Day Eighteen (Eclipse Road Trip)

 Roswell, New Mexico 🠊 Albuquerque, New Mexico

We spent the night in Roswell, New Mexico, and woke up to aliens everywhere. We had a quick breakfast and explored the city. The amount of aliens around Roswell was awesome! Every business, light post, sign, and roadway had an alien, or alien-themed message. After seeing so many you ask yourself if they are actually real, or not. We parked the bus and walked around Roswell to really soak in the theme of the city and the magic of the area. Roswell is a hidden gem area that we are so glad we made time for.

Jeff and I both were loving the cactus around the area.

McDonald's during the day and at night.

We walked through Roswell taking in all of the alien-themed buildings, statues, and overall cool vibe of the place. Skylar, being a Star Wars fan was loving all of it, too. We ended up having a snack while we were in Roswell and found the chamber of commerce/visitor center.

Roswell was one of the coolest places we've ever been to. We are so glad we were able to fit it into this trip in the bus. We grabbed some stickers while in Roswell and plan on adding them to the back of the bus collection we have started.

As we were leaving Roswell and headed towards El Paso, Texas, for the night, we saw this sign for the Civilian Conservation Corps. CCC is a work program, similar to Job Corps, for men at the age of 18 to enlist and help conserve public lands across the nation. It was established during The Great Depression and helped preserve and beautify places like Lake Arthur in New Mexico, as well as Silver Falls State Park in Oregon.

We made another detour and stopped at the Living Desert Zoo and Garden State Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It was hot when we arrived, and barely any shade for us to park the bus in. We couldn't take the ducks, or Hardy in with us. We ended up leaving all of the fans running while we were exploring the area. The fans help cool the bus down and keep air circulating, but we are in need of a mini split a/c unit to really keep it cool. A battery bank and a mini split a/c are on the list of things to do once we get back to homebase.

The amount of cactus at this state park was incredible. Every turn we took there was a different cactus variety. We all loved every bit of it.

We saw a bobcat, horned owl on the first section of the walk-through. It was hot for us, so I know these animals were seeking shade. These are the main predators that are in the desert, so it was cool to see them up close and personal. I always have a special place in my heart for caged animals, but the good thing about these animals, they are rescued and rehabilitated. The horned owl loved watching me and even started talking to me. I asked him in English how his day was going and he responded back. But when Skylar asked him something, he didn't answer. I loved that he liked me enough to talk to me. I told him to stay strong and that I hoped to see him again soon. He came a little closer and hooted back to me what almost sounded like "bye bye." I wish him well.

Seeing Prickly Pear cactus at the state park made my day. It's my favorite cactus variety and I loved how healthy and thriving it was here. Prickly Pear cactus has so many wonderful benefits. It is above all one of the best plants on this planet for heart health.

Huge selenite deposits in the state park. Selenite crystals, which are gypsum, are beneficial to life, as well. They are great for purifying and create a positive energy. We stood here for awhile and touched the crystals in order to cleanse any bad auras we picked up along our trip. I'm not a crystals person, but selenite is a good crystal to have on our planet. It is used in a variety of things we use every day. Drywall, toothpaste, shampoos, and even things like jewelry.

Towards the end of the state park walk-through is the aviary. There were so many different birds flying around this aviary that it was hard to keep up with all of them darting around. All of the birds were active and chirping nonstop. Skylar and I have noise sensitivity and it was almost overwhelming, but the birds were beautiful. We made our way through as slowly as possible, and being up close and personal with all of them was such a magical experience. I was a bit afraid to go into the aviary at first, but I am glad I did.

Jeff made a run out the bus to make sure Hardy and the ducks were doing okay and to put some ice in their water dishes. It was getting hotter, so we hurried through the rest of the state park as quickly as we could.

The last few things on the walk-through were lots of cactus and this huge raven. The raven was talking nonstop to anyone that would listen. We stopped for a bit and it seemed like he was telling us a story, so we nodded along. Every time he broke in his "storytelling" we all said, "Oh, wow." Or, "That's interesting." The raven would nod his head and then start talking again. We told him thank you for the conversation and he nodded approvingly. Crows and ravens are among my top favorite birds. They are so incredibly smart and people don't give them the credit they truly deserve.

We got back on the road and headed towards El Paso, Texas. We had plans to spend the night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but we had to go through El Paso first. We were hoping to make it there by nightfall.

