Big Spring, Texas

Texas wins the Rest Stop ribbon, hands down.  The Welcome Center, above, is off the charts.  Aside from the usual restrooms, vending machines and picnic tables, there's a cavernous room staffed with friendly young people and filled with free brochures for anything anybody could ever want to do in Texas, plus a free roadmap.  Rest stops are nice, too, with free wireless internet.  The last three states haven't even had welcome centers, and few rest stops.  It's a nice change.

Another rest stop -- we're definitely in barren desert lands, now!  I was so happy to escape the madness of El Paso and I felt zero nostalgia.  Didn't even see anything familiar, other than signs to Ft. Bliss and Biggs Field.  And the mountains, of course.  I lived here twice as a teenager, while my dad attended missile training at Ft. Bliss.

I was more than a bit surprised to be stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint somewhere south of El Paso -- don't remember just where.  All traffic had to stop, the question asked is 'are you a citizen of the U.S.?'.  Mind you, this is on a U.S. Interstate highway that has not been through Mexico, although granted the border is only a stone's throw from the Interstate in this area.    No biggie, just surprising.

Also surprising was the speed limit that changed rather arbitrarily from 70mph to 80 mph at some point well past El Paso.  I traveled that speed for awhile, but I could almost see the gas needle move downward so eventually I slowed down to 75, which seemed to work well yesterday. Sure ate up the miles, though!

Stopped for lunch in Pecos -- found yet another Mexical restaurant.  I love Mexican food, and it seems crazy to be in the southwest and not eat it.  This was more Tex-Mex, which makes sense. Mexican style bean burritos.  I'm still stuffed!  It'll be yogurt for dinner.

Midland, just west of Big Springs, was a huge surprise -- had no idea it was so big.  Good-sized city center sitting off to the left with a solid cluster of new high-rise buildings.  Rather looked out of place.  I guess being the hometown of the Bush's brought a bit of wealth to this little town in the middle of the desert. And in the middle of a lot of oil fields.

So, here I be in Big Springs.  Thought about going on to Sweetwater, 88 miles down the road, but I was getting sleepy and felt a bit unsafe out there, and this was the destination for the night, anyway.  I'm at a Super 8 -- the Motel 6 was old and the only room they had that I could park in front of was right on the Interstate.  Plus, the lobby smelled like Clorox.  This place has free wireless, a free hot breakfast, and is nice.  I guess I've gotten spoiled.

10 hours, 447 miles.  Only two more days of driving left!  Hallelujah!!!!!!!!