On the Road: Austin to Santa Fe

We said goodbye to Austin on an overcast day and began the 700-mile trip to Santa Fe by driving west through the Hill Country. The wildflowers along the highway were mostly yellow now; perhaps it was getting late in the season for purple bluebonnets and orange Indian blanket. Steve enjoyed driving the gentle curves and hills. In this part of Texas, the speed limit is 80mph!

Eventually the hills disappeared, and we were in the vast, dry plains of the Chihuahuan Desert. The car’s dashboard showed an outside temperature of 99℉!

We overnighted in Carlsbad, New Mexico, where we had dinner at Carniceria San Juan de los Lagos, a combination butcher shop/bakery/restaurant. We had to use our rusty Spanish to order, but we managed just fine. The enchiladas de pollo asado were open-faced, and the nicely grilled chicken was smothered in delicious green Chile sauce. Our meal was so good that the next day, after visiting Carlsbad Caverns, we went back to the carniceria for more.

We left Carlsbad on a cold, rainy morning and drove through more desert, with a brief stop in Roswell. Eventually, the skies turned blue, and the dusty plains gave way to colorful buttes and snow-covered mountains. We knew we were nearing Santa Fe. It was as if the sunshine and mountains were welcoming us back.