The views along the way were incredible. This is parts of the United States that none of us had ever seen. We were in awe of how lucky we were to be able to take this trip in our bus. A trip we have had planned for well over four years. It was so awesome to be on the road and the feeling of being free. Jeff and I both were so happy to give this experience to Skylar, too.

 

We came up over a small hill and we finally saw the lights of El Paso, Texas. We were so happy to see that we made it when we did. We were hoping to be there before it got too dark and we arrived right at 9:00 p.m.

Once we got into El Paso, we were able to see the lights of Juarez, Mexico. It was beautiful seeing it for the first time. Everyone on both sides of the border just going about their lives. It was a wonderful feeling, and we hate that people can't see the beauty in it all without judgement.

We crossed the New Mexico State Line around 10:30 p.m., but Jeff pushed on to Albuquerque. The road construction in El Paso slowed down our time a bit and border patrol stopped us three times. Once in El Paso and they looked under the bus and around the bus. They also asked us what our business was to be in El Paso, Texas. The second time was north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. They asked how many was on board, if we had pets, and/or plants onboard. They used heat sensors and x-ray and knew we had ducks. The conversation was comical explaining that one, but border patrol was super nice to us and we gave them a good laugh. They looked tired, so we were glad we gave them a bit of a mental break from their job. The last time was a quick inspection of the bus and around the bus, but we didn't have to stop. It was a drive through inspection station near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Skylar and I went to sleep, but Jeff didn't get the bus parked and situated until around 3:00 a.m. He was exhausted, but we made great time with him doing that.

Day Seventeen (Eclipse Road Trip)

Amarillo, Texas 🠊 Roswell, New Mexico

We woke up in Amarillo at the Love's RV hookup and had breakfast. We spent about two hours in and around Amarillo and then took off towards our next destination. Jeff was hoping to get through New Mexico in one day, but at the last moment we decided to take a detour towards Roswell, New Mexico. It wasn't a planned destination, but being so close we decided, what the hell, let's throw caution to the wind and go. We ended up making it to Roswell around 7:30 p.m., but the sights we saw along the way were awesome!

We ate breakfast, cleaned up the bus, got all of the animals situated, and took off. We highly recommend this Love's RV hookup site in Amarillo, Texas. It is clean, quiet, and reasonably priced for a quick stay overnight, and several free amenities that come with your reservation. For us, these RV hookup sights are prefect for on the go traveling.

We came into New Mexico around 1:00 p.m. and the temperature from Texas to New Mexico was pretty much the same. The only difference was no more dust and wind.

Skylar and I both did a little reading, and played several games of UNO while on the road. One thing I wish I had packed on our trip, was more games to play.

We came across the 'Cowboy Ruckus' around 6:00 p.m. in Corona, New Mexico. Two, 18-foot-tall ranchers pointing at each other on Highway 285. 

These cutouts were created and installed in 2016 and are facing each other across the highway. The distance between them is about 300 feet, and are based off of rancher brothers, Mike and Mark Marley, who own the land on each side. The story behind them is hilarious and as we came over the hill headed towards Roswell, New Mexico, Skylar and I both said, "What the heck is that?" We had no idea this roadside attraction existed, but we love this kind of quirky stuff, so it was right up our alley. We stopped and had lunch at this location, and watched people and families stop and take pictures of them. It was such a cool sight to see, and even more so that so many people were enjoying it, like we did.

All of these pictures here were taken by us, so please ask before using them for yourself. We are nice people, all you have to do is ask. ☺

Read more about 'Cowboy Ruckus' here.

We reached Roswell, New Mexico, around 8:00 p.m. The sun was setting and the view of the sign with the sunset was a perfect shot. We were hoping to see some mysterious happenings, but what we did see was pretty cool. This view alone makes me think of life beyond our own and how minor and petty a lot of things are in life. We are literally tiny specks of small life on a large planet in a vast existence. When you think of how tiny we are to everything else, it makes you more humble. Or, as least it should.

Roswell, New Mexico, has a soft spot in my family for me. My great uncle and great aunt lived in Roswell for many years. Uncle Fred and Aunt Elizabeth lived outside of Roswell in the early days around the time of the the UFO crash sightings in 1947. Fred and Elizabeth were nomads in a way because of Fred's job that took him different places. I definitely got some of my personality from Elizabeth. She was a kind, laid back, funny, and curious lady. I like to think she and my great uncle would be proud of who I've become and that I was thinking of them a lot while in Roswell.

