Day 5 – The Long Haul

We started the day in San Angelo, Texas and started the longest drive of the trip to get it out of the way. There’s a whole lotta nothing in West Texas. The scenery is straight out of Hell or High Water. (If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor. It’s one of my latest faves.)

Our chosen route took us into Roswell, so there was little fanfare welcoming us into New Mexico. No “Hey, you’re leaving Texas” signs with flashing lights or waving munchkins on the yellow brick road. Just a sign.

Roswell was just a small stop for lunch. The most noticeable feature was the smell. (Chicken farms? Flatulent livestock?) I feel bad for the aliens that crashed here in 1947. If the landing didn’t kill them, the odor surely would’ve. But we saw the super kitschy alien souvenir shops because why not. Knowing I’d be in Roswell, I hit up TripAdvisor before leaving Houston and searched for the best dive in Roswell for lunch and came up with Toddzilla’s Burgers and Mobile Cuisine. Yelp confirmed it. We had to go slightly off route, but it was so worth it! Fresh fries, juicy burgers, and friendly people. Can’t ask for more.

Another three-plus hours on the road landed us in Albuquerque. We weren’t terribly hungry, but figured we’d get something to eat before settling in for the night. Turns out, the university in town sets the tone, so there were a lot of pubs, vegan joints, and — strangely — Thai restaurants. But we figured this might be one of our last chances for good Mexican food. After consulting Yelp again, we found The Frontier, a corner spot that was pretty packed. That’s always a good sign. Plot twist: it was awful.

First, no queso. I’ll say it again: no queso. Texas has ruined me.

Enchiladas are served covered red or green chile (which is apparently a thing in New Mexico) and a bean-and-cheese taco is whole pinto beans, not refried. If this is disturbing to you, then you definitely grew up in Texas.

After that disappointing stop, we nestled into the Downtown Bed & Breakfast instead of a chain hotel. The hosts were great and who doesn’t love a quaint home away from home? We stayed in the Ivy Room, which had a balcony and two rooms. (One with a king bed and a sitting room with a sleeper sofa.) It was an old, historic home, so the super squeaky floorboards and quirky details can be excused. They had a great patio out back where we were able to enjoy a beer and cigar before turning in.

Next stop: Grand Canyon. Nothing is more Road Trip Americana, and I hope I’m as awestruck as the millions who visit every year. I’ve yet to pull out my “real” camera and can’t wait.