Today we took the scenic route from Show Low, Arizona to El Paso, Texas.
Our travels took us over 9,000 feet above sea level and back down to approximately 3,000 feet. In fact, we oscillated between 3,000 and 8,000 for much of the morning along Arizona Highway 191. The road took us through some lovely mountain forests, along the edges of nearly-sheer drops, and through too many switchbacks to count.
AZ-191 dropped us in front of the largest copper mine in North America, the Morenci Mine in Clifton, AZ. This mine is huge! The scale is hard to capture in photos, but large 18 wheelers look like toys inside one of its monstrous pits.
From there, Hwy 75 took us into New Mexico and on to Interstate 10, the longest Interstate the USA, joining Santa Monica to Jacksonville, FL (we got that bit of trivia from the LA Hoodlife Tour). I-10 brought us to overnight in El Paso, TX. Yup, three states in one day.
In El Paso, we had a delicious steak dinner at West Texas Chop House. While parking the car and waiting for our table, we met a Hector and Maria, a local couple who took note of our license plates and inquired about our travels.
They were seated first and upon discovering they had been put at a table for four, they invited us to join them in celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary. How could we possibly refuse? We had a great time with them and greatly appreciated their openness in inviting us to join them.
We’re happy to report that our interactions with locals and with fellow travellers on this trip have been overwhelmingly positive and warm. Like us, everyone is full of questions and more than happy to share their experiences. Even drivers in LA, a city known for road rage and drivers shooting at one another, were nothing but courteous and polite with us and with one another.
That’s about it for today, tomorrow will feature a visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park!