On to Abilene...

Well... We survived the night. Actually had a beautiful night with little precipitation, even though the forecast projected 1-2in of snow for Alamogordo, NM. It must be mentioned that Annie's spicy chili, a pack of tortillas, a block of sharp cheddar, one avocado, one red bell pepper, some Gatorade for hydration and vodka for warmth make a killer meal for two. However, the after effects do not easily dissipate in our trusty marmot tent... Campers advised!

The corolla was due for a oil change so we woke early and headed for the quick lube. A nice family run establishment, the car was ready in about 15 minutes and the long-haired, leather-faced mechanic who inquired about our journey also filled us in on old Oliver Lee. The state park where we camped pays homage to this man by dedicating a beautiful and well kept state park that butts up against the sacred Sacramento mountains in Lincoln national park. Apparently Mr. Lee was a rancher who stole horses and other animals from townspeople and ran the lands by brute force. Not unlike the way American history glorifies other crooks and criminals of the old west.

Driving through Lincoln, we witnessed breathtaking views of red mountain striae. With mountain walls of prehistoric limestone and gypsum (formed only underwater) deep canyon walls make it an extraordinary archeological site... Some of the earliest remnants of corn were found in excavated sites along with sandals, baskets and stone tools dating back from 6000 to 500 BC. This place looks similar to where the ancient Dogon and Tellum peoples inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. We are reminded of that 4 day journey across a but if the African wild and feel proud and excited.

The land appears expansive out here and the people few. It's nice to be out of the city and we remember how nice it is, how comforting to be able to breath deep.

Just outside Artesia, NM the land is dotted with some sort of drilling apparatuses. The look similar to the oil drillers slong the 33 between Ventura and Ojai. There is a large refinery called Navajo just outside of the small town whose name refers to some of the purest water available on earth. There are potash mines here po tash meaning plant ash, which are minerals found in the rock that can be extracted and refined into potassium rich fertilizers--one of the largest industries in the world with multibillion dollar annual revenues. The smell around the refinery is choking. I wonder about the proximity to the town and possible contamination of Artesia's drinking water supply. There must be cleaner ways to feed the world.

Driving is going smooth. Juli is a rocksteady all-weather driver.

On to Ailene, should be there before 6 pm.

Texas or bust...

We are currently passing Silver City new Mexico...orginally we had plans to camp here but we are making such good time we thought we'd change things up and drive through to Alamogordo NM. Our destination is Oliver Lee Memorial state park. There is a snow storm coming in tonight so we may have to wimp out and motel it...

As for yesterday, our journey was eerily perfect...great driving with epic views of the Arizona landscape. Geology Rocks! We found our campsite easily around 6pm, along the shores of lake Roosevelt in Tonto National Forest. The water was smooth as glass and even with a full moon the stars were popping'. Clear views of Cassiopia, The seven sisters, and the little D, provide a sense of comfort in even the most unfamiliar places. The water level was very low in AZ's largest lake. We gathered dry drift wood and started a fire in record timing. Still gloating about that bc such is not the case in wet New England!

Along the border of AZ and NM we passed large fields of cotton. We stopped for a pee break, juli stabbed her foot with a tumble weed bc I suppose she is trying to take with her the California way of life as long as possible. We used a cotton cluster found along the road side to stop the bleeding. Who needs bandaids! I thereby banned the rainbows and designated Tevas for her foot ware here on out. They still have holes in them though so we'll see how much longer she'll last in those tonight with 25 degree weather!

That's all for now folks! See Facebook for pics since we can't post them mobilly here. Happy Trails! -J & L

Countdown Begins!

Good Morning....Happy New Year!!! Only a couple more of these beautiful west coast mornings left. Lauren and I will be departing early Saturday morning.

We have rerouted our trip so that we camp at National Parks the whole way (Thanks Vicky!) with the exception of Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania because we'll be staying with family and friends :) We'll post as we get on the road to Arizona. Thanks for following the blog.

Love,

Juls