2023 Summer Road Trip: Boulder City, Nevada: A Shower and a Sigh

Two owls and a clan of coyotes awakened me at 5 o'clock this morning. 

Yesterday I learned there is no place in the Lake Mead Recreation Area to take a shower. Well, at least no place for the likes of us who stay (at all but one?) the campgrounds. 

As an aside, there is no electricity in the bathroom. I'd thought perhaps the lighting was just impaired - bulbs out or the motion sensor or something - but no, I tested the outlet next to the sink - no power. 

 I learned at the visitor center that the Boulder City swimming pool allows day passes and thus shower use, so I availed myself of that facility. 

But first I visited the Boulder City Library. 

I teared up a bit when I saw this sign in the library: 

Social Justice Club at Boulder City Library, Nevada. September 2023. Credit: Mzuriana.

In these reactionary times, when noble principles that one would think are above political partisanship, such as diversity, equality, and inclusion, have been hijacked into a New Racism and an internal Isolationism -  it wears on the spirit. 

So this sign? Out in the open like this? So unabashed? Yes, it gladdened my heart.

As did this sign! 

Period supplies at Boulder City Library, Nevada. September 2023. Credit: Mzuriana.

These signs of generosity to humankind, they made me sigh. And smile.

2023 Summer Road Trip: Las Vegas Bay, Nevada: Rain

 

 

Rainy day at McDonald's. Henderson, Nevada. September 2013. Credit: Mzuriana.

It rained yesterday late afternoon. It began while I was in the McDonald's parking lot readying for a lesson with one of my students. I'm a succubus of McDonald's wifi. 

I wondered if it also rained at the campground. 

Yes, it did. 

And the shower seemed to have drawn out a delicious aroma from one of the prolific plants at the campground. The creosote bushes, best I can tell. 

I believe these are said creosote bushes in the foreground of the photo below. I trust that someone will inform me if I'm incorrect. 

Creosote bushes in foreground. View from Las Vegas Bay Campground after rain. Nevada. September 2023. Credit: Mzuriana.

 

One camper family had, like me, not known rain was coming, and they'd foregone their tent's rainfly. 

I might have done the same - both here and at a previous campground - but my tent almost demands the installation of its rainfly, else one side of the tent would be virtually backless - all screen. 

So the little family returned to rain-sodden sleeping bags and mattress. 

Other than puddles on my tent foyer, I was in good shape. 

My rainy tent foyer in Las Vegas Bay Campground, Nevada. September 2023. Credit: Mzuri.

I am reminded of my camping experience at Lake Catherine in Arkansas, when I dug a water-diversion trench around my tent's perimeter. 

 

 

2023 Summer Road Trip: Las Vegas Bay, Nevada: New Phone Blues

 

Las Vegas Bay Campground, Nevada. September 2023. Credit: Mzuriana

It remains so interesting that so few of us are camping in Las Vegas Bay Campground this week. Maybe it will fill up over the weekend? 

The stillness is nice, though. 

Today I've got to get some wireless earbuds. 

My new phone needs new gear, which adds to the financial cost of the phone. Which said phone was, I thought, in my mid-range price zone. I hadn't considered the collateral costs. Grrr. 

When choosing my new phone, and being budget-minded, I didn't fully appreciate the impact of no round port for my plug-in earbuds - I had to buy an adapter to insert them into the phone's sole orifice. Which means I can't charge the phone while I listen to a podcast. Which brings me to my thoughtless thought that paying more for a phone with wireless charging was unnecessary. Well. 

Hence the search for wireless earbuds. Which I didn't want because that would have meant yet another device to charge and yet another device to have to keep track of like a wee toddler. 

The new phone also boasts "super fast" charging, which means, yes, the need to buy new charging implements that charge super fast (or even just "fast"), as sticking with what I've already got = wackingly slow charging - like four hours instead of one hour, or even less. 

I think I may wish I'd gone with the Google Pixel instead of this A54 Samsung instead.

 

Road Trip: Dash to Las Vegas, Nevada: Part 3: Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona. December 2019.

Thus far

Part 1: On the Way There is here.
Part 2: There is here.

I struggled between exploring Las Vegas a bit on Monday morning or stopping in Hoover Dam on the way back to Tucson. I didn't have time to do both.

