Apricity West 3

March 24, 2023 - Friday

Learned a lot about beertender, Lisa, at Copper Mine today. She is part owner and handles the front and publicity. 

We started talking about the Air Force Thunderbirds Air Show happening this weekend. As much as we love to see these jets fly over our park, the sound sometimes rattles the RV. Who are we to complain when Lisa, her husband and their 6-month old child live on the base! He is an NCO (non-commissioned officer) and they moved on base after renting an apartment near us because the electric bill was $500/month in the summer months. At the base they only pay for internet - so they will set that money aside and save to buy a house.  

 Picture

March 25, 2023 - Saturday 

Snooze is an eclectic breakfast joint that we visited today. WOW! I know that I have a LOT of food/beverage pictures, but here you go...

Shrimp and Grits


Avocado Toast 

Chili Verde Eggs Benedict

Spuds Deluxe

March 26, 2023 - Sunday

Neighbors Fred and Tony chatted with us. Fred and his wife are leaving tomorrow and going to Mexico - Yikes. He has a friend who lives there near the border and they say all things are quiet - no issues. His wife grew up in Old Mesille where we have visited several times. They now live in Las Cruces and travel a lot with their travel trailer and a 5th wheel. Tony was a welder, machinist in the copper mines nearby and is one of 15 kids. Really nice guys - glad we got to talk with them.

T&J picked us up to go to Copper Mine - they had never been there. We sat at a round table which was varnished after the knots were filled with what looks like wheat grain. Really clever idea. 

It was a perfect day for the air show - not a cloud in the sky.

The spin off 

We watched it from our place while sipping on cocktails AND opening gifts from Terri and Jim! Rich’s bag contained Sweet Vermouth and drink charms which could become part of one of his miniatures pieces. Cute...

My paisley decorated bag contained Triple Sec, orange bitters and homemade simple syrup - put these together with vodka, lemonade and lemon rind and you have a LeMonda, Jim’s creation. 

You can tell Jim is a graphic designer…

On top of that they gave us Tucson Popcorn and 2 mini-pies for the road.

March 27, 2023 - Monday  

We were pulling out of Crazy Horse at 7:45am heading for Deming, NM for one night to visit with Dennis Keller. He just got back from sailing on his son’s 42-foot catamaran for 6 weeks around and through the Panama Canal. He had a wonderful trip which exceeded his expectations. I looked back in my phone for my Panama pictures, some of which were the same places, to find out it is 10 years ago that my Dad and I did an 8-day tour. Ah, the memories. 

 

We have been watching the Centennial series which is a classic interpretation of history of the Wild West. It is 12 episodes with various talented cast members portraying 3 generations of the families responsible for founding and developing this town in Colorado. 5 stars!

 

Pulled into Dream Catcher in Deming, NM at 1:30pm - 3 hours with time change.

 

March 28, 2023 - Tuesday 

Left at 8am sharp - destination KOA at Tucumcari, NM. The winds howled so loud last night that it woke me up. The camper was rocking and the temperature dropped. I didn’t know if we would be able to travel today, but thankfully the winds lessened at 8am. 

 

Love this route we are on today (Route 70 to 54) which are secondary two-lane roads with 65mph through lovely landscapes. We only do 64mph anyway and there is minimal truck traffic. Crossed over into Central Time Zone. Interesting spots we have passed through are Las Cruces, White Sands (missile range and National Park), Alamogordo, Tularosa, Three Rivers, Valley of Fire, Billy the Kid country, Carrizozo, Carona, Vaughn, Guadalupe, Santa Rosa...

 

White Sands is hundreds of miles of desert which seems uninhabitable by humans. In fact, humans have lived there since the Ice Age. Fossils of human foot prints and great ground sloths exist in the National Park. Lake Autara evaporated leaving behind alcholine flats. Archaic people entered the area to live there raising wild plants and living in villages. Seven hundred years ago, Apaches followed herds of bison leading to fighting with Buffalo Soldiers which ended in their removal from the area. 

Love my Autio App by HearHere which narrates stories of areas we drive through. Fascinating to sit and look out across this vast land and think of the covered wagons rushing out here chasing their dreams and then coming up against the terrain, the dust storms, the Indians, the outlaws, etc.

 

Pulled into a KOA at 2pm - 6 hours.

 

March 29, 2023 - Wednesday 

On the road at 7am with indecision about where we will stop today. Watching the big storm with 70 mph winds coming in from the west and whether to try to beat it or lay low an extra day before it hits on Friday. Are we storm chasing or racing? As it turns out, we got hung up in a traffic jam due to a 2-car, 1 semi truck crash. Held us up about 1/2 an hour, but we decided to get off in Elk City, OK KOA RV Park at about 2pm after going through Texas with all their wind turbines - 7 hours.

March 30, 2023 - Thursday

Left at 7:15am headed for Springfield, MO via OKC, Tulsa, Joplin, MO. Sorry we couldn’t stop this time around, Kibbie and Phil😘😢 Still keeping a keen eye on the weather and playing hide and seek with the storm. Set up successfully at 2:15pm (7 hours) for the night with intentions of a 6am departure in the morning. Spring is in the air…