Week 3! May 18 - 24
"Head northing and take a left at Albuquerque" - Bugs Bunny
So much has happened this week! I look back on leaving San Antonio and think 'that was just last Sunday?!'
The week in a nutshell: A freaky Sunday. Two Stonehenges. What feels like far more than only 7 amazing sunsets. Two national parks in one day. Visiting White Sands NP 3 times this week! Fixing shit in my van with paperclips and duct tape.
A visitor from Philly. A remote art installation that doesn't allow photographs. And more amazing food than I can shake a tamale at!
Someone commented on 'living my best life', and I thought "The world in my oyster." But since I'm in the Southwest, The World is My Enchilada.
Sunday, May 18 day 14
Is this the real life?
Odessa, TX -> Carlsbad Caverns, NM
Sunday was an odd day: Stonehenge, cool people, 'what's a cheeseburger?', a phantom rest-stop, another Stonehenge and a magically drawn-out 2 hour sunset!
It necessitated its own blog post - check out ‘Just another manic sunday’ for all the hijinx!
Monday, May 19 day 15
I woke up in a Walmart parking lot
Odessa, TX -> Carlsbad Caverns, NM
I woke up in a Walmart parking lot. That feels like the kind of thing I’d say if I failed at life.
Instead, it’s just another Monday on the road.
I’m starting week 3 of 31. When I put it like that it feels bigger than I can wrap my head around.
I’ve always found it odd when a change in location coincides with a change in terrain. As I crossed over from Texas to New Mexico the landscape became more flat. Instead of the rolling mountains of West Texas, there were mostly plains with mountains peeking out in the distance.
I spent most of the morning driving along long stretches of arid plains pockmarked with oil drillers bobbing up and down. The highway is lined with brilliant yellow wildflowers, brightly colored in contrast to rusted mechanical beasts.
The dissonant contrast of flowers and pumps adds another variable as I come up on a field of wind turbines. Sleek, white giants, spinning lazily in vast fields.
Their small, ancient ancestors bobbing around their feet like hunched and withered dinosaurs, desperately clinging to relevance.
Some trucks honk at me as I kneel at the side of the road taking pictures. There are only trucks here, no cars. Some of the honks are short, friendly taps. Others are drawn out leaning on the horn. Perhaps expressing dislike at the tourist making spectacle of their home, or possibly being extra friendly. I’ll never know.
The wind is so strong here it shoves the door back in my face as I try to get out of the van. One of my biggest concerns and unknowns was driving the van in high winds. It is very tall and disproportionately, narrow, practically a sail.
A little later the navigation app tells me there’s a high wind warning in effect. The way my van is bucking about like a discordant steed, I’m already aware.
So far though, it’s been very easy to drive, even in these gusty winds.
Some days I feel more reflective and wax poetic. Colorful prose bouncing around my head as the miles roll on beneath my wheels.
I make it to Carlsbad in time to go into the visitor’s center, and then take a few photos of the park at dusk.
Up the road I pay for a ‘basic’ spot at an RV park, my first one so far on this trip.
It was nothing special, but there was a bathroom and it was quiet. Although, it was in a dark skies area and I got to see stars for the first time on the trip!
Daily listen: Vetiver, album ‘To Find Me Gone’. In particular I love the second song, You May Be Blue
Good: Not parking at a Cracker Barrel or Walmart along a highway has its advantages. I’m so remote that there is no light pollution anywhere, the stars shine brilliantly in the night sky.
Bad: Gas is oddly pricey in oil country.
Unexpected: In a desolate and dusty stretch of New Mexico oil country I noticed the check engine light has come back on. Picture a cartoon character’s face turning red and steam shooting out the ears - that’s how I feel.
Tuesday, May 20 day 16
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Carlsbad Caverns -> White Sands National Park
Spent my first night at an RV park. Nothing special, essentially paid for the privilege to stay close to Carlsbad Caverns NP, and have bathroom facilities.
Got up early so I could get in line for a ranger-guided tour.
Because of “budget” cuts they’re only running a single tour each day, for 24 people.
Pro: I got there early enough that I was 3rd in line!
Con: The tour was canceled for the day.
The park is so understaffed that if just one person calls out or gets pulled away for other park duties, the tour is cancelled. As was the case today.
Instead I did the self-guided tour, walking down into the caves on my own. I don’t want to be *glad* the tour was cancelled, because of the ‘why’, but I am glad I did the self-guided tour instead since I only would have done one or the other.
For the entire 2 hours of the hike I was full of awe- it was awful. Wait, no, it was awe-some. I kept thinking of things like ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ and how much less farfetched that story seems now!
