Change Of Plans

My "plan" — insofar as I had one — was that after driving US70 to its end, I'd make a jog southwest to the Mexican border in Yuma, AZ, then drive US95 all the way to the Canadian border in Idaho.

The scorching heat of the past few days in southern Arizona — and especially the forecast for even worse heat in Yuma — started me thinking about making a change in my plan. Realizing that US95 would take me north through the western desert of Nevada and then through even more desert conditions in southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho made up my mind. It's just too late in the season for me -- and my dog Happy -- to spend that much time in the desert heat.

Instead, I will make a short hop from here in Tucson to the southern terminus of US191 at the Mexican border in Douglas, AZ, and drive it north to its other terminus at the Canadian border in Montana.

I've made this mash-up of the two routes superimposed on a map to show their comparative border-to-border pathways.

In many ways, US191 is a better route than US95. Besides not crossing so much desert, there's a lot more of interest along the way, including several National Parks.

It should be a prettier route, with fewer "awesome desert landscapes" and more "majestic mountain views" to enjoy.

US191 has been on my "radar" for a long time. I've crossed it repeatedly on my coast-to-coast road trips: Malta, MT, on US2; Rock Springs, WY, on US30; Green River, UT, on US50; and just two days ago near Safford, AZ, on US70. I've even driven a bit of it during my US20 blizzard-escape detour south of Jackson, WY.

As a "three-digit" route, US191 was initially a spur of US91, the original border-to-border highway. US91 has long since been subsumed into modern interstates and now only exists across 178 miles of northern Utah and southern Idaho.

Over time, US191 has been extended to become the international route it is today. One anomaly is its short break passing through Yellowstone National Park. The southern portion is 1,465 miles and the northern portion is 440 miles, giving it a total length of about 2,000 miles.

One of the things I've learned -- and teach! -- is that when you start changing plans, go back to the drawing board and reconsider the entire plan. Don't just start making incremental alterations. Before you know it, you'll have a mess on your hands that fails miserably at achieving your goals.

My criteria for this road trip -- and what initially made me choose US95 -- are to drive a US Highway from end-to-end and border to border. US191 fully satisfies all three, and I'm pretty excited about it... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: A Signpost At The End Of A Road

In Globe, AZ, I found the sign I was looking for:

After 63 days and 2,385 net road miles -- over 4,000 miles gross with exploration and detours -- it's not much of a destination. But I subscribe absolutely to the adage that the journey is what matters, not the destination.

My cross-country road trip on US70 has been an excellent journey. Except for tornado threats in Tennessee and crazy heat in the desert, it's been almost entirely without hardship. That's a good thing when you're on a long journey.

This was my fifth cross-country road trip on old US Highways: 2, 20, 30, 50 and now 70. No two roads are the same, of course, but they do have a lot in common.

Primarily, they are two-lane affairs, sometimes four-lane and occasionally more through big cities or when subsumed into interstates.

Generally, they are "out there" and have little traffic, sometimes practically none. Wide open spaces are punctuated by small towns, more and more of which are either struggling, decrepit or practically abandoned. The railroad is an almost constant companion, since roads typically followed rails.

US70 is the most southern route I have taken so far, and it's an understatement to say that latitude matters. On the more northern routes, corn is king. Large, orderly fields of tall, robust crops. Healthy looking farm operations with attractive houses and barns. Family farming is alive and well.

On US70, croplands are immense, flat and wide open, without much that looks productive. Hardly a home can be seen. What was once family farms with a house on almost every 40-acre plot, seems to have been assimilated by BigAgra. That's an observation, not a political statement.

Grasslands in the north are scrub at this latitude. US70 runs along the southern edge of the Dust Bowl, and it seems that the land is still a long way from recovering its original fertility. I have no words for the panhandle of Texas, and I have no idea how anything grows in New Mexico or Arizona.

