After leaving Clayton yesterday we rode until the sun started to set. Luckily we found ourselves near an old abandoned quarry and it looked like a great camping spot. We explored the area a bit and ended up finding a working water pump also. Absolutely perfect. Jake cooked some food on his propane grill (my food options have increased greatly).
After a good nights sleep we hit to road for what would be one of the longer stretches without civilization. At one point we stopped at a ranch to refill water and it turned into a great time. While Jake was knocking on the door Sammie (the owners daughter) pulled in and I talked to her. She had just returned from a wedding shower and has containers filled with cookies, meatballs, and cinnamon rolls. She insisted we take some, so we did.
While this was happening the owner, Sam, asked us if we wanted to rest a bit on his porch. That sounded great so we plopped down on some chairs and chatted with Sam and Sammie for a while. The ranch we were at has been in their family since 1936 and was built in 1890. The original builder sold it a few years after construction and the second owner, who ran the lost office and a store out of the house, was killed in a gunfight in Clayton a few years later.
It was great to chat with people about the history of the area but after some time we had to go. Sammie gave us some cinnamon rolls for the road and they allowed us to pick some fresh apricots from the tree they had. With full water and food in our stomachs we hit the road again. The landscape was mostly rolling hills and the wind was annoyance but we made okay time and soon found ourselves in Springer, NM. This little town had a great Inn and Cafe called “Brown Hotel” where we were able to recharge our devices a bit and eat some food.
With a few more miles to go we hit the road heading south. Jake was able to get a couchsurfer to host us in Las Vegas, New Mexico and from there we hit Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Wandering Oak 