Rattlesnakes and La Jornada Del Muerto

Hello from Oklahoma City. Just checked into the Motel 6 after a very long day.

Finally got a good night's sleep last night and then was on the road at 11. I ate an apple and some trail mix rather than stopping for food, and made my way due north to Albuquerque. 18 miles outside of Las Cruces was another border patrol checkpoint. Today's question was, "What country are you a citizen of?" With that taken care of, I was off. One thing I did like at the patrol stop was the sight of one of the guards playing with the German Shepard patrol dog, who was obviously off duty.

Pulled into a rest stop and discovered that I was on a stretch of the Camino Real known as La Jornada Del Muerto, the Journey of Death. Not exactly a burst of optimism, but it provides good perspective on how blessed we are with invention and technology. New Mexico is vast and unforgiving on foot or carriage, but armed with a car you are in good shape.

I passed Silver City and crossed over the Rio Grande. Saw adobe houses and a team of convicts performing roadside cleanup. Also a couple of horses, and a few herds of cows. The landscape was pretty uniform throughout all of New Mexico.

Stopped at the Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque for breakfast, though it was about 2:30pm. Had a breakfast burrito with eggs and green chilies that was fantastic. Experienced a strong flash of deja vu a few miles east of Albuquerque, interesting since I had not travelled on that stretch of the 40 back in June. That time I came into Albuquerque from the north after leaving Santa Fe. Picked up Radio Free KABC Santa Fe for the drive east. Stopped in Santa Rosa for gas and then lost the signal a little before Tecumcari. After listening to "All Things Considered" on NPR I put "The Bride Stripped Bare" by Bryan Ferry, without question his greatest album. Crossed into Texas after nightfall and stopped into a roadside steak place in Amarillo for dinner. Then saddled up to make my way here.

I hit a rest stop not too far east of Amarillo and saw this sign warning of rattlesnakes. That had me racing to and from the front door of what was otherwise a very lovely and pristine rest stop. I hate snakes.

When I crossed into Oklahoma around 10:30 I could see the 4/5ths moon hovering in a pale orange glow to the east. The moon rose in the sky and provided a beacon for the rest of the drive.

672 miles covered today. Now settled in search of sleep. Tomorrow, Arkansas.

Other musical highlights today included "My Male Curiosity" by Kid Creole & The Coconuts, "Youkali" by Teresa Stratas, "Hold On I'm Coming" by Sam & Dave, and "Runway Runaway" by Duran Duran.