DAY THREE, part three: Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM

DAY THREE, part three: Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM


What a difference from the crowds and congestion of the big cities of the northeast! When we would travel from Philadelphia to New York City, there were buildings and people and people and places. Now, driving northwest through New Mexico, we see nothing but fields, speckled lightly with cows. No homes or buildings or people all the way to the horizon, it seems, in any direction (with the exception of the highway). We have speculated how beautiful the stars must be at night here. There isn’t a single streetlight on this stretch of road. I envy the view of God’s handiwork those few cows get at night. It must be spectacular.

Brochure in hand, we are planning to try and eat and see Old Town Albuquerque. I am hopeful we can find a little taste of New Mexico quaint restaurant. If it were a touch warmer I’d be game to eat outside, knowing the cold temperatures and even the snow that must lie ahead. But once the sun goes down, I’m guessing even Albuquerque will be rather chilly.

As we drive northward I am again reminded what a Floridian I am. My ears are killing me! We are currently driving at 5000 feet, and my poor ears are used to sea level. Its been a snap, crackle, pop fest for the past hour or so! : )

The sun has started to set, and what it does to the sky is indescribable. I don’t know how but somewhere along the way I became a huge fan of sunsets. Maybe its because I’m rarely up early enough to appreciate a sunrise : ) but I think it has more to do with the a sunrise indicating its time to work or be busy and a sunset indicating its time to rest or play. And on the nights when the sunset is followed by a diamond-filled sky, I’m in heaven. It looks like the clouds may prevent us from seeing too many stars tonight, though. But just seeing this sunset over Dallas and over the vast expanse outside of Vaughn, New Mexico makes my heart a bit happier.

And there’s a full moon tonight. : )

Our journey took us onto Historic Route 66 about an hour east of Albuquerque. When we got into the city, we could tell by the shadows that we were surrounded by beautiful mountains. But they were so hard to see. Thankfully, a small stretch of highway 40 is the only part of the trip where we will double back on ourselves later. So we WILL get to see the beauty of that stretch of highway in the daylight!

The restaurant I picked from the visitor’s guide was located on NW 4th St, so we took the exit and went into the city and found the 1000 block. The restaurant was in the 10000 block. This meant a lot of driving to find it. As we headed north up 4th St, things got a bit sketchy. Then the tempers started to flare. You see, as the planner I can only select based on what I read or see in a photo. I have no control over its prices, or if its open, or where its located. But the non-planners forget this and begin to sharpen their daggers. As the argument began to die, the sign for El Pinto restaurant came into view. We pulled into the driveway and saw a beautiful 3-tiered adobe covered in luminaries. It was beautiful!

When we walked in it looked a bit fancier than we were hoping. We checked the prices and decided that if everyone chose economically it was doable. Then we met Ronnie, the manager. He asked us where we were from and we began to tell him about the Griswold family trip we were on. He was so happy that we chose his restaurant for our brief stay in Albuquerque that he hooked us up with 6 various jars of salsas and sauces and even some chips for the trip. He seated us at our table, and when our waiter arrived, Ronnie told him to bring us a sampler appetizer platter on the house. The food was fantastic, and even with the drinks John and I had, it was the most affordable dinner thus far. Ronnie gave us his e-mail to keep in touch. I gave Ronnie a big hug. : )

We left and headed to the RV Park. Now prior to this trip I had called a few of our planned stops for the night to try and reserve a spot for the tenement on wheels. Each place I called said this wasn’t busy season and a reservation wasn’t required. Now, I did not have the phone number for tonight’s stop. When we pulled up at 9pm the office looked closed. I 411’d the number and called it. Just an answering machine. No after-hours instructions on the door. So we are parked, and will check out in the morning. This place hasn’t been the slightest bit rude, so I have every intention of doing things on the up-and-up in the morning.

Looking out past the few campers parked behind us and the fence just beyond, there is a sea of twinkling city lights engulfed by the shadows of the mountains. Up above a big bright beautiful full moon is casting a bright glow onto the city. I sure would love to visit again, especially in October when the skies over Albuquerque are filled with hot air balloons. I’ll add this to the list of places to see again! : )