The prior night's antics in Texas caught up with me. We met strippers and/or hookers, some crazy tweakers, and a comparably normal Republican couple at Buffalo Wild Wings.
With the exception of the tweakers, everyone was pretty nice. The strippers gave us some vodka since apparently everything in Texas closes at midnight. We hesitated, but it was worth it.
We slept from the time we checked in until check out. It was no Thursday. Neil had to be to work on Friday. It was pretty apparent even if we did make it, it wasn't going to be a pretty day.
"I think maybe I should call off", he said.
If he didn't call off, he wouldn't have to be to work until Wednesday, which meant we could stop and "see the sights". From Chicago to New Mexico is pretty boring anyhow, but the second you hit New Mexico, it becomes a different story.
The mountains and plateaus start off small, but you know you are in the desert. No cacti, but there are vultures. Big, scary vultures.
The road into Albuquerque is a lot cooler than the town of Albuquerque. Winding highways bring you through about 50 miles of mountains. Just as you start to think they will never end, you clear them and see a giant valley.
There isn't much in the town of ABQ, and unfortunately I missed out on their red and green chili. I was hung over and tired, so I gave myself a pass on that one. We did stop at a casino and spent a half hour registering for a player's card for a stupid cup souvenir. It was worth it. Free shit.
As we made it into Arizona, we debated stopping at my Aunt's in Phoenix. it was about 3 hours out of the way, but we made it in an hour and a half. Not exactly sure how that happened.
My Aunt was quiet accommodating. We were exhausted, and the night in a shitty Texas motel didn't do much good. With the anxiety of making it by Friday lifted, we were ready to party. Plus she had a pool.
By this point, any anxiety and worries I had were gone. We made it more than half way, and the comfort of seeing my Aunt helped. It almost felt like home.
We swam, drank, and ate. I got my first taste on In-n-Out. Although I was extremely nautius and hung over, but it was glorious. We spent 2 and a half days there. Much needed relaxation for some weary travelers.
It was mandatory for us to drink tequila in the desert. I'm not a big fan on it, but whats right is right. By the end, I was chugging it out of the bottle. I now love tequila.
I hope from here on out any time I drink tequila, I am reminded of the days I spent in the desert with my friend Neil, and my family. Thats how it should be.
It took me about half an hour to get this shot, but it was worth it. This is definitely the photo that best defines the road trip. It is my favorite, and hopefully yours too.
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