And yet, I found priceless gems on US70: Biltmore Estate, Roaring Fork Motor Trail, Cumberland Homesteads, Natchez Trace Parkway, Birdsong Pearl Farm, Dyess home of Johnny Cash, Lincoln City, Fort Stanton, Smokey Bear and White Sands Missile Range Museum to name just a few.

Perhaps ironically, what feels like the least prosperous route probably has the best roadway. In general, US70 has better infrastructure (e.g. pavement, bridges, etc.) than the other routes. This may be because the winters are less destructive down here, or perhaps there's just more political power for road appropriations. Whatever, it's an inkling you get when you've traveled them all.

There are a few other topics on my "things to think about" list which I may write up someday, but I'm going to stop here for now. In conclusion, I'll just offer this point: There's no limit to what you can see, find or learn when your destination is just a signpost at the end of a road... Stay tuned!

US Hwy 70: Last Leg Into Arizona

There's often little fanfare crossing borders on my drives. On US70 into Arizona, this is all you get:



US 70 runs only 120 miles into Arizona before it ends in the town of Globe. It originally ran to the coast, but has been successively truncated due to the proximate high speed interstates. It's an interesting 120 miles however, as it climbs and tracks the contours of rolling terrain.



Much of the road crosses the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, which seems to me to have been a pretty bad deal from a land-quality perspective. It's beautiful but not much use, no?



There are a few settlements along the route, none of which looked very appealing or prosperous.



A few more miles over the next rise is the town of Globe where US70 ends... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: New Mexico Exit Go!

I had a great day with my friends in Las Cruces!

We did a bit of sightseeing, including a visit to La Mesilla where, in 1854, the Gadsen Purchase was signed to execute the last major territorial acquisition within the contiguous United States.

The US flag was raised on this plaza after the annexation of a 29,640 square mile region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. The "M" and the "54" painted on the bandstand commemorate the event.

It was so hot — topping out at 107 degrees! — that we mostly drove around in my truck with air conditioning that could barely handle the heat.

We finally gave up and "chilled out" in their air conditioned house for a few hours before enjoying a nice dinner together. (Thanks Jim & June! Happy and I look forward to another visit when it's cooler!)

Seeing a forecast for extreme heat again today, I got up before sunset and hit the road at first light. For a hundred miles west of Las Cruces, US70 is entirely subsumed into I-10. It's a long, steady climb that eventually brings you to a very uneventful crossing of continental divide.



It was a typical interstate drive, with little to see and less to enjoy. One amusing moment happened when all traffic was forced to stop at an immigration checkpoint. I pulled up and was asked if I was a US citizen. Upon answering in the affirmative, I was told to carry on. I hope all the electronics that scans vehicles on the way into the checkpoint does a more thorough job, else I fail to see the point.

At the town of Lordsburg, US70 diverts northwest toward the Arizona border, across many more miles of what I have become accustomed to: empty road, scrub, sage, sand, rocks and mountains.



By late-morning I was fast approaching my New Mexico exit. There's a lot more to today's story... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: My New Fan In Alamogordo!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy I got a photo with my new fan in Alamogordo!

This nice lady is one of the owners of the Alamogordo KOA where Macgellan and I stayed. She was very nice to me the whole time we were there, and even asked to have her picture taken with me!



You know I love to have my picture taken with my fans, even if Macgellan says I don't look at the camera like I should. How am I supposed to look at the camera when I'm always looking at him?

Anyway, you can see how good we look together. You can also see that my igloo doghouse was in a nice, shady spot and my water bowl was right where it belonged. I was cool despite the heat!

If you're ever in Alamogordo, you should camp at the Alamogordo KOA and say "Hi, I'm Happy too!"

US Hwy 70: White Sands Missile Range Museum

Driving out of Alamogordo, NM, this pair of signs confirmed that I was still on US70 West and informed me that I was about to cross an active missile test range.

Thankfully, I didn't have to stop on the hot road while they flew missiles overhead.

