Day 86 - Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, USA

Day 86 – 2nd September 2005 -7:00 GMT

Reece and I went for a drive, first we passed through Elephant Butte which is a city (a very small one at that, probably less than a thousand people) then we drove along the Elephant Butte Lake which is part of a State Park.


Elephant Butte Lake 

We drove for about and hour and took photo’s of the lake and surrounding mountains. We really are in the middle of nowhere.


In the Middle of Nowhere 


The New Mexico Desert 

Got back at around 12:20pm and then picked up Jill ad went out for some lunch. Had another drive up to Elephant Butte so Jill could have a look.


Welcome to Elephant Butte 


Elephant Butte Church 

Then just sat in the sun by the river reading a book and using the web. Ended up chatting to two guys one who used to be a heroine addict and seems a bit crazy, after he went through rehab he rode his bike (with only one gear) from the Florida Keys to Boston. He is presently here after riding his bike from Tallahassee in Florida. The other guy is called Albert he is also from Florida and is here getting away from the Florida heat, we drank beer and discussed politics our mutual love of George Bush, then about the Queen, conspiracy theories and about Stock Trading, the afternoon flew by. It was gone 7pm so Jill and Reece went to buy Pizza and I got some more beer from the shops. Reece and I then went back in the hot springs for an hour or so and chatted with many other people. The Thunder and Lightning started again so we decided to call it a night.

Day 85 - Roswell - Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, USA

Day 85 – 1st September 2005 -7:00 GMT Total Miles 14644

Left Roswell at around 11am and drove West along the highway 380, the road just went on for miles with nothing around except Dessert and a few hills. The Elevation is around 6000ft.


Road Through New Mexico 

After about an hour or so we passed through Lincoln which is Billy The Kid was from. That had a museum here but we did not stop. We stopped at a small village called Capitan for coffee and doughnuts. After another hour or so we passed through “The Valley Of Fire” which is an area covered in what looks like volcanic rock and has cactus growing from it.


The Valley of Fire 

We then drove passed White Sands Missile Range which is where they do all the nuclear testing. There was a Road marker for Trinity the site of the first atomic bomb. We then drove south along the I-20 until we reached Truth or Consequences. Jill and I have a room which is half of a caravan trailer, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, also we get a fridge and a microwave and a TV that does not work. The Hotel has 8 hot springs which are free for us to use and are alongside the Rio Grande river. The natural hot springs range in temperature up to 104 F, but due to the Thunder and Lightning storm we have not been able to use them yet. Meet up with Reece around 9:30pm and since the Thunder and Lightning had stopped we tried the hot springs. First tried the coolest one which was still around 95F, it was really nice overlooking the Rio Grande River sitting in a natural hot spring with cold rain falling on your head. We then went in the hot one which is undercover.
Then chilled out in our room for a couple of hours before getting some sleep.

Day 84 - Lubbock - Roswell, New Mexico, USA

Day 84 – 31st August 2005 -7:00 GMT Total Miles 14362

Now Lubbock is where Buddy Holly was from and opposite our hotel was a large bronze statue of Buddy Holly and their walk of fame.


Statue of Buddy Holly 

They had a little plaza area and the statue.


Buddy Holly and Walk of Fame 

The house Buddy Holly was born in was torn down in the 1970’s and the house he grew up in is owned by a private family who do not like visitors. We thought we would visit his grave so drove to Lubbock Cemetery.


To Buddy Holly's Gravesite 

Buddy Holly grave was a very plain simply headstone flat on the ground with a picture of a guitar on it.


Buddy Holly's Grave 

We then left Lubbock and made our way along the highway 380 and drove across the Texas oil fields and into New Mexico, crossing the international timeline again into Mountain Time Zone. We arrived in Roswell (where the Aliens allegedly landed in 1947) and checked into a Motel which was fairly cheap about £6 each a night.



Rowell High Street 

We then went to the high street and got some food and a smoothie from a café and then headed into the UFO Museum and Research centre. The place only cost a $2 donation to get in and was not what I was expecting. After Watching X-Files and the series Roswell I thought this place would be full of colourful displays and models.


The UFO Museum and Reaserch Centre 

The first half was made up of newspaper cutting and hand writing witness statements on a time line stating on 4th July 1947. Witness’s had put the crash at three different sites. The museum went into the cover-up and the pretence it was a hot air balloon. They also had Top Secret government documents on display which was a bit puzzling about what to do when in contact with Extra-Terrestrial life forms. They then had a few models of Aliens and UFO’s.