I chose Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona. December 2019.

Leaving Las Vegas

However, I also made the decision to move out of Las Vegas via its city streets instead of jumping on the highway. The idea was that I'd get a passing view of the city as I departed.

Although it exacted a time toll that I paid for on the last leg of my trip, I'm glad for this choice. As I left the strip and its environs, the streetscape of Las-Vegas-the-Star! transformed into the near-city and suburban streetscape of just about any desert city in the Southwest. The view right-sized Las Vegas for me, letting me see, in a sense, what a showgirl looks like when she's got a day off, sans costume and make-up, buying Q-tips and frozen chicken breasts at Walmart.


Boulder City

Charming. I want to return, twirl around in its cubbyholes for a few hours, while basing myself for a weekend at one of the Lake Mead Recreation Area campgrounds.

Entrance to Lake Mead Recreation Area from Boulder City, Nevada. December 2019.

I lost my way to Hoover Dam while in Boulder City, which one would think is almost impossible to do, but the sort of thing that happens to me regularly. Fortunately, a visitor center was at the precise intersection in the historic center of town where I paused, unsure about which way to turn. So I turned into that, and the docent inside helpfully pointed toward the very same intersection, at a smallish sign on one corner, that said "Hoover Dam." OK, then. So, while I'm here, "where is your restroom"? (Across the street, by the way, in a different building.)



Hoover Dam

On one end of the dam is Nevada and on the other end is Arizona. The Arizona side terminates in a dead end, but it offers tiers of parking lots, which overlook the dam and the river, which are all free.

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona. December 2019.

There's a tour (or more) on and in and around the dam, but I didn't have time to do any of those.

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona. December 2019.

But below is a driving tour over the dam, with impressive power concrete structures and towering power tower skeletons, and people, lots of people:

The loveliest view is the lapiz lazuli river that swings slowly between cinnamon-toast outcrops.

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona. December 2019.

Road Trip: Dash to Las Vegas, Nevada: Part 1: On the Way There

Before landing in Tucson, I never had the desire to visit Las Vegas (Nevada, not New Mexico.)  But shortly after I arrived here, I kinda got hit in the head with the gobsmacking news that Las Vegas is not a far drive away. It got suddenly put on my list of places called "It'd-be-a-shame-not-to-check-out-if-I'm-so-close."


Then not long ago, it got pushed to the list called "I will go next month."

This is because one of my students, who lives in Vietnam, was coming to the US for a business trip, and then visiting a friend outside of LA, who had promised my student a look-see over in Vegas, and I allowed as how Las Vegas wasn't all that far from Tucson, and we sealed the deal: He and his friend would come to Vegas from LA, and I'd come to Vegas from Tucson.

I'll call my student "Sinh," which really is a Vietnamese name, because it seems fitting for the Las Vegas milieu.

 On my way to Las Vegas, I saw some stuff.

Sacaton Rest Area, I-10, Arizona. December 2019.

Sacaton Rest Area on I-10, between Tucson and Phoenix

I am fond of trees with smooth, muscular trunks, so I felt immediately attracted to a particularly handsome palo verde tree standing along the entry path to the restrooms.

Sacaton Rest Area, I-10, Arizona. December 2019.

I am not alone in my admiration, as evidenced by this blogger's 2015 post on the trees at the rest area.

Arizona remodeled the Sacaton Rest Area in 2018 and proudly released this grand re-opening video re: same:




The refurbished restrooms are nice, but I feel disappointed when accessible stalls fall short of the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and perhaps even the letter of the law.

In the case of the Sacaton rest area, there seemed to be ample room within the stall for a person to enter and maneuver in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the door latch on the inside was difficult for me to turn to lock or unlock, so anyone with mobility issues in their hands, wrists, or arms might have a hell of a time getting out of the stall. This may appear trivial to those without a disability, but if you can't lock or unlock your own toilet stall, then you are denied independence that other users take for granted.

As I wonder when on tiptoes for restroom mirrors hung inexplicably high, why don't installers (or Arizona Department of Transportation, who paid for and had administrative oversight of the completed work) think to invite someone with a wheelchair (and those with arthritic hands) to test out these spaces?


But moving on!

