WST Day 16: Santa Fe in the rearview mirror

Santa Fe had no good vibes for us.

Nancy and I woke up at 5:45 AM to be ready at 6:30 to ask FB take her to the Santa Fe airport to check in and get her boarding pass, then bring her back to the hotel where I'd arranged for a 1:00 PM check out as her flight didn't leave until 4:30.

As Nance opened our door, FB called to say he'd be missing breakfast because he was taking the Kia to a garage to check the tire that has been losing pressure. Nancy and I wait and wait and wait. At 8:36, he calls that tire is fixed and we are on the road in 10 minutes.

We drive up to Santa Fe Municipal Airport and are staggered! THIS is the air terminal for a state capital???? OMG!! No obvious TSA clearance. only two airline desks: United and American; neither is staffed until 1:00 PM! Nancy decides to stay at airport. Later we find she has been bumped until tomorrow morning out of Albuquerque!!! She is handling this well; but, really, what can she do once she is caught in the tentacles of air travel???

FB and I motor on toward Elk City, Oklahoma and the National Route 66 Museum. We opt for lunch in Tucumcari, New Mexico, for a fabulous Mexican lunch at Del's, which has been a Route 66 restaurant since 1956. Leo, our waiter, is a hoot and surprises us with sopapillas for dessert. My first, but not my last!!. I am bummed by this small city, it is so many carcasses of former motels and eateries that withered when I-40 was built. I am looking forward to Elk City and enjoying Route 66 in all its glory.  I discover when checking on opening times that the museum is closed on Sunday. We decide to stay in Elk City regardless. 

Just before Amarillo,  we drive by at least 75 miles of wind turbine farms! Turns out wind power supplies about 11.7% of Texas' annual electric power!! One "farm" we pass is the Wildorado Wind Ranch! 16,000 acres of wind turbines. Amazing.


 Then a bit farther we come to another "farm" but this one has not started powering up yet, so all the100+ turbines are motionless and silent. It's kind of like like watching ghosts standing by waiting for the "Boo".  FB says this motionlessness is very unusual as they normally start wind turbines in groups of 3-5 to begin generating power (and money) immediately.



We keep paralleling the original Route 66, so here are the current I-40 and the infamous 66. Can you guess which is which???

Yesterday, I crossed over the Rio Grande, today I cross over the Red River, except it's brown and not very appealing.

The Texas Pamhandle looks like I thought it would.  I keep expecting John Wayne to appear on the horizon riding through the sage to rescue someone or defend something or just fight for the sake of a good cleansing brawl. (Can you tell we are listening to the latest Lucas Davenport adventure?)


We stopped for gas at the Alanreed, Texas Conoco station, where the general store is also the post office. Chatting with the Post Mistress/ store owner, I find she has been to only three other states in her 60+ years. She is happy and content in her place! She tells me Route 66 is 90 years old this year! I celebrate by buying a very cool labeled bottle of red blend.

We get takeout salad, eat in room, discuss next year's Great Lakes tour, agreeing on 10 days max!!!  Our trip to Antlers is cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. I will go out there in September for several days. I am ready for bed as tomorrow we head for home.