Toward the other side of the range I saw a sign for the White Sands Missile Range Museum and just had to check it out. The approach road is pretty benign as it heads toward mountains, but there are enough signs warning about live ordinance scattered about to give you a bit of a creepy feeling.



After parking in the visitors' lot, getting a pass in the reception center and having my identification vetted at the security gate, I was allowed to walk about 100 yards onto the base and into an open area with the coolest collection of missiles and related equipment that I could have imagined.



It's a self-guided area, but all of the artifacts -- ranging from the very first missiles to a modern Patriot battery -- are all well placarded and informative. This is definitely a hardware-focused museum, and the theme continues inside a small building that's chockfull of all sorts of exhibits.



In a separate building of its own is the crown jewel of the museum, an authentic V2 rocket. In the aftermath of its WWII reign of terror, the V2 became the cornerstone of US missile development.



The White Sands Missile Range Museum doesn't get much publicity -- and it takes a little effort to get to -- but it's definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the area!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Whiskey Mountains

Hot days have their cool rewards... What I'm seeing over the rim of my whiskey glass:



Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: High Desert Heat

It's been really hot here in the high desert -- the Chihuahuan Desert to be precise -- with temps topping out above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The forecast is for more of the same, so I'm not sure how much exploration I'm going to do. There's a limit to how much heat I can take!

Happy doesn't like to be inside the camper with the air conditioning on. I'm guessing it's because the rumble on the roof sounds too much like thunder, but who knows what goes on in that head of hers. I'm not giving her much choice about it, though, making her come in often for lengthy cool-downs.

Luckily, we spent the middle of the day driving in the air conditioned truck which she loves. Heading southwest out of Alamogordo, the road was absolutely straight for over 50 miles heading toward the next set of mountains. Cruising at 55 mph I wonder how settlers did it at less than a tenth the speed!



When we finally reached the mountains, it was a long, steady slog up to the San Agustin Pass.



Cresting the pass at 5,700 feet resulted in another awesome, daunting view of more desert and mountains on the horizon. Seriously, how could you motivate yourself to walk that?!?



A long downhill roll brought me into another large, sprawling desert community called Las Cruces.



I plan to stay here just tomorrow, to visit with an old friend I haven't seen in at least 30 years. I'll let you know if we do anything besides sit inside, swap stories and sip cool drinks... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: A Snow Beach?

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy and confused... A snow beach?

As you know, I spend most of my driving time sleeping in my backseat lair. Sometimes, though, I get up to take a quick look around. When I did that today, I was excited to see snow!

I did my mini-prance-dance that lets Macgellan know I'd like to get out of the truck for a minute, so he pulled over and opened my door.

What in the world? First of all, it was really hot! Second of all, it was the weirdest snow ever!

I looked to Macgellan for some explanation and he said we were in a place called White Sands National Monument and that it was like a beach. I love the beach!

But when I walked around a bit and gave it some sniffs, it was so strange that I couldn't figure it out. So, I just sat down and gave Macgellan a big smile.



That's pretty much my strategy for dealing with things that confuse me: I just sit down and smile. You should try it sometime!

US Hwy 70: White Sands National Monument

A few miles southwest of Alamogordo, NM, lies a unique geological formation called White Sands National Monument.

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. The most common sand is silica, the yellowish stuff found everywhere. The second most common type of sand is calcium carbonate, the whiter/finer stuff you enjoy on tropical beaches courtesy of coral and shellfish which have been ground up by waves.

A much rarer kind of sand is the gypsum type found in White Sands. It is formed by the process of rain leaching gypsum out of the surrounding mountains and being deposited in the basin. When the water drains off or evaporates, soft gypsum crystals are exposed to wind which breaks them off in granules and successively grinds them into finer and finer pure white particles.

Although gypsum sand exists in various places, White Sands is unique due to the sheer size of the formation. Covering 275 square miles of desert, it is by far the largest gypsum sand formation in the world. It's a strange place to drive into, simultaneously beautiful, impressive, puzzling and daunting.



