Journey to California, Day 3

Posted a day late because I was too tired last night. The Quality Inn in Amarillo had a really good "Continental" breakfast, too.

Amarillo, Texas to border of new Mexico

Flat, flat, flat. Wind farm to the north of the highway for several miles. Huge pylons supporting three-bladed props, with each blade nearly as long as the pylon was high. Painted white and can be seen for many miles. They farm something up here. Terrain is deceptive; it appears flat, but close-up, there are depressions and low hills. It's mostly farmland, interspersed with some cattle range. Passed three wind generators close by the highway, not far from a ranch where they had cattle corralled, and cowboys on horses tending to them.
( Amarillo to New Mexico, with LOTS of pictures )

Journey to California, Day 4

Woke up early in Gallup, but goofed around typing up my belated "Day 3" post and fighting the hotel's wireless to upload my pictures. Finally got around its tendency to block ftp by using sftp. Secure shell for the win! (I've also found out that "Passive mode" ftp does NOT work through hotel proxies. Non-passive does. )

Finally got out the door. Stopped at the gas station/souvenir stand down the block and checked out the souvenirs. The place was also a retailer for Navajo handicrafts, including the gorgeous silver and turquoise jewelry they are famed for, and some lovely pottery. Most of it was way over my budget, but I could not resist a lovely "horsehair" pot that was affordable. There's one particular artist that makes most of those, it looks like.

I hit the road. It isn't far to the Arizona border, which is good, because I am desperately wishing there was someplace to stop and take pictures. Fortunately, there's a visitor center at the border, and I take pictures.
( Yet more pictures... )