4:24 a.m.

It was hard to sleep soundly last night as my hip pressed sharply against the dry, cracked hardwood floor. I sat up against the wall in the empty bedroom where I lived for the year and a half, taking in one last time how it felt to fell trapped. Trapped by living in Lubbock, trapped by being in college and having to try and please everyone, and trapped by having to work while in school to stay afloat financially. Today, I’m being set free of all those things, allowing me to fully experience the American West.

On US-84 heading towards the New Mexico border, I looked up out my car window and saw the Milky Way for the first time since laying in the field at camp with Ellen. The faint band of light crossing the sky is so mysterious and incomprehensible, but yet feels so inviting. I’ve always felt like a kid going to Disney World for the first time while looking up at the stars. The universe forces all of us to think of what else is out there. It gives us a chance tov think of the unknown and have a sense of adventure. For me, the places I’m going to go still feel as far away as the Milky Way does. It hasn’t hit me that this dream is quickly becoming tangible and pictures will soon become memories.

“The Land of Enchantment”

As the sun began to rise, I said farewell to the state I call home. The rail line splitting between Farwell, TX and Texico, NM creates a nice, man-made border. The “The Land of Enchantment” brought isolation and quietness where trains whistled through the still-asleep towns, cattle outnumbered people by an overwhelming margin, and the land so flat I thought I could the physical curvature of the Earth. It’s amazing to see places still untouched – how it was designed to look. In a world that revolves around always having the biggest and best, it’s so rare to see places that aren’t overrun with shopping malls and car dealerships.

By the time I reached Clines Corner, NM on I-40, the road began to fill with many more cars and semi-trucks and the feeling of isolation quickly went away. We look like a colony of caffeinated ants on mornings like this. Scurrying through the streets just trying to survive until Friday night to do it all over again on Monday. I could feel the stress pulse through the air, including mine. I’m looking forward to this detox from everyday life. With the Clines Corner Travel Center being the only source of revenue for the town, I excepted a little more. The 30,000 ft² facility was filled to the brim with useless and unneeded souvenirs ranging from T-shirts, postcards, gas station snacks, and abnormally large “Dia de los Muertos” skulls. 

Albuquerque, NM

Driving through Albuquerque, NM always brings back memories of my brothers and I coming out here during Spring Break of 2014. That was the first trip without our parents we’d taken. We went to several places in New Mexico including Taos and White Sands National Monument. One of the highlights of that trip for me was doing an impromptu “Breaking Bad” tour. Being filmed in and around Albuquerque, we stopped at the car wash, Los Pollos Hermanos, and the house they lived at in the show. The owners of that house rented it out for the showed and has now become a local tourist trap. As we parked and walked up towards the house, the owners were sitting in lawn chairs in their garage, waiting for people like us. I greeted them nicely and got the quick response of, “You can take a photo, but stay off our property!” I got the picture I wanted and quickly got back in the car… 

North on I-25, I passed through Bernalillo, NM & Rio Rancho, NM. The local myth says Rio Rancho was originally a safe haven for those in the Witness Protection Program, and you can understand why. There’s nothing but dirt, rows of houses that look copied and pasted from the one before, and a casino neighboring an H&R Block and a Twister’s. Hiding someone in a town like this, especially 40 years ago would be pretty easy I imagine. 

US-550

Just north of Rio Rancho the road became what I had been hoping to see. It went from arid desert to thriving greenery and canyons. It reminded me a lot of Sedona that kept going for miles and miles.

Seeing Cuba, NM on a map, I was intrigued to go through the town with a somewhat controversial name. The town itself is very similar to Roswell – dull, empty, and didn’t live up to the hype I built up in my head. There were maybe two gas stations and a motel with some old decrepit buildings scattered on the outskirts of town. I saw a lighted traffic sign which said “Reduse Speed” just outside of town, adding to the town’s charm… Once I reached the top of a long incline in the road and saw my first sight of the San Juan Mountains. I saw the snow-capped mountains and became so excited for what’s to come in Colorado.

