My sister Kirsten has driven down from Albuquerque with her bike to pick me and my bike up. We are now on our way to San Diego where Kris and another sister will stand a wave a fond farewell as I trundle off on my bike for this adventure.
Tonuight we are in Las Truchas, having pushed on a bit in order not to stop for the night in El Paso. Of course we also had the incentive of a hot New Mexican dinner awaiting us at a restaurant that Kris just happened to know about in Las Truchas, conveniently close to a La Quinta Inn where we can lay our weary heads.
I am full of green chile and chicken flutas , sopapillas and half a small flan. Yumm!
It was interesting to actually drive (albeit backwards) through some of the country I will be riding through in two weeks. It gave me a chance to scope out some of the climbs. I suspect that they will be worse as we get east and north towards Austin on our bikes. So far the climbs along route 10 don't look too bad, but I have to remember that hills are ever so much easier with gas and acceleration. I am taking comfort in the fact that the car was not laboring or having to down shift on any of them though I doubt the same will hold true for me.
It certainly is a large empty space so far though- miles and miles of miles and miles and very dry and sere looking. You can tell that it has been in sever drought for several years by the prevailing colors of gray and black in the plant life. I am glad we are going through it when the weather will theoretically be cooler- although any time you have a 100 miles with nothing but knee high scrub for shade, even the coolness doesn't count for much. Ah but the air will be dry..... As for the towns along the way, a wide spot in the highway is a generous description, with the possible exception of El Paso, at least until we over towards Austin.
Who would have believed that there were palm trees in Las Cruces, New Mexico?
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