I Need a Rest, I'm Running Out of Gas - Day 20

From Van Horn, TX, I slept in a bit, and then set out with an ambitious potential plan.

First I would have a bite to eat in El Paso, then turn left at Las Cruces, NM. From there I would follow Rte 10 until the edge of the state, where I'd pick up another scenic drive with a likelihood of spending the night in Tombstone, AZ.

I am staying in Las Cruces tonight.

I had the great lunch in El Paso at a Mexican dive joint called the H & H Carwash and Cafe. At the end of some lovingly prepared huevos rancheros, the cashiere asked, "Just the food or did you have the car wash too?"

I made the left turn at Las Cruces, too. But, shortly after the turn, the car verbally told me to add fuel. It's a long way between some Texas gas stations. Let's just say the correct decision, that would have had me sleeping in Tombstone, was to do the near unthinkable, and go back.

I ended up at Mile Marker 90 on Route 10 West, just 7 miles short of Deming and more gas. Because of warning lights that wouldn't go off after the tow guy added gas, he dropped me off back here in Las Cruces, a 60 mile go back to the nearest Toyota dealership. They did a diagnosis, turned off the warning lights, and sent me on my way. The lost hours derailed the rest of the day.

Lessons learned:

1. Always fill the tank up at the end of each travel day. In a prius, a tank will always last a full day, so no need to think about it until the day's end.
2. It is REALLY hot standing on the side of the road in Texas for an hour. REALLY HOT.
3. I confirmed that I really actually like Texas. It's beautiful. (Look at the backdrop to Pre in the picture.)
4. Keep your phone ringer on when stranded...4 missed calls from the tow guy while I sweated out the scenery made the wait a lot longer.

Another lesson I have learned while travelling: When you don't know where to go, go to where the most cars are. This is a really good rule of thumb, and should be employed liberally.

Mom tells me that when she is selecting birthday cards at CVS, she looks for the smallest stacks of remaining cards. She figures if other people have already taken most of them, it's likely that it is a card worth exploring. My rule is of a similar vain. If you are in an area that you know very little about, and need to find a hotel, whichever inn in town has the most cars is the place to go. It is guaranteed that the people who are staying there know much more about where to stay in town, and you should defer to their superior knowledge. They can't just have all picked the same place by coincidence. They know something, and you know nothing. This also applies to many other Road Trip activities. For example, when on a rural sceninc route, and you see a handful of cars parked somewhere, pull right over and join them, you won't be disappointed...they know something. (This topic could be a whole chapter in the book version of the blog)

Tonight, I ate at a place that brags to be the Best Pit BBQ in Texas. They're liars! I knew I had made a mistake when they delivered my order 5 minutes after I placed it. You can't cook anything good in 5 minutes. Stringy baby back ribs, cold onion rings, and mushy corn on the cob. I should have known better...not enough cars.

I guess not every day can be perfect.

BTW, I will probably not be blogging tomorrow night, so no nasty emails TreasonPal!