Time Flies When You Are on the Road!

Wow, it has been two weeks since I posted anything.  Time really does fly when you are having fun.  I couldn't believe the date when I opened up my iMac this morning!

Gene, spouse, and I took a few days driving here to New Mexico.  We traveled on Interstate 10 to El Paso and Deming, New Mexico.

As we were leaving Bastrop, Texas, (home) we had six inches of rain.  Each drop was six inches apart and it was the last rain we have experienced on this trip.

We stopped in Fredericksburg, Texas, to visit the Oil Painters of America National Show at the Insight Gallery.  It was so impressive.  I hope you were able to visit and see it.  Beautiful paintings and we were able to see a few of my favorite painters in addition to the other national favorites.  I follow blogs by Marc Hanson and Qiang Huang and was able to finally see their work in person.  Also an oil by Albert Handell, I had only seen his pastels.  It was an excellent show and each painting was the best!  Go have a peek on the link above.  You can get there through the Insight Gallery page.  http://www.insightgallery.com

Fredericksburg, Texas

We spent the first night on the in Fort Stockton, Texas. All of the chain hotels are well over $100 a night and well used.  We have tried most of them.  I searched the internet and found a motel, the Deluxe Inn, that is being refurbished and it was sufficient.  New bathrooms and beds and a very nice $50 a night, before taxes.  Of course I forgot to take a photo.

Ft. Stockton, Texas

Willows at a rest stop.  Look at that sand.

In El Paso we saw this building.  It looks like the top was chopped off and turned upside down.

The next night was in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We stayed at a Quality Inn near Old Mesilla.  It has been refurbished, very nice for $55.  Of course you add on the tourist taxes and come up to about $75.  The restaurant we planned on visiting for dinner has closed so we decided to just go to the La Posta which is one of the oldest restaurants around.  They cater to tourists, but at least we could have traditional style New Mexico food.

The Organ Mountains

La Posta Restaurant, back side

La Posta inside

A quick side trip to Palomas, Mexico, to see our dentists.  They are great, but were running late so we had to just hurry back across the border when finished.    We made a quick run into the Pink Store for a blanket.  Where else can you shop with a margarita in your hand? I think it was the first time I did not have a margarita there.  As mentioned, we were running late.  Rats.

Somewhere between Las Cruces and Deming, New Mexico.  What do the cows have to eat?  Maybe they feed them.

Chile stand in Hatch, New Mexico

Then to Socorro, New Mexico, for the night.  There we stay at the El Camino, an old standby with a good restaurant.  We had dinner with some of Gene’s sisters and spouses.  From there a side trip to Magdalena to see Gene’s sister, Velma,  on her birthday!

I always take photos of the Ladrones.  The mountains stand out and are between Magdalena and Albuquerque, about in the middle as the crow flies.  You can see them from Interstate 25 and from Highway 60. Interesting to me as they rise so suddenly out of the plains and you can see them for miles and miles.  Well, on the way to Magdalena, you can see they are covered with the smoke and dust (you can't see them really), then on the way back the air had cleared and you can see them in the distance.  The hills you see close are not the Ladrones.

Magdalena Mountain, nice and clear there.

We arrived in Albuquerque to get ready for the International Association of Pastel Societies Convention.  Next post about the convention.....

The Sandias, Albuquerque, New Mexico