Different Forms of Journeys

There are many parts to each journey and the physical part of the journey to Lubbock is a very interesting part of this journey for me.

The six hour drive is easily divided into 3 approximately 100 mile segments.

The first 100 miles is very typical boring interstate highway driving from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa New Mexico. This route is lined with McDonalds and the like with the infamous Clines Corners half way. Clines Corners is one of those tributes to traveler resting places that dotted the American highway when some of us were kids. Filled to the brim with rattlesnake gift items (I have yet to decide to just whom one would give a rattlesnake gift item), tacky dolls, bad tshirts, passable restrooms and food that my trainer would faint if he saw me eating.

The Second 100 miles is much more interesting although there is almost nothing at all on the drive. From Santa Rosa to Fort Sumner where Billy the Kid is buried the landscape does not speak much of human habitation. There are very often herds of antelope, goats, of course cows, and even a farm with Llamas, goats and alpacas. The Antelope are beautiful animals who literally bounce across the vistas and make one feel they are on a real adventure.

Now the last 100 miles is pretty much entirely inside Texas and is heavy into farming, feed yards, and Republicans. Makes for a very smelly drive.

Cooks Restaurant in Clovis New Mexico makes the best hamburger I have eaten in years. I had one this past week as a goodbye to that type of food for a long time. It made the taste even better.

As the gum chewing server said to me as I left after asking what made the burger so good she said, "honey, we take good New Mexican beef raised in Texas and fry the hell out of it" Well she did hit the mark on that one - and a joyfilled farewell it was for me.