high plains driftin' into the southwest

ok here is the point in the trip where things go from kind of different to super fucking awesome in the span of like 10 miles. we start out early from amarillo. like way more early than is necessary. our mother has a thing for getting up really early on vacation. there is simply no getting around this.

so we depart amarillo, destination santa fe. duration: apx four hours....

nina: i try to explain that vacation is the time for NOT getting up early if you don't have to, but mom counters with the idea that this is the one time that you SHOULD get up early so there's really just no working this one out. but i'm glad we did because the high plains of texas are super beautiful in the morning.

once we get outside of amarillo, things become so fantastically wonderful.

nina: i had no idea texas was so beautiful. it was enough to make me forget getting a phd and just want to become a rancher or something. if they didn't execute people for everything from jaywalking to mass homicide in texas, i might consider it....

we stop at a pull of area to get a full sense of how great the plains really are. and to take a whole bunch of pictures.

nina: ok...so somewhere around in here is where i almost ran over a roadrunner. he was not, i repeat, NOT running. more like leisurely strolling across I-40. and he kind of blended in with the road. so i didn't see him until it was almost too late (for him). it went a little something like this:

driving...driving...

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!?" as i slam the breaks and swerve to avoid the unperturbed bird...

at this point, mom relaunches into a critique of my driving skills, specifically my hasty use of the breaks.

there was no choice. either slam the breaks and swerve. or kill the roadrunner.

susie: i must say though, seeing the roadrunner was the highlight of my day. someone asked me if they actually exist. indeed they do, but are slow.

new mexico is beautiful and all in the car (including mothra, who rarely agrees with us) wanted to stay in the land of enchantment.

nina: i would stay anywhere right now that meant i didn't have to start school. seriously...

nina: new mexico is where we (i) start to pull of every other exit or so to drive down parts of rt 66. because that's all that's left... parts. it's WAY depressing. more on that to come...

finally, and we do mean FINALLY (this was the longest four hour drive ever), we get to santa fe. susie wanted to see whole foods, so we went there. then drove around for like an hour looking for a hotel that would be acceptable to all (mostly mothra) and then drove around for like another hour, at which point it started pouring rain, trying to find a restaurant of the same. in the process we found a shop specializing in chocolate... AND...AND... they made a lot of their chocolate with agave, not sugar...which made it double awesome.

FINALLY we ended our day with some much needed drinks......