Monday. Got on the road early to head through El Paso on our way to Las Cruces. Going to have a short travel day and check in on work and do some laundry. Funny thing; you know how when you’re driving down the interstate and you get to a town, the speed limit always goes down? If the speed limit is 65, it will generally slow to 60 or 55 until you get out of town. Well, driving through Van Horn on the interstate, the speed limit is 80! Of course we only drive 65 regardless. The first thing that happens driving west from Van Horn is we’re now in the same time zone as our children.
Called up the weather forecast and saw high wind warnings, 60mph gusts at Las Cruces expected on Tuesday. Another change in plans. Decided it would be better to cover more miles on Monday and hunker down on Tuesday. Called Rusty’s RV Ranch just outside Rodeo, New Mexico and she said she had room for us a day early, so that was our new plan. West on Interstate 10. A stop for lunch and provisioning at Deming. Continuing West on Interstate 10, we got within 15 miles of our exit (30 miles from our destination) when suddenly all traffic was diverted off the freeway. No explanation, must have been an accident or something, but the alternate route was well marked, with police moving everyone along at every intersection, and blocking any wrong turns. Where we live in the Valley, it’s not unusual to get shunted off the freeway and right back on at the next ramp.
The alternate route headed off the wrong direction, not a good sign, back to the east from whence we came. Then it turned north. Then it just went on. And on. And on. With all of the truck, RV, and car traffic that would have been on the freeway if it could. North-west. The wrong direction for us. Judy called the highway patrol. There was a dangerous dust storm, zero visibility, on the interstate ahead of us at San Simon, Arizona, so they closed it, and sent us on a Hundred Fifteen Mile detour!
We followed the scenic 2 lane highway 70 from Lordsburg, to Duncan, Solomon, and Safford. We finally got to turn south, back toward the freeway, on Highway 191. By then though, it was getting late, and almost a little bit cranky. The interstate was still closed, so even when we got back to it, we wouldn’t be able to go east to New Mexico where we were supposed to be. Another nother change in plans. Judy saved the day when we saw the sign for a State Park we’ve never been to and called them just before we got to the turn. They had room for us! We made the turn and set up for the night in a delightful little park with a lake.
We’re sheltered here in the foothills. A very calm comfortable evening.
Saw a whole bunch of Common Mergansers.
Tomorrow, assuming the interstate is back open, we only have another 95 miles to go to get back to where we meant to be tonight.
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