Another unique aspect of White Sands is just how quickly it formed. Geologists have calculated that it formed in as little as 1,000 years -- the blink of an eye in geological time -- some 7,000 years ago, during an extreme wet (leach) then drought (crystalize) period.

Behind an informative visitor's center at the entrance, a paved approach road leads to the dunes.



The dunes are a highly dynamic, constantly being pushed about by the winds. Because they move as much as 30 feet in a year, maintaining a permanent road is impossible. So, the pavement soon ends and the roadway becomes an ever shifting "hard pack" courtesy of the Park Service road crew.



The loop road immerses you in a world of white, with just a little hardy greenery. There's a surprising amount of life in this desert wasteland. It's a biologists dream, as many species have evolved -- again, extremely rapidly in normal terms -- to adapt to the environment.

Various lizards have become almost entirely white to compensate for the sun and heat. Plants put down very deep roots to reach water, then grow ever higher as they are submerged in the shifting sands. Birds and insects have adapted to fierce predator/prey dynamics.



For the hardy hiker there are various trails, and primitive camping is permitted in restricted areas. Guided walks are offered at various times, with sunset being a very popular attraction. I was here 30+ years ago and did all that as a much younger man. So, I limited my visit this time to a leisurely drive in my air conditioned truck, with occasional forays into the 100+ degree heat for photo ops.

Happy slept in her backseat lair almost the whole time, but got pretty excited once when she looked out the window and saw what I'm guessing she thought was snow. I'll post a little treat about her White Sands expedition soon... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Alamogordo, NM

Alamagordo, NM, is a sprawling desert town with a population of about 30,000 people at an altitude of about 4,300 feet. Although founded in 1898, it's clear that most of the town has been developed in much more recent times. The main drag offers every conceivable modern establishment, including fast food, quick marts, strip malls, chain stores and even a Home Depot right next door to a Lowe's.



The first thing I wondered is, "Why are all these people here?" The area has some natural beauty, to be sure, but that hardly accounts for so many people living in the middle of the desert. When you realize that the area also has an Air Force base, an extensive missile testing complex and a state university, you kinda have to conclude that this is another unnatural place for people to live that's the product of governmental stimulus. (Note: I'll leave it at that for now, but there's a theme here which I may do some more musing about in the future!)

Alamogordo's main attraction is the New Mexico Museum of Space History. It's a pretty good facility, with a higher than average collection of physical exhibits: Rockets, missiles, electronics, space suits, etc. It also has an extensive gallery of photos recognizing luminaries of space exploration, ranging from Galileo to the current space station crew. It's not the best space museum I've been to -- that honor remains with the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS -- but it's worth a visit if you're in the area.



A lesser known gem is the Toy Train Depot. Some die-hard toy train enthusiasts have assembled six rooms of working displays. Even if you're not feeling nostalgic about toy trains, it's worth seeing just to appreciate what people who share a passion can do. If that's not persuasive enough, you can also take a very nice ride around the adjacent town park in a nifty little train! Choo Choo!



The area's other main attraction is White Sands National Monument, but it deserves a post all its own... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: PistachioLand!

You may recall that I recently saw "the world's biggest peanut" in Durant, OK. You may also recall it was a rather disappointing 3-foot long metal sculpture. So, when I saw a sign promoting "the world's biggest pistachio" while driving toward Alamogordo, NM, you will understand my skepticism.

Crikey! That's gotta be the world's biggest pistachio! You can see my road rig behind it for scale!



I had a nice visit at McGinn's PistachioLand where I tried at least a dozen different roasts, everything from "Lemon-Lime" to "Atomic Hot Chili." I'm a lifelong fan of the pistachio, so I chose to stay old-school and picked up a bag -- now only half a bag -- of the traditional, lightly-salted roast... Yummy!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Mountains!

