more highway 80

There is a highway that runs from Casa Grande, Arizona to San Diego, California, called Interstate 8.  I use this route on my way west.  Guess what.  I-8 was built on the old US 80 highway route.  The road has gone through many transformations over the decades.  Even though the current US 80 has its western terminus in Dallas, it was at one time a coast to coast highway.  It was known as the Dixie Highway and was dedicated to the veterans of the Korean war.  Earlier this year I drove west on US 80 from Tybee Island, Georgia, on the Atlantic coast and now I have completed the old route to the Pacific coast.  Yes, there are chunks of the route missing, never to be found again.  But..... well I'm just sayin'.  I did what I could and I drove what there was.  Now I'm done.

the giant crater

Near Winslow, Arizona, there is a huge crater that was created by a meteor strike thousands of years ago.  I had to see it.  After all, I was "in the neighborhood" so to speak.  There is a museum in the main building that gives a great explanation of the crater's formation.  Outside, overlooking the crater, there are several observation decks on various levels.  The viewing is great from every level.  Astronauts did their training here before their moon walk expeditions. The astronauts are honored for their achievements with a large inscribed plaque in the museum courtyard.  The size and depth of this crater is quite amazing.  Amazing is an understatement.  It's more than that.  Come see for yourself.

the blue hole

I was told by the woman who was working at the old museum in Tucumcari that I must stop in Santa Rosa to see the Blue Hole.  I was curious about this place so I drove on to Santa Rosa and found this natural wonder.  The color of the water is very blue and the temperature of the spring fed water is a constant 64 degrees.  The hole is used for swimming but it is also a diving center.  The depth of the hole is 81 feet and divers come from all over to train and to enjoy their diving experience.  The hole is bell shaped which gives a wide underwater space to investigate.  The underwater caves have been gated in order to prevent divers from getting "lost".  The surface area of the water is very clear and would be perfect for swimming but knowing that there is an 81 foot drop off beneath me is kind of scary.  Beautiful to look at, though!  Santa Rosa is located along historic Route 66 in eastern New Mexico.  Stop on by and see for yourself.

the old museum

While I was in Tucumcari, New Mexico, I stopped by the Tucumcari Historical Museum.  What an amazing museum this is!!  It is filled (on three stories) with antiques and memorabilia from the area and it is a non-stop feast for the eyes.  The museum is housed in an old school building built in 1903.  It is easy to picture the children running up and down the central wooden staircase.  Every room is filled with items donated by local residents and the displays clearly represent the history of Tucumcari and Quay County in eastern New Mexico.  Surrounding the outside grounds of the museum are buckboards, wagons, a windmill and even a soon-to-be-restored jet airplane.  There is an annex building named for and dedicated to Herman Moncus who was a resident of the town.  He was instrumental in collecting and donating exhibits for the museum.  The museum is located just a few blocks off of old Route 66 which runs right through the main street of town.  It is so much fun discovering these museums along the way as I travel. This one is amazing.

Tucumcari Mountain, New Mexico

In the eastern part of New Mexico along I-40 lies Tucumcari Mountain.  There are conflicting legends as to how this mountain got its name.  It is, however, a prominent point in this flat land and can be seen for many miles as I approached the town of Tucumcari, which lies in the shadow of this mountain.  I understand several western movies were shot at this location with the mountain playing a supporting roll in the background.  As I gazed at the mountain I noticed that modern day technology had invaded this ancient rocky uprise.  The top of the mountain was littered with communication towers.  Kind of funny really.  The height of the old mountain was needed to serve a new purpose.  I understand the need to use this area for current technology but the towers take away from the overall look of the mountain at the same time.  Old vs new.  OK   hmmmmm.....

the bluebonnets of Texas

I remember when Lady Bird Johnson promoted the beautification of the nations highways with the wildflower program.  She wanted to see the highway medians filled with wildflowers.  She had the right idea and I could see the results of this program as I drove through Texas.  The medians were ablaze in color.  The state flower, the bluebonnet, was well represented along with the yellow and orange colored flowers.  The colors stretched for miles.  Just beautiful!  Thank you, Lady Bird!!

driving through Texas

I have been fortunate to drive throughout Texas and see the diversified beauty of this great state.  Many times I have driven along I-10 from the eastern entrance in the Orange/Port Arthur area through Huston to San Antonio.  The far eastern regions have the bayous and swamps like Louisiana and then the vastness of the flat terrain unfolds.  But there are green trees and vegetation and although the terrain is flat, it does not look like a desert.  I have driven south from San Antonio along route 37 to Corpus Christi and Rockport.  Along the way I saw what a more coastal plain looks like with the short grasses covering the ground and then the arrival of the Gulf beaches.  I've driven along US 281 and some of the smaller rural routes in the Hill Country of Texas.  The rolling hills and greenery are absolutely beautiful and between the major cities of Austin and San Antonio there is so much to do here.  But, don't forget the smaller towns.  That is where all the "surprises" are.  Earlier this year I drove through northeastern Texas, entering the state from Louisiana along US 80 which runs roughly parallel to I-20.  I passed through the cities of Longview and Tyler along the way.  I headed southwest along route 31 towards Waco to avoid a major winter storm hitting Dallas/Ft. Worth.  That was a "white knuckler" drive as I was scared to death that I would encounter black ice on the road as darkness approached and the temperature sank to the freezing mark.  I may have held up the traffic behind me a bit but, quite frankly, I didn't care.  I drive according to the road conditions, not the speed limit!  I have driven in major city traffic jams and I have driven in very isolated areas.  Driving in West Texas along I-10 is one of those areas.  Once I left the Hill Country I encountered a great vast desert that is so isolated that it becomes a radio "dead zone".  The area has a beauty, though, with its starkness.  The mountains in the distance are intriguing.  However, as the sun set lower into the horizon and my destination for the night was still a couple of hours away I began to really feel the isolation of this place.  The sun set.  There were no lights from houses to be seen anywhere.  Only the stars were shining and what beauties they are!  I began to feel very small in the whole scheme of things, like a grain of sand in the universe.  Was I important?  Would I be missed?  Of course I would.  I just needed to confront those thoughts.  And, driving in this somewhat lonely (but lovely) place brought out those thoughts in me.  I just needed to say it.  And then on the horizon there was El Paso.  Recently I decided to drive in a different westerly direction through Texas by driving north and then west.  I left San Antonio and drove up routes 83 and 84 to Lubbock and then on to Amarillo.  Along the way I drove down into the Palo Duro Canyon.  Except for the canyon, this part of the West Texas panhandle is very flat.  No trees.  Nothing.  Just flatness.  I could easily visualize a cattle drive going through this area.  Just flatlands and open sky.  But the towns are thriving and filled with interesting things to see and do.  So far my travels through Texas have taken me along well traveled routes in the eastern part of the state to smaller state highways cutting through the countryside to the more desolate (but beautiful) areas of the western part of the state.  I've loved seeing all of what I've seen, so far.  I have had many opportunities to get off the interstate and explore the smaller towns along the way and I like that very much.  There is beauty everywhere.  And much more to explore.