My trip to NM

[Rocket Power]

Just got back last night from NM, we stayed a little out of the ABQ area with relatives. We headed down last Thursday afternoon and took 2 1/2 days to get there partially due to a nice storm in IA with bad winds hail and buckets of rain slowing us down. We took my 01 Supercrew and average 18mpg not bad for a full size gas V8 powered 4wd truck with 165,000 miles on it. Where we were staying was at 7,000 feet and you could tell the truck was a little down on power compared to around here.:)
The high for humidity was 11% and it was nice even though it was warm out. I wouldn't mind living down there. You could see smoke from the AZ fires coming over the mountains on some days.
Made it back in 2 long days. The temps in TX and OK on the way home were 97-99* the whole day and into the evening.
Lessons I learned....Don't try to plan where to stop the first day, before you leave, it won't work out. When you stop for a hotel in the middle of nowhere your choices will be crappy or dumpy. Kansas should not be driven through the loooooong way on a state highway. It is booooorrrrrinnng for 9+ hours.
On the good side, my 10year old was awesome the whole trip, no complaining or whining, we saw a lot of things and it was kinda like the movie Vacation.lol we even stopped in Dodge City, KS for dinner on the way down. "Great Clark, now she's deaf."

I think a long roadtrip is something every family should do. Its a good time and you get to see parts of the country you normally wouldn't. I put about 3000 miles on the truck round trip.

Anyway here are some pics from my camera phone, the regular camera isn't downloaded yet.
The route down
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/ToNewMexico.jpg

Our first stop in NM, at Tucumcari.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/Tucumcari.jpg

The rest are from the Sandia mountain area and the Old Town Abq area( the church and random wedding )
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/sandia1.jpg

trying out the panoramic feature on my phone

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/pana2.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/pana1.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm8.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm7.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm6.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm5.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm4.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm3.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/nm2.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/NM1.jpg

The "Old Town" Abq church.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/OldTownchurch.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/OldTown.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/wedding.jpg

And the route home

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/FromNewMexico.jpg

[-stew-]

Scoop up any bluesky down in the ABQ?

[spooln30]

The way you took back is the way a friend and I drove when we went to PHX. I had heard how boaring of a drive the other was so were when with the lower route.

[Rocket Power]

Scoop up any bluesky down in the ABQ?

I wish. Sunny and perfect everyday. I was spoiled. I sure didn't want to come back. Lol

[PB86MCSS]

Did a certain someone you work with get in your ear about NM before you left? :D

When I made the trip back in 02' I took the route you took home. Went with my dad and we stopped once for a night each way. It was a cool trip to drive and see a different climate basically. I like the landscape alot down there but think I'd miss the abundance of water and greenery, not sure. I remember how many gas pumps weren't digital but the old rolling numbers style West of the Mississip. My sister still lives down there (near Santa Fe) and the last couple times I visited I flew down. The first trip was to get my LS, wouldn't mind bringing back another clean car if the opportunity arose though :) .

[michelle]

I love road trips! Glad it was enjoyable for everyone!

[Rocket Power]

Did a certain someone you work with get in your ear about NM before you left? :DLOL I actually was talking to him and asking about places to go while we were there. Of course other than going up the Sandia mountains and going to Abq , we just hung out and visited. Just leaves more for next time. :)

[Rocket Power]

I love road trips! Glad it was enjoyable for everyone!
My wife and I do too. We went to Pueblo, CO area to get my 64 with a friend and Florida to pick up a car for my buddy.Both of those were drive straight thru and sleep for the night and drive back.

This is the first long one with my daughter, previous long one for her was Norwalk, OH, which we'll be going to next month, and it'll be a cake walk for her.


One thing I forgot to mention is on the way back we stopped for gas in Joplin ,MO. I got gas and we were going to go to the Walgreens in town to look for a redbox. As we crested the hill..... HOLY SHIT the devastation from teh tornado. There was a path of destruction right through the middle of town. Huge trees snapped off, brick buildings demolished, and right next to the wrecked buildings everything was fine. I have always heard stuff like that , but this was my first experience seeing it first hand. We turned around and got back on the freeway and down the road you could see where it crossed the freeway. I blazed a trail through the trees on one side then the other.

[Rocket Power]

We also tested out the redbox rent here and return to any redbox feature:goof Rented two for my daughter in NM , returned in MO where we rented two more and returned those in New Berlin.:rolf

[Prince Valiant]

Heading for a 2 week road trip...going the route you came home (basically route 66) out there to LA. From LA onto Sacramento. From Sacramento through Reno and onto Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake, we'll head north into Montana, across North Dakota, MN, and back home.


Should be a good time :)

[Rocket Power]

The Super 8 in Sapulpa,OK is like $55/night just incase you happen to be there.lol on RT66 just off I-44.

[Rocket Power]

A couple more pics, semi vs minivan accident right away on I40 in NM , looks like the minivan was going the wrong way. Further up the road there was another minivan also on the wrong side facing the wrong way up by the state patrol officers that closed down the interstate. Pretty sure the driver didn't make it. Guessing by how much stuff was packed in both vans they were either on vacation or moving. That stayed with us the whole trip. :(

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/semiaccident.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/vista461/New%20Mexico%20trip/minivanaccident.jpg