Today dawned bright and clear, or at least it was when we got up sometime after dawn. I’m just making an assumption about what dawn was like.
Another day, another suitcase in another hall. We adjusted to our new AirBnb last night and this morning. You know what to expect in any hotel room, although sometimes you are pleasantly surprised by something simple like a refrigerator. Every Airbnb is different, starting with the coffee machine (going in chronological order here) way beyond just Keurig or not, where are the light switches, how to operate the shower (the first showerer gives a briefing to the other even if it’s only what o’clock to put the lever so the water temperature is right), even what is in the kitchen and where is it. And just when we’re comfortable, we are on the road again.
Air still clear, we set off this morning for White Sands National Monument/Park (I’ve seen it both ways). Soon we were there and the wind had picked up. After a few walks, first on a raised walkway and then barefoot thru the dunes, the wind really picked up. After a stop where it was really hard to see or breathe we gave up on getting out of the car. We drove the whole loop, and there were a few spots on the way back it was like driving in a blizzard – white out plus sand drifting over the road, which isn’t paved for about half the drive – you’re just driving on sand, gypsum actually, of varying degrees of hardness.
Then it was off to lunch and the search for someplace open. New Mexico has really done a number on their restaurants with a long stretch with no on premises- indoor or outdoor – dining. After passing many closed restaurants we found a good local diner. After trying to help fix the front door (apparently high winds are somewhat common around which as you can imagine can put a lot of stress on doors) we had a nice chat with the owner. She is at her wits end and very stressed.
After lunch we engaged in a search for something to do in high winds & high dust. The Space museum is closed while they remodel their bathrooms. We started out to take a scenic drive in the mountains but the further north we went the worse the wind got and darker/dustier the air became, so we turned around and stopped off at Pistachio land. I know this may come as a surprise, but there is only so long you can spend at a pistachio themed tourist trap, but at least it was indoors. We then drove back into town where were going to while away sometime at a local cantina but it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. As I write this back at the Airbnb, the sky is still a dusty white.
Tomorrow is another day.
