Our mindset when we left Arizona was that we’d sleep
in the camper if the weather/temperature allowed for it…why not save a little
money. But Friday wasn’t a hot day to
begin with and the temperature dropped as we climbed elevation in New Mexico.
Not the best conditions for sleeping in an unheated camper. Also, we’d have to
drive right up to the point of going to sleep because the camper isn’t set up as
a spot to hang out with the bikes in it.
As we tucked ourselves into a warm bed in a room with heat, it was time
to say, ”Oh, yeah, good decision.”
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I’m typically the navigator on our trips which means I pick the route.
Today, I was trying to find the best way to get us through the big blue cloud
on the weather radar screen. Decided to stay on US 54 north of Tucumcari,
heading for Dalhart, TX, instead of taking I-40 across the Texas Panhandle. That
seemed to be the quickest route to get into clear weather. So, once I got Rapunzel
on the right track, we were good to go.
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There was a little snow when we woke up this morning. Nothing bad,
though; in fact, it wasn’t even sticking to the ground, only on the vehicles. Cleared
the windshield and mirrors and started east on I-40, heading to Tucumcari, NM,
which was 47 miles away. After about
three minutes, Kim said, “Should we be concerned that we’re the only ones on
the road?” I looked up and noticed that
yes, we were the only vehicle in sight.
Hmmm…
Meanwhile, the conditions in our lane were quickly turning to shit. Snow
turned to slush and visibility was compromised…or maybe that was just my side
of the windshield. Anyway, it was a very tense and quiet ride for what seemed
like hours but, in reality, was probably only 20 minutes. Wind and slush are not a fun combination.
There were no exits nor did stopping in the road seem prudent, so we kept on
going…slowly.
Then maybe 10 miles down the road, the snow lightened up and the road
surface was no longer slushy. By no means were we on easy street but at least,
we could breathe normally again. The drive to Tucumcari was a little less tense
from that point forward.
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Kim did a masterful job of guiding us through the mess and I did my best
not to whimper. And believe me, the
struggle was real.
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Drove into Tucumcari for an early lunch at the Pow Wow Restaurant, the
place with important people painted on the wall by the booths. It’s closed…and
apparently has been for over a year. That was disappointing. I don’t know why
it closed but I read that an American Legion Post will be taking over the
building after some outside cosmetic work is completed. Dinner nights and monthly
dances are being planned.
Tucumcari looked like a ghost town. Maybe the dreary weather had
something to do with that, but the number of buildings closed or falling into
disrepair on this section of Historic Rt. 66 is sad. On the plus side, the grocery store is still
going strong, and, for such a little town, there seems to be a strong demand
for cannabis based on the number of dispensaries.
We did find a place to eat which gave us an opportunity to take a break
from the stress of the last 40 miles and for me to change from my shorts to
jeans. Forgot to bring my jeans in from
the truck last night, so I left the hotel this morning wearing shorts. Temperatures
are supposed to rise after this storm system passes through, so tomorrow I’ll
be keeping my shorts nearby, just in case.
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The wind through Texas, Oklahoma, into Kansas was crazy! After the
craziness of the snow this morning, I would have preferred a smooth ride the
rest of the way home. With every gust that threatened to push us out of our
lane, I found myself clutching the door handle and leaning. It was an involuntary
response…I was either trying to prevent us from falling over or bracing myself
for the big tip over. Not a relaxing afternoon, for sure.
Here’s something I learned this afternoon: the truck’s cruise control
will automatically turn off if a sensor detects too much swaying. It kicked off at least once today.
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We’re in Pratt, Kansas, for the night. Didn’t make quite as many miles as we’d anticipated due to snow and wind. If we’re going to make our goal of getting home on Monday, we need to get on the road early tomorrow…and hope there’s no snowstorms along the way.
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