Day 1: Texas to New Mexico

The drive started out great. The air was cool and it rained and poured sporadically as we headed west. The temperature never rose beyond the mid 80’s and we didn’t mind the rain much as it sure as heck beats 100° weather. We were making really good time when we got a flat at Iraan, TX. Gmoney pulled over and changed the tire though I wanted to call AAA to do it. We continued on our way driving at 60 miles per hour instead of 80 mph as we had before. I called AAA Roadside Assistance and they were very helpful and gave me the numbers for four tire centers in Fort Stockton. I called all four and we decided on the last one, which quoted us the lowest price, and because I liked the mannerisms of Howard, the person who answered my call. 

We made it to McKissack Tire Service and they promptly replaced the spare. If you ever get into any sort of mechanical trouble near Fort Stockton, I highly recommend this place. Howard and his son Dudley were extremely nice and didn’t try to overcharge us. Their front wall was filled with thank you letters from hapless travelers they assisted over the years. When I asked permission to snap a photo of a rendering of the town, not only did Howard give me a copy of the poster, he also gave me a really nice pen that doubles as a flashlight – mentioning that women always liked it. Before we left, he suggested a couple sights for me to take photos of.


We filled up the tank here for $2.87 per gallon. This was when I realized I had left my American Express card at home in the pocket of the pants I wore when I filled up the tank the night before. Oh well.


We then drove up the street to K-Bob's Steak House and Bar for dinner. Gmoney ordered the famous K-Bob steak kabobs and side salad bar. I wasn’t very hungry and just ordered the salad bar as a meal. Ocean and Storm both were famished and ate some of our salad stuff as we waited for their food. Storm discovered Italian dressing, which I had put on the baby spinach leaves, and he has declared it his favorite, along with Ranch, Blue Cheese, and Caesar. The food took a long time, and for some reason, the waitress didn’t bring out the yummy rolls until she brought out the entrées. The trouble with feeding Ocean early (before the entrées come out) is that he does not like to remain in his highchair. So G and I took turns following him around the restaurant. He liked to climb on chairs and sit at other tables – luckily, the staff and other patrons didn’t seem to mind.

After eating a heaping plate of salad, G didn’t have much more appetite for the kabobs though they were very tasty. We asked for a to go box but by the time it arrived, he had eaten all but one of the kabobs. It was now my turn to drive. As we got on the freeway, G grabbed the to go box and ate the remaining kabob.


We stayed at the America's Best Value Inn in Carlsbad, NM. When we arrived, there was a strong stench of urine in the air – the desk clerk said it might have been from the nearby oilfields or farms and that it should disappear quickly as the winds shift. Fortunately, he was right. The room was ok, nothing fancy but it was clean (except for the lone half pistachio shell under the desk). They happily provided us with extra towels and pillow though I had to go to the front desk to get it as they only had the one guy on staff. There was a nice sized small refrigerator in the room but the ice machine next to our room wasn’t working so G had to go all the way down to the end of the next row of rooms to get some. The outdoor patio to the hotel bar was pretty full -– I don’t know whether they were lodgers or locals but they seemed to be having fun.

Their free continental breakfast consisted of milk, juice, coffee, four varieties of cereal, assorted pastries, muffins, toast, bagels, hardboiled eggs, fruit cocktail, and make your own waffles. We had a quick breakfast and got out of there quickly as we had a full day of driving ahead.