Bye, Bye Buddy

North west from Clovis, NM across the plains listening to Garth Brooks [from Yukon, OK] "I've got friends in low places" [an early hit, he never topped it].
Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, you are dropping down into Mesa country, and all the Hollywood westerns you ever saw are here. The temperature is crowding 100 degrees and are we ever glad that we ordered aircon on the smart. Can't be long before Tim McGraw is back on the radio singing "Do you want fries with that?"
The smart is standing up to everything we have thrown at her - touch wood - and confidence levels are building such that we are overtaking the trucks. You've just been outsmarted!
Rolled into the campsite at Tucumcari, NM early for first afternoon nap of the tour - later cruising the strip in town to see the neon signs, motels [in various states of delapidation] and gas stations [open and permanently closed]. We stop at an ice-cream parlor only to be told "We don't sell ice-cream any more." We retreat to Denny's for banana split and strawberry sundae - enjoying the cabaret of the waiters yelling for their orders. Mercifully we are losing touch with the outside world.
Now in Moriarty, NM at midday heading for Albuquerque and Gallup [for overnight stop, campground already booked].
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