"On the Road Again . . ." - June 5th

We left Albuquerque, NM around 8:30 a.m. this morning.  Destination - Oklahoma City, OK for a concert at the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Once we left Albuquerque, it was all downhill - literally.  Elevation in Albuquerque was 6,080 feet above sea level.  It was a SNOOZE of a day until we reached the state of Oklahoma.

Since all we did today was drive, all the photos are with Mommy's cell phone.  I thought it was better that Daddy pay attention to driving instead of taking photos.

This is what Vaughn, NM looks like.

So this is what I did.

Tucumcari, NM seems to be a common stopping point for many people traveling along I-40.

Not a very exciting place.  However, if you look closely at the photo, you'll see a road - that's Route 66.

Next we crossed into the State of Texas.  Scenery hasn't changed too much.
This is Channing, TX.

The most exciting thing we saw in Channing, TX was cows. Big Whoop!

By the time we drove to Amarillo, TX, KYOTEE was hungry. Gasoline was $3.63 per gallon.
While at the gas station, we met another family from Atlanta, GA. They were just relocated to work at the airport in Clovis, NM.  Aunt Koena grew up in Clovis, NM.  Small world.

At least driving through Amarillo, TX, we started to see white puffy clouds.
I know, you can hardly control your excitement, right?

Argh!!!!!  I'm getting Bed-Head!!!!!!

We actually got off at the Groom, TX exit.  No, I don't know where the Bride is.  Someone said she ran away.

Groom, TX is off Route 66.
According to Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries, this is the largest free-standing cross in America.
According to Roadside America, it's the second largest cross in the Western Hemisphere.
It was built by Steve Thomas of Pampa, Texas in 1995.

Once you cross the state line into Oklahoma, the treeline starts.

And, in some areas, the trees seem to be growing sideways.

"OH-H-H-H-Klah-homa, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains . . ."
Might as well harness some wind energy while they're at it.

These are not your typical hay bales.  THESE are Hay Doodles!!!!
At least, that's what Grandma Lindsey called them (according to Mommy)
It's not uncommon for round hay bales to weigh 1,700 to 2,000 # each.
That's a LOT of hay.

Once we hit El Reno, OK, the evidence of the latest tornadoes started showing themselves.

Trees were snapped and twisted.

 

As we continued to drive down I-40, Daddy noticed smoke.

As we got closer, the smoke worsened. State Patrol began flagging everyone into the far left-hand lane.

Flames were cresting the hills and smoke was heavy.  It was hard to tell, but it kinda looked like a controlled burn. There were stretches where we could see out across the countryside at large areas of  downed trees that were burning.

By the time we FINALLY made it to Oklahoma City, it was past 7:00 p.m.  The concert had already started, so we decided to just stay in for the night.  Daddy is watching the basketball game, Mommy is in the lobby working on the blog, and me - well - after eating and playing with Hedgie & Baby, I decided to rest up for another long drive tomorrow.

Total miles driven today = 542 miles.
Starting elevation in Albuquerque was 6,080 feet above sea level.
Ending elevation in Oklahoma City is 1,230 feet above sea level.