Spoffords Travel

November 13, 2023 Day 37 Farmington New Mexico to Kanab Utah 299 miles

Today is sunny but cold. There is a light breeze. We had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. One of the better ones. They had scrambled eggs, ham and potatoes. The bagels and yogurt were full size. Six cold cereals to choose from. This was only the highlights.

We filled with gas and left about 9 am. This is a long drive day through the Navajo reservation. As we leave town there were at least two places selling small baled hay. They range in price between $10 and $13 per bale.

The roads were very rough. They don’t seem to repair them. This was true most of the day. Sometimes it was like driving on a paved wash board. This made the woodie creek and moan. Then frequently Connie’s door would come partly open. That let in lots of cold air.

We saw several hitch hikers scattered along the way. They were out in the middle of no where. Not sure where they live. We did see a few homes but not many.

The scenery is very interesting. Lots of color and unusual formations. Definitely lots of land marks. We went up and down in elevation but didn’t notice anything much over 6,000 feet.

We crossed into Arizona and for a few miles the road improved. Unfortunately it didn’t last and we were back to washboards.

About a mile out of Kayenta the left rear tire began to go flat. We pulled off the road and Rob pumped it up so that we could limp into the McDonald’s parking lot. We had lunch there and then Rob changed the tire.

We went maybe 20 miles and the right rear tire blew. This required more work and not a good place to get off the road. Rob got out the new tire from the back of the car and put a new tube in it. Then proceeded to change the tire. We now have no spare. Over the course of the hour or more we were there 3 people offered to help. Hundreds of vehicles passed without offering. Oh to have more of the Canadians.

We got back on the road a little after 4:00 with about three hours of driving to go. That also means about two of those hours was in the dark. For those that don’t know the Model A headlights are not very bright. Then add to that the ones on the woodie act like strobe lights so sometimes they are better than others. Of course they could also go out completely. Thank goodness the lines on the road are in good shape. I am sure we are missing some beautiful scenery. Luckily we are also missing the wildlife on the road.

We crossed into Utah and then it was not too much further to Kanab. We got to the hotel about 7:00 pm. Much longer day and a shorter night.

November 12, 2023 Day 36 Moriarty New Mexico to Farmington New Mexico 213 miles

Oh boy its cold this morning. The temperature was 26 degrees when we first looked at about 7:15. There is frost on top of the car but not the windshield. We visited with another retired couple during breakfast. They are headed to Minnesota to sell their townhouse and move to the house they just purchased in Arizona.

We filled with gas and headed out on old Route 66 about 9:00 am. We haven’t said how much we feel like folks during the dust bowl. The car is loaded more than usual with the lamp and two tires that are not normal. Going across Oklahoma, Texas and part of New Mexico with the wind blowing we could really feel for those folks. Much of that drive has very little to look at.

Another large bank of solar panels is just outside town. We didn’t see any windmills today. However, we did see a few oil wells.

We did see more mountains. They are colorful with reds, pinks, browns and creams. Interesting shapes too. They have definitely been affected by years of weather. We crossed the Continental Divide at an altitude of 7,380 feet.

In one of the few fields we saw hundreds of Canadian geese. At about the same time a coyote ran across the road and into the next field. Wonder if it went goose hunting.

We got gas and then went for lunch in Cuba New Mexico. Rather small town that is on one of the reservations. Reservation land in this area is quite large. It is made up of several different reservations. When we entered the restaurant we were their only customers. Not a good sign. A few others did come in while we were there. The dish washer wasn’t working so our silverware and dishes were all take out. That worked ok because Connie’s order had more than she could eat for lunch. Rob ordered chili and had to pay extra if he wanted beans. It must be different here. We had a choice of sauce in either red hot or mild green. The red hot was named correctly. We talked briefly with another customer who had visited his grandfather near Coeur d’Alene as a child.

As we came into Farmington we saw two donkeys grazing in a pasture. A river runs along the edge of town. Two large RV parks border the river. Both parks were nearly full and the RVs were parked very close together. No trees and no grass. Farmington is about 5400 feet in elevation and does get about 12 inches of snow per year. True snowbirds don’t come here.

We arrived earlier than usual because it was a shorter driving day. Towns just aren’t very close together in this area. Rob was able to work on the car a little. The auxiliary heater fan stopped working this morning and he ran out of daylight to get the issue identified. I was able to use the 12V electric blanket today by using a backup battery. It does not get real hot but it does help. We will use this configuration tomorrow as well.

November 11, 2023 Day 35 Tulia Texas to Moriarty New Mexico 286 miles

It rained over night but not too much. Now it is mostly cloudy. While we ate breakfast we watched a bunch of small birds drinking and bathing in one of the puddles of water. We headed out about 8:45 after filling with gas.

We soon encountered some newer nice homes on both sides of the road. They were all flying American flags. They had the same flag holders so obviously a group project.

When we arrived in Dimmitt Texas the town looked very run down but the houses on the west end of town looked newer and much larger. Sports must be a big deal here because they had a really nice baseball field and a really nice football field. Must not be much else to do in town.