Hassayampa Rest Area, on Highways 60/93, between Surprise and Wickenburg, Arizona

My bladder and I next stopped at Arizona's Hassayampa Rest Area.

Hassayampa Rest Area, Hwy 60/93, Arizona. December 2019.

Since my return home, I've learned that the rest area is a sweet spot for birders. From this article's author:

There are many riparian corridors in Arizona, and many roadside rest areas, but this is the only roadside rest area in a riparian corridor where I would stop and expect to see Vermilion Flycatchers in the parking lot. The Hassayampa River riparian corridor is a migration route for birds crossing the desert that can be a good place for a quick stop along the highway. Some 230 species of birds have been recorded in the area.

What enchanted me was the idea of an "upside down river," in which much of stream's water flow is under the sand. This blog offers a still-photo tour along much of the Hassayampa River's length.

The lush ground cover at one side of the rest area's parking lot reminded me of Louisiana's lushness.

Hassayampa Rest Area, Hwy 60/93, Arizona. December 2019.

All so quickly, I was off again for Las Vegas.

Along Highway 93, I saw this:

And this:

Driving through a moonscape, it was, above.

Las Vegas, New Mexico: Longmire Backfire

Longmire. Credit: IMDB

I visited Las Vegas, New Mexico, a few weeks ago. Learned that a TV show was being filmed there, which I'd never seen.

Longmire.

When I returned home, I pulled it up on Netflix.

Holy mother of God, it's a bad show.

You've got a sheriff who carries no cell phone (and evidently not even a police radio in his truck?!) Yes, I get that the writers need for their injured lone wolf to be defiantly retro, but Jesus, it's just irresponsible not to have any means of communication between himself and his posse. He doesn't have to have a smart phone. Hell, a CB radio, at least.

Said sheriff also queries a so-called friend of something like 30 years if he's involved in prostitution or kidnapping - based on the comment of a stranger?

Aforementioned sheriff doesn't even know there's another Indian working at the place where his long-time friend works (who, because he is Indian, is presumed to be the Indian alluded to by the previously-mentioned stranger).

Not to mention the RV bordello that everyone in town seems to know about except for law enforcement....

Longmire should lose in the upcoming elections for sheriff. But then I guess there'd be no show. 

Beautiful scenery, though.

Montezuma, New Mexico, Part 2: Water

Path between springs and stream, Montezuma, New Mexico

I visited Montezuma a few years ago, then again a few weekends ago, this time with one of my sisters. Albeit tiny, Montezuma is kinda famous for three discrete attractions:

• A castle, of sorts
• A house of light
• A hot spring alongside a cold stream

There is also, incredibly, an abandoned ice rink that people use now as an ersatz swimming hole. A guy in an RV seems to live alongside this spot.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

Water

The hot springs don't fool around - they are hot. Different pools have different temperatures. For some people, this fact is a no brainer, but for newbies - like I was some years ago - this is helpful information. A long time ago, my daughter and I went to some springs in British Columbia and we had no idea that the water at one end would boil you like a lobstor, whereas over at the other hand, the temp was just pleasantly warm.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

The springs in Montezuma are near a cold stream.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

 

When my sister and I visited a few weekends ago, there were people soaking in the hot spring baths and people swimming in the stream and there were people going back and forth to enjoy both.

Stream near springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

The vibe around the springs and water is like what you'd expect it was back in the 'old days' regardless of what constitutes the 'old days' for you - whatever decade it was when you were a kid and you went to the swimming hole in the summer.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

In Montezuma, you can enjoy the hot springs year-round, of course. The Las Vegas natives we talked to, who were taking in the waters while we were there, affirmed that it is just as delicious to soak in the hot water while there's snow around you as you might imagine it to be. 

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

The holes above were dark and deep. I swear I saw something slow and heavy at the bottom slide under the divider, and into the other hole. Kind of Stephen-Kingish. This water was very, very hot, and I wondered what living thing could live down there in the depths. .... but maybe I just imagined it.

Stream near springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

Unknown artistic folks created a Japanesque river design by placing stones atop stones.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

An elegant collection of white flowers stood near the spring structures.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

We talked to one couple who had been the whole day, soaking. They had selected a small spring bath with just enough room for the two of them. It was sunny out, a warm day.

