Goal was to get to El Paso around time for Friend #1's flight arrival right around 1pm (Friend #1 joining me for Texas time -- El Paso, Austin, Houston).
Slept solidly and woke up to alarm, but didn't get out of the inn and on the road until 8am. Caught a shot of the grounds, as well as the front-facing Curley School on my way out.
Forester was giving me low tire pressure notification again, so I went to the other side of town to the single gas station to air the tires up again. Tires again fully inflated (passenger side front and rear both low), I stopped at the mailbox at the post office in the town plaza to mail postcards, and I was on my way out of Ajo. Was bummed single coffee shop in town plaza was not yet open, but did have a cup of coffee brewed in my room to give me caffeine jolt needed to get on the road.
I was conflicted on the route to take given the tire situation but ultimately decided to go the potentially riskier route (if tires didn't hold). But, it was the faster route (by 10 minutes time total) and more scenic. Also, am not sure when I will get back this way so wanted to make the most of the driving.
Glad I did -- driving through most of the entire Tohono O'odham Nation made for beautiful desert sightlines. The narrow two-lane highway most all the way afforded very picturesque cactus-punctuated views. With Organ Pipe National Monument (just south of Ajo) closed due to the Federal gov't shutdown, feel like I got a version of the experience driving through Tohono O'odham lands.
First pit stop was once I connected to the 10 East in Tucson -- Starbucks gingerbread latte purchased. The drive got increasingly heavier with cars and big rigs as I headed east and crossed into New Mexico.
Before I knew it the skies were grayed and there was snow on the sides of the road. I kept trekking on listing to my 90's Baby Makers playlist (thanks free Spotify trial account).
Stopped again at a gas station in Lordsburg, NM and by that time it was snowing and below 40 degrees. Dummy me had thought I wasnt going to hit any snow in my travels since I am taking the southerly routes. Wrong I was.
Some time after Lordsburg drove through signage for crossing Continental Divide, with an elevation of 4500 feet.
Overal drive took longer than planned -- didn't make it to ELP to pick up friend until 3pm.
After that went straight to hotel to check in for the one night and then get food to eat. Grabbed very late lunch and beers (it was HH by then already) at a place called Ode Brewing, a few miles from hotel and downtown and on the other side of University of Texas - El Paso (UTEP). Food was brewpub foodie (pork belly sandwiches, poutine appetizer) and beer was decent. After that back to hotel for some further planning of the next day -- it was cold and under 40 degrees that day in El Paso.
Did get to take in just a bit of the city to and from Ode Brewing and from the airport into the downtown area. Was a trip to see just how close Ciudad Juarez is -- it is literally just on the other side of the highway. The area has some hills so the sightlines looking south are in fact residential and commercial areas in Juarez.
Ended up venturing out on foot after dark in the cold and snow showers for planned coffee shop visit and donut procurement for next morning's early departure, and a slice of pizza and a beer at nearby spot. Both places were within 4-5 city blocks of the hotel in downtown El Paso and looked totally walkable. They were, but turned out coffee/donut shop was no longer in business, but The Pizza Joint (with marijuana-themed everything) did not dissapoint for pizza slices, and decent canned craft beer selection.
A few pics from the walk:
Stopped at convenience store on the way back and otherwise got ready for another early departure for the longest drive yet of the trip (El Paso to Austin, with a side trek to/through Marfa).
Slept solidly and woke up to alarm, but didn't get out of the inn and on the road until 8am. Caught a shot of the grounds, as well as the front-facing Curley School on my way out.
Forester was giving me low tire pressure notification again, so I went to the other side of town to the single gas station to air the tires up again. Tires again fully inflated (passenger side front and rear both low), I stopped at the mailbox at the post office in the town plaza to mail postcards, and I was on my way out of Ajo. Was bummed single coffee shop in town plaza was not yet open, but did have a cup of coffee brewed in my room to give me caffeine jolt needed to get on the road.
I was conflicted on the route to take given the tire situation but ultimately decided to go the potentially riskier route (if tires didn't hold). But, it was the faster route (by 10 minutes time total) and more scenic. Also, am not sure when I will get back this way so wanted to make the most of the driving.
Glad I did -- driving through most of the entire Tohono O'odham Nation made for beautiful desert sightlines. The narrow two-lane highway most all the way afforded very picturesque cactus-punctuated views. With Organ Pipe National Monument (just south of Ajo) closed due to the Federal gov't shutdown, feel like I got a version of the experience driving through Tohono O'odham lands.
First pit stop was once I connected to the 10 East in Tucson -- Starbucks gingerbread latte purchased. The drive got increasingly heavier with cars and big rigs as I headed east and crossed into New Mexico.
Before I knew it the skies were grayed and there was snow on the sides of the road. I kept trekking on listing to my 90's Baby Makers playlist (thanks free Spotify trial account).
Stopped again at a gas station in Lordsburg, NM and by that time it was snowing and below 40 degrees. Dummy me had thought I wasnt going to hit any snow in my travels since I am taking the southerly routes. Wrong I was.
Some time after Lordsburg drove through signage for crossing Continental Divide, with an elevation of 4500 feet.
Overal drive took longer than planned -- didn't make it to ELP to pick up friend until 3pm.
After that went straight to hotel to check in for the one night and then get food to eat. Grabbed very late lunch and beers (it was HH by then already) at a place called Ode Brewing, a few miles from hotel and downtown and on the other side of University of Texas - El Paso (UTEP). Food was brewpub foodie (pork belly sandwiches, poutine appetizer) and beer was decent. After that back to hotel for some further planning of the next day -- it was cold and under 40 degrees that day in El Paso.
Did get to take in just a bit of the city to and from Ode Brewing and from the airport into the downtown area. Was a trip to see just how close Ciudad Juarez is -- it is literally just on the other side of the highway. The area has some hills so the sightlines looking south are in fact residential and commercial areas in Juarez.
Ended up venturing out on foot after dark in the cold and snow showers for planned coffee shop visit and donut procurement for next morning's early departure, and a slice of pizza and a beer at nearby spot. Both places were within 4-5 city blocks of the hotel in downtown El Paso and looked totally walkable. They were, but turned out coffee/donut shop was no longer in business, but The Pizza Joint (with marijuana-themed everything) did not dissapoint for pizza slices, and decent canned craft beer selection.
A few pics from the walk:
Stopped at convenience store on the way back and otherwise got ready for another early departure for the longest drive yet of the trip (El Paso to Austin, with a side trek to/through Marfa).
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