In several places we saw more windmills. Most are turning. We could definitely feel the wind. It was more steady and not gusting. Unfortunately, it was a head wind that impacted our ground speed.

Three very large dairies were on the way today. They each had hundreds of cows. What a big job taking care of them. They had large stacks of hay and silage under white plastic covered with old tires.

A small herd of bison were on the other side of the road. They were fenced in so they are being raised for some purpose. Rob said they were bison burgers on the hoof.

What we think is the largest beef cattle feed lot we have ever seen was a little further down the road. Everything looked black for as far as you could see. Obviously no jerseys.

Texaco New Mexico came up next. The time zone changed about the same time. The terrain was very flat and contained very little. Some kind of cactus is growing everywhere rather than sagebrush. Looks like jumping cholla. It doesn’t grow very tall at least not here. A much taller version grows in New Mexico also.

Many long freight trains are going east. They are about 20 minutes apart. Going would be easy here because the terrain is so flat. We never did see any going west. One of the engineers blew his whistle several times when we approached going opposite directions.

Near Fort Sumpter is the grave of Billy the Kid and his museum. We didn’t stop however.

We saw two small herds of antelope. Doesn’t look like much to eat.

Penny’s diner is the only place to eat in Vaughn at least as far as we can tell. It looks like a diner from the fifties. Based on the rest of what is left of the town that would fit, The food was good.

The odometer turned over 37000 miles. Sometimes you really have to look hard to find an interesting event.

A medium sized field of solar panels came into view. With the amount of wind we were experiencing the windmills might generate more.

Oh my goodness there are a few head of belted Galloway cattle. Didn’t expect to see those.

A small part of todays travel was on Route 66. This is off season and was pretty quite. A lot of the little old towns are very dried up. The freeways do have an impact on local commerce.

Since we gained an hour by crossing into the Mountain Time Zone we got to the hotel a little earlier than originally planned. Therefore we did a load of laundry. That should do until we get home. We are hoping only five more days. That is if the Woodie keeps moving and the weather cooperates.

November 10, 2023 Day 34 Ardmore Oklahoma to Tulia Texas 298 miles

We got on the road about 8:50 this morning. Rob installed the manifold heater before we left. The rain is gone and the sun is shining. The temperature is much cooler however. We filled with gas and headed out. We turned onto Michelin Road and quickly learned why it was called that. A huge Michelin plant was located there. A statue of the Michelin man was at the main entrance.

We turned onto a divided highway. Traffic was pretty light for the size and quality of the road. A few oil wells are visible from the road. Overall the terrain is quite flat.

We spotted various old vehicles along the way. Some are just part of the body. All seem very rusted.

The road went down to a two lane road. Not many turns in it so we can drive faster than yesterday. Lots of cotton fields are here. Most have been picked. Very few have sprinkler systems. The plants seem shorter too. Some of the fields are green with some kind of crop but the plants are too small to recognize. Cattle were grazing in one of the cotton fields.

Occasionally we saw birds of prey. Not sure if they were hawks or a small eagle. Some were flying and some were sitting on telephone poles.

In some places the soil is visible. It is very red.

Lots of pastures have beef cattle but one had some long horns. They looked right at home here. One billboard reminded us to eat beef because we were in beef country.

Off in the distance are lots of windmills. They seem further apart than in some areas.

Then we crossed into Texas and soon turned onto a very narrow two lane road. It did have a center line however. Luckily we did not meet any big farm equipment. In fact we didn’t meet much of anything.

We stopped at a picnic table for lunch. This is the first one we have seen on the entire trip. No bathroom though. A local lady turned in right behind us to say the marker here says Chisholm trail but this is not a spot on that trail. She told us of another spot just three miles off this road that has lots of history including where the movie Lonesome Dove was filmed crossing the Red River. A second lady stopped and told all about her hand surgery. We must be good listeners or maybe just targets of opportunity.

Back on the road we could see more windmills including a new one going up. The pole was up and the propellers were still on the ground. The crane used to help in the construction was fully extended. Almost looked like it would topple over.

We filled with gas in the town of Quanah Texas. It’s named for the last great Comanche chief. The town has several buildings on the National Historic Register. Might be a good place to explore.

Oh dear a rock hit the windshield right in Connie’s line of vision. It left a quarter size star crack. Sure hope that doesn’t continue to grow. Another item to put on the Woodie repair list.

Then we came to Turkey Texas. It’s bigger than Chicken Alaska but about as quaint. It honors Bob Wills who is famous for the creation of Western Swing. It was also the site of the first Phillips 66 station in Texas. It opened in July 1928.

Oh my a small mountain. It stands all by itself. Looks out of place. Mountain is a relative term.

A pasture has large metal silhouettes of an Indian hunting several buffalo. Oh for the old days. At least we don’t have to dodge buffalo on the road like we did in Canada.

We stopped in the grocery store on our way through town. It also served as the hardware store. It was a small town. Our hotel is out by the freeway. We arrived there about 4:30 just before the rain.