Springs, Montezuma, New Mexico

A good day to indulge in such simple pleasure.

Montezuma, New Mexico, Part 1: Light

Come, sit, join us. Dwan Light Sanctuary,  New Mexico.

I visited Montezuma a few years ago, then again a few weekends ago, this time with one of my sisters. Albeit tiny, Montezuma is kinda famous for three discrete attractions:

• A castle, of sorts
• A house of light
• A hot spring alongside a cold stream

There is also, incredibly, an abandoned ice rink that people use now as an ersatz swimming hole. A guy in an RV seems to live alongside this spot.


The Dwan Light Sanctuary


In pictures.

Dwan Light Sanctuary,  New Mexico.

Dwan Light Sanctuary,  New Mexico.

Dwan Light Sanctuary,  New Mexico.

And a slide show that shows both 2013 and 2007 photos below:

Highway 104, New Mexico: The Cliffhanger

Highway 104 between Las Vegas and Tucumcari, New Mexico. 2007.

I've been down this road before - Highway 104 between Las Vegas and Tucumcari.

Surprised me the first time in 2007 and again the second time, August 2013.

From Las Vegas, you're tooling along a flat, not-unpleasant track, then bang, there it is, one of those vast scenic New Mexican panoramas.

Highway 104 between Las Vegas and Tucumcari, New Mexico. 2013.

A 1985 story about this road, by Jon Mark: New Mexico Highway 104: 110 Lovely, Lonely Miles. An excerpt:

Heading west from Conchas, the landscape is virtually unmarked by man's presence. You'll find traffic so light that only one car every 20 or 30 minutes may pass a given spot. This part of New Mexico is a high, vast, rocky, sagebrush-covered plain at the foot of the Rockies' eastern slope. Here, Highway 104, a shoulderless two-lane strip of asphalt, traverses hills and red rock mesas.

The land rolls up and down. A car rides the slopes as a ship rides the waves in the sea. The sea changes constantly as the sun moves in the sky and the car moves on the ground.

Here's a 2012 paean to Highway 104 from Ramblings From a Road-a-Holic: New Mexico 104: A Delightful Excursion.

And another 2012 entry: Of New Mexico 104, Josh Beckett and Six-Game Lead.

Rootless Relocation, Part 1c: Where?

Tres Piedras, New Mexico. Old Pink Schoolhouse Gallery.

In Part 1a, I considered where in the world I'll live next. I narrowed the options down to New Mexico or Mexico..
In Part 1b, I looked at the pros and cons of the two, and decided on New Mexico.


But now --> Where in New Mexico will I live?


What are my decision drivers? 

• Access to family
• Access to other parts of New Mexico for exploration
• Climate
• Demographics - I want ethnic, cultural, language, and age diversity
• Interesting geography
• Income opportunities
• Recreation opportunities
• Cost of living, especially housing
• City size
• "Romance" factor - for example, do I want the Tony Hillerman New Mexico (Navajo and Hopi territory) or do I want Red Sky at Morning New Mexico (Sangre de Cristo Mountains area)? Or the borderlands factor, close to Mexico?

And do I want to choose my new base first and then look for work? Or look for work and let that determine where I'll settle in New Mexico?

Originally, I thought to look for work from Missouri and let the job hunt lead me to my new rootless base. But I changed direction and decided to look for my most desired base and then look for work. 


Where do I not want to live? 

I don't want to live in:

• Albuquerque - larger than what I want
• The bedroom communities surrounding Albuquerque - I don't like looking at the smog that ABQ produces
• Santa Fe - hate that congested, Anytown USA, main drag going into town, and just not a fan of the overall vibe  
• Deming - based on research, seemed a little depressed
• Las Cruces - a sea of beige and bland bounded by highway
• Mountain communities that attract snow in winter, such as Cloudcroft and Ruidoso 
• Carlsbad - too far from most of New Mexico
• Portales or Clovis - might as well live in Oklahoma if I'm going to live in these cities

Silver City, New Mexico

On the fence about: 

• Silver City - great climate, nice town, but like Carlsbad, a little too remote from the rest of NM, and perhaps too gentrified for my taste
• Taos - I've been here twice and there are things I like about it, but I'm not in love; also, too much snow 
• Farmington - Tony Hillerman country, which is attractive, but I just can't get a feel for the geography or the vibe. It'd be cold in the winter. I was cold all last winter in Rustavi. No. Thank. You.