There’s no way Carlsbad Caverns didn’t used to be a super-villain lair. It’s 75 stories down into the earth and there’s an elevator, a snack bar, restrooms, and of course a gift shop.
The long pretty drive from CCNP to WSNP was nice, and easy. I opted for a slight detour through Roswell, NM. I thought I might stop to check out kitschy shops or restaurants but nothing grabbed me. Instead I just rolled through and continued on my way to WS.
Got to White Sands an hour before sunset - just enough time to drive down to the dunes, hike out, and take some photos! (As I had planned!)
I’d wanted to stick around and take night skies photos in WSNP, but the park closes after sunset* and I got shoo’d away.
*again, due to budget cuts
Finished the day camping at a ‘dispersed camp’ area. These are usually public land that is open to camp on, usually for free. It was amazingly quiet.
Daily Listen: The audiobook ‘Red Rising’. I read the book series a few years ago and felt like listening to something entertaining that I didn’t have to pay close attention to.
Books 1 & 2 were good, but by book 3 it was predictable: if the author describes the hero’s daring and clever plan in detail, that plan is going to fail. If the author just jumps right into the action without prelude, the plan will succeed.
Good: I met a fellow nomad. When we crossed paths in the caves, she shared this thought;
“I imagined myself as a drop of water falling from the sky, 2500 years ago, slowly making my way through the rock to become embedded in the walls here as a stalactite.”
I thought that was so beautiful I asked if I could share it in my blog, she smiled and said “please do.”
Bad: Every National Park Ranger fired for “budget cuts” funds 2 SS agents for a golfing trip. Remember, your sacrifice is in patronage to the Dear Leader.
Unexpected: The self guided tour was amazing. The descent consisted of trekking 750 feet down into the depths! Via easy switchbacks that led down and down and down. I walked downhill for an hour. It was amazing.
10/10 - would descend into the bowels of the earth again.
Wednesday, May 21 day 17
35 giant satellite dishes and still nothing to watch
White Sands, NM -> The Very Large Array
Last night a ranger at White Sands pointed me to a 'dispersed camping' site 3 miles up the road.
That’s basically public land that is available (and usually free) to camp on. I'm hoping to spend many more nights at dispersed campsites on this journey.
The site was perfect, remote and quiet. I woke up to a beautiful peaceful view of a lake with the mountains in the background,… and then the roar of fighter-jets flying low overhead from the AFB literally next door!
After photographing the jets for a while I hopped over the White Sands for a quick daytime visit.
Pro Tip; don’t visit White Sands at noon. Besides being hot as hell, the overhead sun washes out the dunes and they’re not as photogenic.
Being me, I struck up a conversation with a nice family doing a month-long van trip. Swapped photography tips for Burning Man tips. I do so enjoy these impromptu conversations with friendly strangers.
That evening I decided to try for some night skies photography at the Very Large Array. On the way thereI had a nice drive through Truth or Consequences, NM. Where I stopped for lunch and to do some laundry. This is the sort of town you pass through once and then don't need to go back.
The way to the Array included: a stunningly beautiful drive into Las Cruses, a dust devil (a tiny harmless tornado) alongside the highway, and an ICE checkpoint where they asked (but didn’t verify) if I was a citizen.
Made it to the Very Large Array just barely in time for sunset, then hung around for a few hours to take night skies photos near the giant antennas. Too freakin cool! I’m in the area for the rest of the week and hope to get back there during the day for a tour.
Daily Listen - In honor of a close friend’s milestone birthday, I’m listening to some of the songs we shared: ‘The Argus’ by Ween, ‘I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All’ by Father John Misty, ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac (and the cover by The Dixie Chicks), ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd.
Bonus Listen: Today I learned “Christian Reggae” is a thing that exists. It’s playing on the tv in the Laundromat.
Good: The pizza at Outer Edge Pizza in Truth or Consequences, NM.
I rate it 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕
Bad: The windshield sun screen that came with the van was stored with a package of rodent deterrent. Now that I’ve taken the screens out, the van reeks of mothballs.
Unexpected: The dispersed campsite I’m at is next door to an Air Force base. At 8:30am I was jarred awake by a tremendous ‘boom!’ of jets overhead. I peeked outside and they were doing takeoff and landing drills. I got to take photos of fighter jets pretty close up, and of them landing with mountains as a backdrop. Very cool.
Thursday , May 22 day 18
A sense of Deja vu
Truth or Consequences, NM -> Albuquerque.
Then back to Truth or Consequences.
Overnight I found a rest area in the woods near the radio telescopes and had a really peaceful night.
