4 mile to the original 152 year old bar/restaurant, Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House, which was fun and delicious.

Things I learned…deserts are dry and dusty so I always felt dirty and my geological knowledge is woeful!

Next up…Arizona.