Heading west out of Roswell, NM, the views on US70 continue to be pretty much the same as they've been for days: Flat, dry terrain for as far as the eye can see. Actually, almost as far as the eye can see, because way in the distance there's a promise of... What are those?... Mountains!



Yes, indeed, mountains! The Sacramento Mountains spread mostly north-south in southern New Mexico, spanning the Lincoln National Forest at both ends and the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in the middle. At first they are gentle rollers with just a bit of welcome greenery.



Before long, you're treated to forest-covered mountainsides as you climb up to a 7,500 foot pass!



All good things come to an end, however, and you're soon on your way back down the other side.



Approaching Alamogordo, it's back to business as usual. Don't despair, though, because more mountains loom on the horizon! That white streak in the middle distance is White Sands National Monument, which I plan to visit tomorrow. You have to give New Mexico credit for variety!



Also in Alamogordo is a highly acclaimed space museum which you can be sure I will visit. I will be especially interested to see how it compares to my current favorite, the excellent space museum in Hutchinson, KS... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Smokey Bear Lived Here!

So I'm driving through Lincoln County, NM, when I see this. You betcha I stopped to take a look!



What I expected to be a caution about preventing forest fires alters my consciousness when I read the plaque. Smokey Bear was a real bear? I thought he was just the creation of some ad agency!



I ponder this life changing bit of information as I drive into the small town of Capitan, NM, and am confronted with a barrage of signage. You betcha I stopped to check it all out!




It turns out that I was only partially ill-informed. Forest fire prevention became a priority during WWII, but the typical scare-tactic posters of the time weren't getting the message across to kids. So, the character of Smokey Bear was created to do the job. When the little bear was found in the burned forest, some clever chap had the idea to draft him as the real-life Smokey Bear. So, the fictional character came first, the real bear second!

The park has a remarkable museum of forest fire related topics, such as prevention, types of fires, fire-fighting strategies, etc. There's also, of course, a vast array of Smokey Bear memorabilia. Fictional or real, Smokey Bear has been known and loved world-wide for over 70 years.



Smokey Bear has long since died and is buried on the grounds of the park. You betcha I wandered out to pay my respects! Sadly, I was a little disappointed by the modest monument for such a star!



In my mind, there's a darker side of the story. How was the real Smokey Bear compensated for all his work aimed at preventing forest fires? He was locked in a zoo for his entire adult life. Perhaps a future Smokey Bear will modify his tag-line to read: "Only you can prevent wild animal incarceration!"

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Fort Stanton, NM

After exploring Lincoln, NM, I drove down the road and found the fort which played a central role in the area's drama. The first surprise about Fort Stanton is how many buildings are still standing and what excellent condition they are in.



Many of the buildings date from 1855 and much of their longevity is attributable to being built of local stone rather than the more conventional adobe of the time. Another factor is that the fort has been utilized almost uninterruptedly in various ways since its beginning: First to protect settlers in the area, then as a Civil War post, a tuberculosis treatment facility for WWI merchant mariners, a Depression-Era CCC work camp, a WWII internment camp, a state hospital for developmentally handicapped, a low security women's prison and recently as a drug and alcohol rehab center. That's quite a resume!

The structures have been modified over time, as is evident by the roof lines, palladian windows, etc.

Interiors have been repeatedly sub-divided and re-opened, patched, rewired, etc.

As a result, the buildings currently look much better on the outside than they do on the inside.

The fort is currently under the care of a non-profit historical society which is dedicated to its full and complete restoration. I've uploaded a large panorama which is worth a click on the thumbnail below.



After thoroughly exploring the grounds and the few buildings that are open for admission, I spent some quality time in the excellent museum.

A delightful volunteer named Dorothy was very generous with her time, patiently and thoroughly answering all my questions. As you know, I can ask a lot of questions!

If you're ever in the area, don't miss the chance to explore a place where notable characters like Kit Carson, John "Black Jack" Pershing, Billy the Kid, and Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry once lived!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.