And one more long day of 305 miles to Leasburg Dam State Park in Radium Springs NM where we will stay for a couple of days. Beautiful little campground, well maintained. In the desert hills, wind still blowing but a great view with a beautiful sunset. Also we are now in the mountain time zone. We drove past exits to Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend National Parks. We drove over to the city of Hatch, the pepper capital, a few miles away. We crossed the Rio Grande which was a mostly sand and a narrow line of water, disappointing. We wanted a few things but also dinner. My favorite quote from a salesperson, “most restaurants close at 4:00 but the ones who stay open later are closed on Tuesdays”. (Note to self, it’s after 4:00 and Tuesday.)
What can I say about the drive today? For our boating friends, it’s like trying to dock your sailboat, stern to, with a broadside wind and no bow thrusters for 5 straight hours. The wind was so strong that we saw semi trucks get pushed. A good steady 20 knot wind with strong gusts and dust. Exhausting and stressful. We will sleep well tonight. Also paid our highest price for gasoline at $3.50 per gallon. Just as we were having dinner, the fire alarm at home went off. No fire as far as we can tell and the Ring alarm people called right away but we do keep checking the cameras.
All and all, only this campground and arriving safely are our rewards today.