Taos, New Mexico

Possibles:

• Gallup - Out West, cowboy, cattle drive, rodeo, seductive tumbleweed-desolation vibe
• Grants - Ditto
• Truth or Consequences - Hot springs along the Rio Grande, a gritty attitude I find compelling, mild winters, good central location in NM
• Las Vegas - the Sangre de Cristo Mountains factor, one-day drive from mid-Missouri, good city size, university in town, hot springs nearby
• Alamogordo - In desert area, but really close to mountain communities, mild winters, good town size, university in town, military base nearby that supports economy, close to Mexico
• Roswell - Nice size at 48,000 population, university in town, somewhat mild winters

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Some resources to help me rule communities in or out:

The city-data.com forums are a place to ask questions about places of interest. There's a rich archive to search previous questions and answers about a locale.

City-data.com itself offers demographic, employment, crime, climate data about locales in the U.S.
There's also good info from the U.S. Census here, from whence you can drill down to small communities.

Craigslist gives researchers a ballpark idea of housing costs and job possibilities.

Meetup gives you an idea of social groups that are active in a potential new base. If there aren't any meetup groups, that's good information, too.

If I had never been to New Mexico before, I'd take a reconnaissance trip out there to personally eyeball the various possibilities. But I have been there - not to all of the cities on my in/out list - but a number of them, so I'm relying on my past visits and the online resources to make my decision.

My process of elimination


I know I don't want to deal with snow, so although I looked at my fence-sitting possibilities such as Farmington, considered Taos in a lukewarm way, and took quite a close look at Las Vegas because of its Sangre de Cristo Mountain proximity, I wasn't excited about any of them. In fact, I wasn't too enthusiastic about living anywhere in NM north of Interstate 40, which I perceive as the snow line.

Silver City may have the closest to the ideal climate in New Mexico with mild winters and summers. But as important as climate is to me, Silver City's remoteness, small size, and gentrified vibe ruled it out for me. Actually, my experience visiting Silver City a couple of years ago suggest to me that there's a lot of social goings-on and recreation activities despite its small size. But the job situation there, based on my research, is rather grim.

Eliminated: Taos, Farmington, and Silver City.


Gallup and Grants have some pull for me, primarily because of the Hillerman Effect. There's also a perception of being Out West in those two towns. Rodeos. Cowboys. Cattle drives. An edgy tumbleweed-desolation kind of vibe that is seductive.

But they're right on the snow belt (I-40 in my mind. And I just can't get enough information on them to tempt me to take a risk. Especially the surrounding scenery. How the town centers look. 

About 18 hours' drive from mid-Missouri, this isn't any longer drive time than competitors in southern NM, so I can't use access to family as an eliminating factor for Gallup or Grants. I also can't say they're too remote from other locations in NM I want to explore than more southern NM competitors. Being smack on Interstate 40, they're on a fast track to most places in NM.

At the end of the day, Gallup and Grants just sort of fell off the possibles list because, I don't know, their voices were too quiet. I'll definitely go visit them, though.

Eliminated: Gallup and Grants


The eliminations left in the running: 

• Truth or Consequences
• Alamogordo
• Las Vegas
• Roswell

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Both Las Vegas and Roswell are weak candidates for different reasons, but they have these attributes going for them:


Access to family. Las Vegas is within one, long day's drive from mid-Missouri at around 15 hours. Roswell is pushing 16 hours.
"Romance" factor. Las Vegas is near Red Sky at Morning territory, being close to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It's Taos Lite and Santa Fe Ultra Lite, without the pretension you come across sometimes in the latter two communities. It has a nice plaza, and the art and jewelry scene. Hot springs nearby.
City size. Roswell has a population of about 48,000. A decent size; similar to my home town.

But:

I just couldn't get too excited about Roswell. My research only pulled up negative comments about the city or, just as damning, not many comments at all. Like Gallup and Grants, I'll go visit Roswell, but I'm not going to live there.

Las Vegas felt like a place I "should" go to. Cold, snowy winters maybe. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains notwithstanding, not in love.

