Day 19 – Wichita Falls

Day 19 – 5/31/2021 – Wichita Falls

Having a long way to go today, we leave early and reach New Mexico where we still drive by rock formations like this. 

While driving somewhere just beyond Gallup, New Mexico we pass these windmill blades sitting on trailers waiting for delivery.  You can imagine the size of one of the blades from the truck tractor pulling the flatbed rig.  We have seen one before, but not all three together.

Before we reach Thoreau, NM, we cross the Continental Divide, at an altitude of 7,275 feet.  The sky is darkening and we can see rain in the distance and it seems to be coming our way.  We stop at a gas station and get gas and a pit stop and as we get back into the car, it begins to hail.  To stay out of the hail and before getting back onto the highway we stop under the highway overpass until it finishes.

While still in New Mexico, we pass a section that has a makeup of lava flow rocks.  This must be thousands of years old because I do not remember hearing about volcano eruptions in New Mexico. 

This is not the first train that we have seen.  Most all of the trains have over 200 cars, many with double-decker containers cars pulled by three engines like these and pushed by at least two more.

Apparently, at 6,000 feet of elevation, we are still in an area with interesting terrain.  Check out the singular spire at this location. I wonder if people climb this a training for a bigger climb.

Having traveled from New Mexico to Texas, we have seen many windmills for pumping water, such as this one both in the distance and near the road. 

Once again we are seeing many windmill farms.  This one, in the distance, like many others lines of four to eight windmills make up a linear field for electricity generation. 

Sure enough, we go by several ranches and this one had many horses near the road.  There are small colts and at least five lying down, hopefully sleeping.  You can how large the fields are with the electric generating windmills in the background.

Just before we enter Amarillo, Texas, we go by the Cadillac Ranch again and although we do not stop, Carmen gets a passing picture of the cars. 

Before we get to Wichita Falls and stop for the night, Carmen takes a picture of one of the many wheat fields we have gone by.  This one is huge and fronts another windmill farm in the background. 

As we near Wichita Falls, we come across this Texan fixer upper.  And look, it has its own satellite dish receiver for television stations.  What more could you ask for?