Ahe ‘heé-Hágoóneé

The drive to Shiprock took me through the vast Navajo Reservation. Road signs were both in miles and kilometers, traditional hogans (sacred Navajo homes) dotted the landscape, and they don’t abide by daylight savings. There were signs of the old ways of living like the hogan, along with farming equipment, irrigation canals, Honda Civic’s older than I am, and coal mining factories. It was really a fascinating place. I could feel their obligation to keep their traditions which I’m sure they’re proud of, but it just isn’t sustainable for life in America today. In most of this country you need money to both survive and to thrive.

The drive eventually went from fascinating to monotonous and dull, partially because you’re able to see the rock formation from over 50 miles away. I eventually got to a pull-off close enough to Shiprock – any further, Charlotte was bound to lose a tire or two. Even though it was approaching noon, two cars were pulled off avoiding falling asleep at the wheel. Surrounding the area was Navajo private property laced with rusty, barbed-wire fences kept animals in and thieves out. On the ground was an amazing amount of shrapnel from beer and liquor bottles, making the ground look mosaic. Off to the side a sign read, “Keep our community clean, don’t litter.” How ironic… I recommend staying away from Shiprock. It was a lot of slow driving through the Navajo Reservation – which was great – I guess I was hoping to get much closer to Shiprock than I did.

It was only a 30-minute drive from Shiprock to the Arizona border for a quick stop in Teec Nos Pos, AZ. Built in 1905, the Teec Nos Pos Trading Post is now more a grocery store than a refuge for the Pony Express and settlers heading to the Gold Rush in California. Inside the most interesting things was the meat market in the back selling strictly organ meats. There were other basic supplies but very little souvenirs which was frustrating. I got a postcard of a jackalope reminding me of Ellen.

Four Corners Monument

Driving up to the gate felt more like a prison than a monument. There were high fences with barbed wire on top and bars on the windows of the entrance station. It was a $5 entrance fee per person. Also at the entrance, there was a sign saying spreading of ashes was prohibited and considered sacrilegious to cremate the dead according to the Navajo people. 

Inside Four Corners was a line of 100-plus people standing and waiting to get their picture in all four states. It took an hour and a half according to some. Surrounding the actual area was rows and rows of vendors selling the same art and figurines in each. Surprisingly only one person was selling basic souvenirs like postcards, pins, and stickers – all I really wanted. It was a strange feeling almost as if you were walking by a homeless person in downtown Phoenix every time you pass by their stands and not buy anything. I could feel the desperation in the fact that this was the only way they could make money. It made the mood in the whole area feel strange to me. I walked around the perimeter three or four times so I could say I was in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, & Utah all at the same time. I spent some time people watching. There were so many frustrated parents with crying kids wanting to go back to their iPads in the car. I took plenty of pictures and spent a good amount of time there so I was content with leaving. 

On the way out, I saw a little shack selling famous Navajo fry bread and decided to check it out. As I was waiting for it, I talked to this guy moving his family from San Diego to Miami and decided to road trip their way. He explained to me that he had only been to the Grand Canyon on his trip and planned to spend little time in each place needing to get to Miami sooner rather than later. He was pretty cool. I got the bread with cheese on it expecting nachos I guess? I regret that decision and recommend you try it with honey instead. I enjoyed it however and was ready to move into Colorado!

The Centennial State

I dreamed of climbing to the tops of 14er’s, sliding down 300 ft. sand dunes, and exploring the mystery of the Anasazi here in this diverse state. I strangely thought that immediately upon entering, everything would become filled with lush green meadows with animals frolicking about. Sun would always be shining and flowing water was always in ear-shot. Hopefully it’ll become that eventually. The first ten miles in Colorado looked just like the past 600 – dirt, dirt, and more dirt.

Walking into the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez – the first town away from Four Corners, two older ladies greeted me as if I was their son. Here at the Welcome Center is one of many places around the area you can purchase tour tickets for the major attractions in Mesa Verde National Park. They were both very helpful with getting me tickets for tomorrow and directing me to a possible available campground for the night.

Target Tree Campground will be my home for tonight and tomorrow. I really couldn’t beat the $18/night for this awesome campground. There is quite a bit of history here as well as a hiking trail going up the hillside. After getting settled in, I went on this little hike seeing the mountains around. Nothing I’ve seen before can really compare to these views! It’s hard for me to comprehend that this is just scraping the surface of all the incredible views I’d see within the next few months. As I laid down for the night, I pictured all those views, and dreamed of the ones I’d see tomorrow.

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