Driving Cross Country Day 8 & 9: Santa Fe to Alamogordo

So as I mentioned in past posts when I teach I don't have a lot of free time for anything else and Santa Fe was my first teaching job of this trip at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy. It was a smaller group this year. Several years ago I was talked into making my class a two year certification to give it more value. It did in fact do that but what it also created was me having one good year always followed by one that was kind of shitty. Last year was the good one and next year will be as well which leaves this year...……..umm yeah.

It's not losing money so I do get to go on a nice trip and I do love New Mexico and I'm pretty jazzed about Utah having never been there. over the two days the class went really well. I find that students love the class when they take it. They hard part is getting the pencil pushers to come off the money to let them attend. I checked out of my hotel on this Tuesday morning before class. The night before I'd seen on Orbitz that hotels in Alamogordo were a good bit cheaper and it was only a 2 hour and 30 minute drive. That me seem long but comparted to what I'm used to it's a nothing burger for me. So we finished up class and I hit the road. I stopped at Clines Corner again where I purchased that baja in the last post to fill up on gas because I didn't want to stop in Vaughn. The last time I stopped in Vaughn I almost beat the hell out of 3 assholes blocking a gas pump. I don't mind trouble but I don't go looking for it.

It was around 3:30pm by the time I left Santa Fe I was going to have to head back down to the southern part of the state for now and sort of backtrack but if that's what ya got to do then that's what ya got to do

There were some decent shots along the way but honestly I was just trying to get the hell to Alamogordo. I was getting there two days early to try and save some money but There aren't many street lights at all on the back roads and you can't see for shit when you are driving. The fact is I'm coming back from Utah using the exact same route backtracking so I will be on most of the roads again anyway.

Sure enough Google maps took me some weird way and I didn't get to my room until night and couldn't see shit. Luckily the back road came out by the Allsup's gas station I needed to stop at anyway. This is my 6th year coming to New Mexico to teach so I tend to always stay at the same places and know where everything is before I get there. It actually helps me a great deal doing it that way. I grabbed a 6 pack of beer while I was there. For some reason they didn't have Miller Lite in this place. I thought it was really bizarre I've never been anywhere in the US they didn't have it. In Mexico I usually go with Pacifico. Well this time I just said screw it and went with Blue Moon. It's a little sweet but I can live with it. I'd have to figure out something to do with my time tomorrow but I'll come up with something.

Thanks for stopping by be sure and check out my blog page if you want to see posts you missed in this series!