And, I can't help but share Skylar's Instagram story post. Notice the UFO emoji in the background. Ha!

Day Fifteen, Sixteen (Eclipse Road Trip)

 Rowland, Oklahoma 🠊 Warner, Oklahoma

We woke up after staying the night at a Pilot Travel Center in Rowland off Highway 64. We didn't want to find another location off our path, because we had plans to attend church with my Oklahoma family, and it was so late once we got into the area from leaving Crystal Springs, Arkansas. We got ready on the bus Sunday morning and drove straight to Gore United Methodist Church. We aren't religious and don't attend church regularly, but anytime we are invited by family to fellowship, we don't turn it down. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being in church with my Uncle Paul, Aunt Susan, "Aunt" Paula, and a few people my mom grew up with. They were all happy to see us, too. We left the church and went back to spend time on their farm. We got to see their new baby cattle, and Skylar got to ride/drive a four-wheeler for the first time.

Uncle Paul took Jeff and me around the farm on his UTV, while Skylar followed us on the four-wheeler. Skylar loved every minute of it because he got to be up close and personal with all the cattle.

As the day came to an end, the sunset in Oklahoma reminded me of Oregon. I was happy to see a sunset with my uncle and my aunt, but unfortunately we had to get back on the road to our next destination.

We said our goodbyes and I took this one last picture of them on the porch. We had a wonderful time and it's time I won't forget.

Warner, Oklahoma 🠊 Hinton, Oklahoma

We left Warner and made it to Hinton, Oklahoma, to stay the night. It was late when we finally said our goodbyes in Warner, and the sun was gone by the time we got back on the road. I fell asleep before anyone else, but we were all just glad to stretch out and relax from all the excitement and sad goodbyes. This was the last picture I took of the bus that night before I fell asleep.

Hinton, Oklahoma 🠊 Amarillo, Texas

We left Hinton, Oklahoma, and drove to Amarillo, Texas, for the day. We spent the remaining day in and around Amarillo. One place that seems minor to most, but is a huge deal for Jeff and me was the rest area in McLean, Texas, Gray County Safety Rest Area. This is the same rest area we stopped at 20 years ago when we moved from Arkansas to Oregon, and Skylar was only six months old.

It was such a special moment for us to see it again, and especially with Skylar. A lot has changed since that time 20 years ago, Baz and our dog Beau weren't with us this time. Neither was our two cats, Milo and Meia. We also had a cooler with four goldfish, and a Plecostomus (Suckerfish), of which are no longer with us either. It was sad to think about the difference, but we made new memories with Hardy, Eleven, and our three ducks (Fern, Mallie, and Quappy).

The changing table in the rest stop bathroom is the same one that I changed Skylar's diaper and clothes on 20 years ago on our move to Oregon. It was a cool thing to see again after all of these years. It made me nostalgic for that time again.

The rest stop had a lot of informational graphics about the area and what this part of Texas is known for.

The state of Texas is the largest producer of wind-powdered energy.

The view from this rest area was beautiful and it was the perfect day to see it all. The sidewalk leading to the viewpoint had animal tracks in the concrete. I love when places leave the tracks in the setting concrete. It gives a little story to the area. I hope this little raccoon is still thriving.

We ate some lunch while parked and I was able to upload a lot of our pictures from the trip. We had to turn the fans on for a bit to get some air blowing through the bus, but overall it was a nice day with mild temperatures. I tend to be colder than Jeff or Skylar, and in the back of the bus it was perfect for me without a fan blowing. I had a tiny visitor fly in through the window, though, so I had to rescue him and put in the screens after he left. I also loved how the sun reflected on the windshield and showed all of Hardy's little nose marks. He sat on the dash a lot of the trip and helped Jeff navigate through the different states, like a good little copilot.

We decided to call it a day once we made it to Amarillo. We wanted to get some good rest for the night so we could spend some time around the city. We saw a Love's RV camping area on our way down to Arkansas, so we immediately booked it back there. It was a quiet and clean place, and we made note of it for future trips. When we finally got parked, hooked up, and situated, the animals were ready for dinner and a break from driving. Eleven immediately came out from her hiding place and was telling me it was time for her to eat. All of the animals were still doing wonderful on the trip at this point. My main concern was their wellbeing, and they all seemed to be enjoying the new sights and smells. We made dinner for ourselves, did a good cleaning of the bus, and called it a night.