Wild Hogs

Our drive back was a scenic one – it was down the historic Turquoise Trail (NM 14). There is a ton of stuff to see and do along the way. The one stop that I found interesting was in the town of Madrid. We were beginning to wonder if we had somehow left the country and ended up back in Spain – No! The interesting part about this is the diner (which is a gift shop) is the one used in the movie Wild Hogs.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

As you drive through the town of Santa Fe you can’t help but to admire the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

Santa Fe NM

Joan and I were scheduled to fill one of her rare bucket list items. We had to be there at 0615 on the north west of Albuquerque the base is on the south east. Fortunate for us is that there isn’t any traffic at 0530. So we arrive, have our briefing and head out to the spot to have it cancelled due to winds. Once back in the office we rescheduled for Sunday AM. Well now that we are up what do we do. Have breakfast first. We found this place down town called Frontier. As restaurants go it was different – food was good and quantities were sufficient. It was the part of going up to a counter to place your breakfast order. After breakfast it was time for a nap. Not one to waste sun light we headed northeast to Santa Fe before noon. For it being the capital it is a very small but beautiful large town. As we drove around the first stop was to the San Miguel Chapel. It is the oldest church in America. As you look at the picture of it – ask yourself if it the church used in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho

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Finished Oklahoma City

     Tuesday arrived and we figured we would take a drive back up Route 66 heading towards Tulsa. This was better than route 66 heading west - some nice murals and towns.

     Wednesday we departed for Albuquerque we could of made it in a day’s drive – But! As we went west young man (in my thoughts) I was pondering this country side that I had previously been over, but in two hours we were in Texas. As you drive across northern Texas and you watch the prairie grass sway you think about all of the Buffalo that had roamed these prairies. Until reality kicked in and for three hours I was fighting the cross and head winds. When you drive something that is over twelve feet tall it wears you out (had to stop for a nap and then a very nice burger). Now Texas is a bit better then Oklahoma about publicizing route 66. If you don’t have a nap it can become confusing. So as we go down I-40 there are two lane highways on the south and north sides of the interstate. I never did find out why. The one on the south side was supposed to be the original one. Both were being used.
     As we approached Amarillo Texas there are an assortment of museums dealing with the iconic road and history. The one I really wanted to see was the Cadillac ranch. Everything was advertised except this place. I saw it as I blew past (it is on the left side as you depart Amarillo), it is right off the interstate. 
     There was something else I found interesting about traveling through the state of Texas. You know how when you enter a state with in a couple of miles there is a welcome center – They want to great you and welcome you to their state. I -40 is about 170 miles from border to border in Texas. They put the welcome center at mile marker 74. They want to make sure they get you first. (This one is for you Lynn).
  We entered New Mexico and as we entered we changed to Mountain Time and are spending the night in a truck stop. That way we can get up have breakfast and go into Kirtland AFB fresh!

Static Display

The following day it was time for commissary and laundry prior to our departure on Wed. That meant we needed to go out for breakfast for some sustenance. We found this Restaurant called Black Bear – definitely a hearty breakfast. Joan accomplished the commissary while I went to the local airplane static display as you can see by the attached pictures. No need to discuss about the great exercise of laundry! I worked the F105 in Spain as an ABDR (Aircraft Battle Damage and Repair) plane. For those of you that are not air craft maintenance – we take an old plane and practice fixing it in an area away from our home base – like it has been shot up. The only other plane that I have worked among this group is the B-52 – last job in USAF!