November 9, 2023 Day 33 Malvern Arkansas to Ardmore Oklahoma 288 miles

We got on the road about 8:45 after filling with gas. The skies are very cloudy and the forecast is a 90% chance of rain. We had not gone far before the first drops began to fall. It rained all day. For a short stretch it came down so hard we could hardly see the road.

Most of the terrain was rolling hills covered with forest. Occasionally it would open up and a field would have beef cattle. Different breeds that all looked good against the green grass.

The first section of road was very winding. Plus it went up and down small hills. The trees have started to turn colors. Too bad visibility is so poor or there might have been some colorful photografts. Very few towns but houses scattered all along. Some houses are old wooden structures. Some are manufactured homes and some are new and quite large.

We passed two small cemeteries where the graves are covered with white rock. That was a new one. Most of the cemeteries are beside churches. Neither the church nor the cemetery are very large.

We did see another large bird that was most likely some kind of vulture. It was on the ground beside the road but flew off when we went past.

We also saw more Christmas decorations up. One spot had the nativity scene in lights with a Christmas tree beside it. The Halloween decorations seems to be gone unless the dragon on top of a building counts. One house had about 8 blow up turkeys in various sizes.

We saw a sign for Wendy’s about lunch time in the next town. We decided since it was raining that a picnic didn’t seem appealing. We drove in the parking lot only to find it was still under construction. How disappointing.

At last we crossed into Oklahoma. That is when the skies really opened up. Luckily the really heavy downpour didn’t last too long. We both got chilled today before the blankets came out. Rob may install the manifold heater if we get a dry spell or some overhead cover.

We arrived in Ardmore about 4:30. We got frozen dinners at a small grocery before going to the hotel. We are in a Microtel. Appropriately named because the room is very small with minimal comforts. But its only for one night. Rob is being fiscally conservative or cheap depending on your perspective.

No pictures today because the curtains were down all day and the front windshield was covered with raindrops. Getting out of the car wasn’t appealing either. Besides you couldn’t see very far,

November 8, 2023 Day 32 West Helena Arkansas to Malvern Arkansas 148 miles

The tires and tubes are supposed to arrive today by 5:00 pm. That will be too late to go further so we are pretty sure we will be spending another night here. At about 10:00 am the front desk clerk knocked to say our package had arrived. Rob jumped into action. He got the tires in place and the new tubes blown up. I packed the room and carried our things to near the car.

The car was ready to go by about 12:20. Then it was across the street to fill up and decide the target town. We were on the road again about 12:45. The wind has been quiet the last five days but today it is very windy again. Rob really has to work at keeping the car in our lane.

The terrain is very flat. Lots of cotton fields again. Many of the fields are lined with trees. Some have finally started to change colors. Some have lost their leaves.

We stopped in Clarendon Arkansas for some lunch at a little drive in called the Lion’s Den. What a great little place. We had pulled pork sandwiches that were cooked right there. The owner made her own sauce as well. Another of her specialties is pork skins. She sells them all over. She also sells homemade cookies. Since we were new she gave us our choice of a bag of skins or one cookie each. Difficult choice but we took the pork skins. Later Connie saw the sign that said they sell for $5.95 for a gallon zip lock full. We tried some later in the day and thought they were quite tasty. Several people stopped to take pictures or ask about the car. One young black man kept going on and on about the car and the fact that was a piece of American history. Rob noted he wasn’t wearing shoes. Across the street was an interesting old house in major need of repairs. Rob thought we could get a cheap room there but we really need to get some more miles.

Just out of town we had to wait about 15 minutes for the pilot car past some construction on the bridge over the White River. The bridge is much longer than the river is wide so there must be other water there too.

When we arrived in Stuttgart Arkansas there were lots and lots of big silos. The fields must have changed to grain. Actually they are for rice. Turns out this area is a large producer of rice. It is considered the Rice and Duck Center of the World. It is an international destination for hunting waterfowl. Duck season is about to open.

A bit further we come to Pine Bluff Arkansas. This is home to a huge mill that uses logs. Just not sure what they do with them because they are not very big in diameter. Tyson Foods also has a very large plant of some kind here.

We did see a Model A coupe sitting in a yard. Then as we got into Malvern Connie saw Tanner Autos which also had at least one Model A as well as other vintage and classic vehicles. We made it to the hotel about 5:00 so we didn’t have to use the headlights. Well, that is the one that is working. The headlight switch is being temperamental.

November 7, 2023 Day 31 West Helena Arkansas 0 miles

Well another exciting day at the hotel. About the only thing that changes is what items you choose for breakfast.

We did do laundry however. They have guest laundry here that works. The price was good too.

We went to lunch at the Mexican restaurant across the street. The food was good. We had as much hamburger or more than the McDonald’s on Sunday. The staff here really hustles. That is different from most places.

Rob did a few things on the car. He took the tires off the rims and checked them very carefully for any damages. Everything looks very good. Now we just need the new tubes and tires to be delivered.