Headed to Albuquerque to pick up a good friend from back home who is visiting and we’d coordinated to meet up here!
This is going to be a cool story, I promise (I hope!) so stay tuned for that blog post.
It occurred to me that I literally drove all the way from Philly to pick her up at the Albuquerque airport!
Then with a sense of deja vu I drove back to Truth or Consequences, NM. I’ve now driven that stretch 3 times in 2 days. I was saying “Oh, this is the windy part. This is the pretty rolling hills part. There’s roadwork up ahead.”
Daily Listen: Fleetwood Mac, ‘Rumors’
Good: In the morning I did a search for coffee shops in the middle of nowhere I was camped and found one that sounded odd. Stopped in and it’s an art gallery, an antique printing press, a classic car garage,… and had coffee. The gentleman operating this (interesting place) is also a photographer, among many other things, and he showed me some of his classic cameras and studio setup. A super interesting guy, one of those people I’m thrilled to have cross paths with.
Bad: Holy hell it is hot here. Is this what the surface of the sun feels like?
Unexpected: Gina picked a burger joint for lunch famous for their green chile burgers. It lived up to the hype. Also, the spice kinda sneaks up on ya. Whew!
Friday , May 23 day 19
This must be what a vampire feels like
Truth or Consequences, NM -> White Sands NP
Then back to Truth or Consequences. Again.
A casual day playing tourist.
Visited Hatch, NM. “The Chile capitol of the world”! Had a green chile cheeseburger at the “world famous!” Owl Cafe.
We went to Pistacioland! I rode a pistachio themed roller coaster!
Sorry, that’s a lie. But I did have some pistachio ice cream and ‘flavored’ pistachios, like; spicy ranch, spicy green chile, spicy… well you get the point.
Then I went back to White Sands NP with Gina, and I’m happy for another opportunity to see the sunset there. We got there with a lot of time to kill before sunset and sat under these vintage metal sunshades. It was surprisingly comfortable in the shade, with a nice breeze. But step out of the shade into the feirce sunlight, and this is what a vampire must feel like. I thought I was going to burst into flames!
Daily Listen: Spotify yacht rock playlist - ‘who up yachting ya rock’
Good: Sunset at white sands. This time there were a lot of clouds in the sky, which makes all the difference for a good sunset! I feel like I got the "quintessential White Sands sunset photo"TM. Actually, I feel like I got 20. It’s an embarrassment of riches.
Bad: Pistacioland did not have pistachio themed rollercoasters.
Unexpected: The exhaust pipe for the van’s generator came apart. Probably from the very rough roads in White Sands - which I’ve now driven back and forth 3 times. I “fixed” the disconnected pipe with duct tape, laying in sand in the parking lot of WSNP.
Saturday , May 24 day 20
“Do the sunsets in the southwest ever get old”
“Not yet.”
Truth or Consequences, NM -> The Lightning Fields
(finally done with ToC!)
The whole reason for this trip was for Gina to visit a land-art installation called The Lighting Field, by Walter De Maria. Part of the Dia collection. She’s wanted to visit there for years. Tickets are limited to 6 people per day and are difficult to obtain. She invited me to join her, and my vanlife trip happened to coincide with when she had tickets!
We were up and out early from ToC to get to the appointment at the Lightning Field meeting place at 2, with a few planned stops along the way.
An unplanned stop was to get breakfast burritos at a vintage joint called Blakes Lottaburger. It’s a regional chain going back to the 50’s. The burritos were amazing!
Also on the way to the Lightning Field we stopped by a radio telescope site called the Very Large Array. It’s open to the public and they do tours! We watched a short video and then walked around outside.
One of the dishes was set up so we could walk right up to it to take photos! I could have stayed longer, but we had to get to the meeting location.
Daily listen: ‘Challengers’ soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch.
Good: Green chile breakfast burritos at Lottaburger!
Bad: I was anxious all morning about getting to the Lightning Field office on time. I didn’t want to be responsible for Gina missing this! I was constantly checking my watch, and hustled us out of the VLA to keep on schedule.
Unexpected: This side quest to the Lightning Field happening at all! It kind of came together at the last minute and the timing just worked. She asked where I’d be memorial day weekend and I said ‘the Southwest’ and she told me about this thing. I moved a couple things around and was excited to do this with her!
The Lightning Field trip was very interesting, and an almost 24 hour event. We were shuttled out to a remote cabin at the art installation and stayed overnight.
I’m still digesting the experience and coalescing my thoughts on it. When I have that, I’ll put up a blog post just about the experience!
Short answer - it was remarkable. Intense, serene, isolating, and beautiful. I’m excited to share it with you!
