Day Two - Westward Ho to New Mexico

We had reached Oklahoma by morning light and stopped for gas and coffee at the Seminole Nation Travel Plaza. With coffee mugs in hand, we refilled then went to pay. The clerk refused to take our money for the refills since we had brought our own cups. We insisted but she smiled and answered - It's only coffee! This had to be the most un-Starbuck comment ever spoken.

A couple hours later, we had breakfast at IHOP mainly because they offered free wifi. I checked in with the world and then we headed west again. During the afternoon Jim spotted a thrift store from the highway so we checked it out and bought shorts and a shirt. We briefly ran into a Walmart to pick up something for a afternoon picnic lunch and I bought some 1/4 yards of fabric to add to my quilting collection.

Texas was hot, very hot. At least there was a breeze but the breeze was hot, too. The heat was the least of my worries when I saw the warning signs at the rest area regarding the rattlesnakes.

Hours and hours more driving then we had to decide whether to stop for the night or just keep going. We had already gained an hour and knew that another was waiting when we crossed into Mountain time. A cell phone call to the in-laws made us chose the "just keep driving, driving, driving" option.

We rolled into Carlsbad at midnight mountain time, took a quick shower, then slept beneath the stars, too tired to put up the tent. We saved hugs for morning when we wouldn't smell quite so sweaty.