Little Green Man 

The next section was where the disproved the UFO photo’s they had by it being a fold in the negative before it was developed etc. They also showed unusual light patterns which could look like a UFO and then had sections on Area 51 and present day space travel. I found the whole museum to be fascinating and although unlikely to be about little green men, it seems to point at a Government cover-up about something, most likely the testing and development of technology for countering Russian Missile Strikes. Jill and Reece were done in the museum after 20 minutes but I needed at least and hour and a half to fully look around. They also had a Library there with numerous Books and Video’s and DVD’s that you can sit and read and do any research you want.


UFO Museum and Research Centre 

We left the museum and went back to the hotel for a couple of hours then went across the road to Appleby’s which is a restaurant chain, had Steak and Ribs which was great. Left the restaurant after a couple of beers and went back to the hotel for the night.

Day 83 - Dallas - Lubbock, Texas, USA

Day 83 – 30th August 2005 -6:00 GMT Total Miles 14174

Set off at 11am and drove to Fort Worth, We drove through the main part of the city and then stopped at the Fort Worth Stock Yards area which is like something old of the Wild West full of saloons and Steak Houses.


Fort Worth Stock Yards 

They have a large rodeo here, and have cattle marches through the town twice a day. They even still have a steam train that stops here twice a day. We walked around then ate at one of the many BBQ places.


The Rodeo 


Fort Worth Stock Yards 

We then set off on the long drive across Texas, we went along the I-20 then up the highway 80 we stopped on route for coffee and doughnuts. We finally stopped at a place called Lubbock which is a small town about 100 miles south of Amarillo. Lubbock is where Buddy Holly was born and lived. We checked into a hotel and went on the search for food. We ended up in a Chinese all you can eat which cost £4 and was very good.Got back to the hotel around 9:30pm.

Day 82 - Dallas, Texas, USA

Day 82 – 29th August 2005 -6:00 GMT

Drove into downtown Dallas and walked to the Texas School Book Depository which is the building Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly shot JFK from.


Texas School Book Depository 

It is now a museum called the Sixth Floor Museum. It covered JFK presidential campaign and his life as president and his assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald and the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. The seventh floor was all about the press’s coverage of events.


The Window From Which Lee Harvey Oswald Fired 

We then took a walk out onto the Grassy Knowle (Where the fourth shot was supposed to have been fired from).


Me on the Grassy Knowle 


Me outside the JFK Memorial 

We then had a walk around Dallas and walked through the arts area.


West End Area of Dallas 

We visited the west end market place where the whole of the ground floor was an Antiques shop hat had everything imaginable to buy.


West End Market 

We then drove up to Highland Park area, Jill and I bought a few books since I have finished Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince and The Davinci Code by Dan Brown (Both amazing books well worth reading) The highlands Park village is a very posh area with all designer shops. We then went back to the hotel for a couple of hours before crossing the road and going to Bennigans for Dinner.

Day 81 - Austin - Dallas, Texas, USA

Day 81 – 28th August 2005 -6:00 GMT Total Miles 13752

Checked out of hotel just before 12pm and drove along the I-35 north through Texas, we stopped at Waco for lunch (Where everyone died in the Suicide Cult a number of years ago). Then drove on until we reached Dallas. After a couple of hours relaxing in our hotel and watching the updates on Hurricane Katrina we drove down the road and found a restaurant called Chilli’s. The food was great I had, Chicken, Shrimp and a half rack of Ribs. We then headed back to the hotel for the night.

Day 80 - Austin, Texas, USA

Day 80 – 27th August 2005 -6:00 GMT

Drove over to the State Capital Building and took a look around.


The State Capital Building, Texas 

They have an amazing Dome with the portraits of all the Governors since the early 1800’s around the walls. We looked around the Treasury offices and then looked at the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives.


Senate Chamber 


House of Representatives 

After this we drove to the University District and ate at a vegetarian restaurant called Veggie Heaven. Here we tried Bubble Tea, like a creamy chocolate milkshake with bubbles of Tapioca in it. It was actually very nice. We then drove around and found a cycling shop for Reece where Lance Armstrong frequents, Reece spent loads of money on clothing here. We then went back to the hotel for an hour or so before heading to the cinema to see Dukes Of Hazzard, on the way home there was a sofa in the centre of the motorway which was causing a bit of trouble with cars braking and swerving. In the evening we walked down to 6th Street when it was 95 F at 8:30pm and visited a few of the bars including a pirate bar that sold Newcastle Brown Ale. I then walked back to the hotel.


Jill and I with Newcastle Brown Ale 


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