It all boils down to:

Truth or Consequences or Alamogordo.

Truth or Consequences (TC) has a bit of an attitude that I like. The people there seem to have been around the block a few times, lived perhaps a little too hard at times, but now doing OK. Central location that makes it really convenient to explore other parts of NM. Close to larger cities such as Albuquerque, Las Cruces and El Paso, TX. If I want to see what the hell is going on down in the borderlands, I can do that, too. 

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Love that it's right on the Rio Grande. Hot springs. Close to some recreation areas. The Spaceport is close, which is kind of cool.

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

But the population is less than 7000 and the median age is 52.

Very hot summers.

Alamogordo also has hot summers, but it's within half an hour of mountain communities such as Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, with cooler air. It's right next to the immense Lincoln Forest. Close to White Sands Monument. Close to Las Cruces and El Paso.  About an hour closer than TC to mid-Missouri. A population of more than 30,000, with a median age of 37.

But it's more than three hours from Albuquerque and it's not as convenient to lots of NM destinations as TC is.   

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Alamogordo is more diverse than TC in regard to ethnicity, language, and age. The nearby Holloman Air Force Base presumably maintains some stability in the Alamogordo economy.

And I like Alamogordo. Though not edgy like TC, it is pleasant. I like its zoo and the small, picturesque villages nearby such as La Luz and Tularosa.

Not a linear process

As I looked at my options in New Mexico, I went back and forth on various cities. I went back and forth on how much I weighed my decision drivers, such as climate, diversity, community size, etc.

I looked at housing costs on craigslist. Read all of the threads on city-data about the possible relocation locales in New Mexico. Checked distances on google maps between this and that and the other.

I reviewed what I wanted to get out of New Mexico. Interculturally, there is so much that New Mexico has going on. I'm feeling drawn to look firsthand at the historic goings-on with how the U.S. is dealing with people crossing the border illegally from Mexico. In addition to climate preferences, this informs my decision to stick to southern New Mexico for my base.

I had to weigh a great central location for good access to most of NM (Truth or Consequences) against my desire for a larger community and proximity to mountains (Alamogordo). Demographically, Alamogordo also beat out TC for its diversity.  

Alamogordo. My future new home ... for awhile.

Pecan orchard, near Alamogordo, New Mexico

White Sands Monument, near Alamogordo, New Mexico

Next up: Rootless relocation, Part 2: What Will I Take With Me?

New Mexico Enchanting Me

Tres Piedras, New Mexico. Pink Schoolhouse Gallery.

When I was in high school, I read a book that made me laugh out loud many times. It's about a kid who moves from Alabama to this foreign, inter-cultural community in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico circa 1945.

The book was Red Sky at Morning.

Taos, New Mexico. Holy Trinity Park.

Author Richard Bradford's characters were vividly drawn, as was the geographical stage of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on which all of the events played out. The images of a fantastical New Mexico that Mr. Bradford planted in my mind took root.

It wasn't until many years later that I first set foot in New Mexico. Since then, in 1999, I've visited New Mexico two or three times more.

Montezuma, New Mexico. Scarecrows.

 
In some locations, I relished the sensation of having been there before, because they so strongly evoked Red Sky at Morning:

• At the Chama Visitor Center, talking to a volunteer who explained that although she and her parents and grandparents and great-grandparents were New Mexico natives, English wasn't her first language.
• In a wooded lot in Taos, the Holy Trinity Park, decorated with that New Mexican outsider art that fuses Roman Catholic iconography, naturalism, magic, and perhaps a dash of schizophrenia.
• In Tres Piedras, the Old Pink Schoolhouse Gallery (sadly gone now), a cacophony of bright color and media in the middle of nowhere
• Desperate hope, visible through cruciform prayer offerings left at the Santuario de Chimayo.
• The mountain-hugger road between Las Vegas and Tucumcari.

Desperate prayers left at Santuario de Chimayo, New Mexico.

New Mexico is American, but it's also a foreign land. There are layers of language, ethnicity, traditions, religion, art, climate, geography, and light that I haven't found anywhere else in the U.S., and I feel drawn to it.

And it's got the Spaceport, you know.

Road from Las Vegas to Tucumcari, New Mexico.