What arrow straight roads the ranch roads in Texas are - and 70 mph to boot! We left Caprock Canyon after a three mile morning walk back to the rim to see the morning light. Finally caught a glimpse of the Texas Bison Herd as we left but they were in the distance. There will be more bison to come. Ranch Road 145 runs off of 86 to Kress, Texas. The land is as vast as you always imagine Texas to be, sparcely populated, lots of cattle and suprisingly, cotton fields. Co-op gin mills and grain elevators are tall and can be seen for miles.
Route 87 to 70 takes you through tiny towns like Circle and Muleshoe. We stopped to get diesel next to a Walmart and saw this unique Welcome to Walmart sign. Love the diesel prices in NM.
Did we go to Roswell, NM, home of the infamous 1947 UFO "incident" and of the International UFO Study Institute? Yes we went on a lark but it was actually very interesting and well presented. There were many photos from the 1940s and also of more current UFO sightings. Some hokey things also like the little grey men. Joe wants to tell Jimmy Crisafulli these are Joe's new bodyguards.
Back on Route 70 to 380 and through the Capitan Mountains Wilderness. It was breathtakingly beautiful and empty of civilization. We also climbed to 6800 feet and found some really tight turns on the two lane road. This small back road is better maintained then most of the main roads in Maine.
We passed through Carrizozo and found a spot in the Valley of Fire BLM campground. I was expecting (and hoping for) just an off road place to camp but found this CG had water, power and very clean showers for $9 a night. We walked out on a trail through the lava fields reading most of the info signs along the way, looking at blooming cactus and the views out over the lava to the mountains. Sunset was what we thought it would be out west - bright, long and gorgeous. Undecided whether to take a rest day and stay here, walk and relax or head up to Albuquerque.
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