Iron Horse Adventure: New Orleans to Cloudcroft, New Mexico

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I thanked Johnnie Two Time for his hospitality before pulling out of the Feral City and setting off down the Morrison Highway (I-10) towards that great state of Texas. The sun had just broken through as I headed out of town. I’d never been to Texas before, and was excited about venturing to new places.

Leaving New Orleans
Leaving New Orleans

I made it close to 500 miles my first day before hitting a state campground just outside of San Antonio. It had been blistering hot, and the sky turned dark just above a mountain range in the distance. I watched as the storm slowly rolled through the desert. The storm didn’t last very long but cooled things off quite nicely, leaving a wonderful rainbow in its wake.

Texas Rainbow
Texas Rainbow

I woke up before the dawn and was so blown away by the night sky. I’ve lived in Chicago for almost ten years, and couldn’t remember the last time I saw such a wonderful sight. I packed my things and started off down that long road towards New Mexico. My excitement was at its peak, as my wife and I had been planing our move out west for over a year. Now I was actually going to set foot on the land we so dreamed about. The sky was a fire red as I jumped back onto I-10.

Texas Sunrise
Texas Sunrise

It was a blistering long day, and by the time I set camp in the Lincoln National Forest, my eyes were bouncing in their sockets due to the endless hours of motorcycle vibration. I found a wonderful place to camp several thousand feet up in the mountains above White Sands National Monument. The folks next to me were really nice, and even fixed me a plate of fish and fries. Tomorrow I’m staying in camp and enjoying the pure silence of the forest.

Next day:

My first night here in the Sacramento Mountains was a little rough. My sleeping bag wasn’t quite warm enough, and I spent most of the night tossing and turning trying to stay warm. The following morning came with rain and wind. I rode 22 miles through the wind and rain, and almost had a wreck. They had been putting down new chip on the roads, but failed to put caution signs up. Bad news for any bikers coming around the corner at 45mph. Without notice, I hit a patch of marbles!

I’ll spend the day here relaxing before I head to my final destination, Edgewood, New Mexico.

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Larry Clay
7 years ago

Welcome to New Mexico. I grew up in Albuquerque but currently reside in Las Vegas, NV. If you are still in the Albuquerque area, check out the Luna Lodge motel at 9119 Central Ave.NE between Wyoming and Eubank. My parents bought the motel in 1957 and we lived in the apartment above the office until 1964 when we moved into a new house. My mother sold the motel in 1977 after my father’s death in 1975. The motel is now in the National Historic Registry as an example of motels on highway 66 of the 1940s and 1950s. The motel has been restored and converted for low income housing but still retains it’s original charm.