Day 1 of Ride West

Leaving Arlington at daybreak, already sweating after loading the bike.  Riding west towards Lubbock is pretty uneventful.  Seeing all the pumping oil wells and spinning windmills in West Texas reminds me of how thankful I am to live in Texas.  We are the only state that has its' own electric grid separate from the rest of the US.  Texas leads the nation in wind generation, oil production, and provides much of the corn and cotton for the US, grown out here in the wide open spaces.

Riding through Tahoka, I lose a piece of luggage,  Fortunately my phone # is on it.  A young Texas Tech student who live there picks it up from the highway, we connect via cell, and meet for him to return to me.  I'm reminded again of the goodness and honesty of many Texans.

Hwy 380 West is nothing but a long straight highway with few towns all the way to Roswell, NM.  This is a town that is trying hard to maintain its' identity as the alien capital of the USA; not sure its' working.  

Leaving Roswell, the 10,000 ft Sierra Blanca looms in the distance.  I always love the first sight of the NM mountains after leaving Texas, both here and further north near Raton.  Climbing the altitude grade challenges the cruise control of the Road King, as it struggles to maintain the 70mph speed limit.  I'm guessing my BMW rider friends would not have the same problems:)

As the altitude increases, the temperature drops and I enjoy the rising mountains as I change into something warmer.  I dodge rain showers, with only a short time of rain, not even requiring a stop to change into rain gear.  My prayers for a smooth ride have been answered.

I arrive in Ruidoso, aka Redneck Aspen, looking forward to a cigar and good dinner.

stay tuned.......