From Tucson, AZ to Las Cruces, NM 
From Tucson, AZ to Las Cruces, NM
Ending Mileage: 
Day of Travel
Departing From
Destination
Distance (in miles)
Distance (in kilometers)
Departure Time
Arrival Time
Total Travel Time
Average Speed (in mph)
Average Speed (in kph)
Today I was up early, 6AM to be precise but I didn't really rush to get on the cycle. I had a light breakfast at the Flamingo Hotel. It sounds so exotic. Its amazing how perfectly good milk, cereal and orange juice can taste so bad just by being associated with Styrofoam. It was fun to watch the comings and goings in our breakfast room. The hostess offered a German man coffee. He declined politely and she asked him if it was too weak. He said no, it was perfectly good American coffee. She asked him why he wasn't having a cup. His final response and what got her to leave him alone was that it was awful coffee and not worth drinking.
Loaded with carbos and my belongings, I head out onto Interstate 10 heading east. I keep seeing things that I wish I had time to visit. In a way, I'm like a ghost passing through a room without disturbing anything and being seen by no one. I need to fix this. East of Tucson is the Pima Air and Space Museum and their Titan Missile Silo Museum. From the highway I could see the tails of the aircraft collection. I was curious what all was there so I checked their website this evening. B17, B29, B52, Caravelle, oh my! So many goodies. File this one away for any repeat visit.
The landscape is changing again. More deciduous trees that look like they've been burned have joined the desert fauna but at a gas stop I can see that they are just beginning to bud new growth. The ocotillos are giving up the fight as we move higher and to the east. Yucca is very common with many in full bloom.
The speed limit is 75! But I'm taking my time and enjoying the ride and hanging between 65 and 70. A group of guys on Harleys tears by at 75-80. But I'm still passing over half the semis on the road.
Passing or being passed by a semi -- now that is some real fun. As a semi over takes me, I usually move to the side of the lane away from the truck. Ahead of the truck there is a sort of bow wave not unlike the ones created by a ship. As the cab of the truck overtakes you, there is some negative pressure from the air flowing under the trailer. This results in a modest but distinct tendency to be pulled toward the overtaking truck. The same thing happens again as the back of the trailer passes you. Finally you have a lot of disturbed air rolling around in the back. At first it was disconcerting, but when you think that 50-70,000 pounds of truck and cargo have just blasted past at 75 mph you know that you cannot argue with the forces of nature. Like a reed, I surf the wave as I roll along.
At Benson Arizona, it is time for a gas stop. I consider taking Arizona 80 south to Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas but decide that I want to press on. At the end of the day, I wish I had made the detour but that is just spilt milk.
At
Dragoon, Interstate 10 passes through the Texas Canyon. The rock
formations are really spectacular. I stopped at a rest stop in the
canyon to grab this picture. The rest stop information kiosk had some
great information about Geronimo, Cochise and other 'outlaw' native
Americans. Using these mountains as cover, they raided Army troops at
nearby forts and outposts in response to a string of broken promises
and misbehavior by American settlers.
At Willcox, I left the highway in search of the railroad park. It was prominently signed on the highway but I managed to miss it off the highway. Pressing on its time for a quick water stop at San Simon. It is desperately hard to not run at or above the posted speed limit. The road is good and arrow straight. The scenery is monotonous. For my mother's sake, I will not admit to my actual speed today.
But as the Bienvenidos New Mexico sign is passed, there is a distinct lifting off the gas pedals on the road. Within five miles, four trucks or cars are pulled over by the New Mexico State Police or local Sheriff's department. Despite that visual warning, the speedometer again begins to creep up.
At Lordsburg New Mexico, it is time for gas and a stretch. I talk to a couple from Redlands at the pump next to me. Newlyweds Jeremy and Julie are on their way to visit friends in Las Cruces having driven from Phoenix. I followed the signs to the ghost town but had to pass as it was down a long gravel road. Homey don't do gravel roads.
Back headed east, the bike is riding and running great. The scenery has moved down from monotonous to boring. The wind is picking up and one blast pushes me across the line into the fast lane. I was doing everything I could to stay where I wanted to be (lean, turn, close throttle), my little Scotty voice taunting me "Aye Captain, I don't think she can take much more of this!" Phew, that was exciting.
I'm engaged in a mental debate on whether to stop in Las Cruces or push onto El Paso. I'm tired but I would be happy to cut down the following day's ride by the extra 50 or so miles. But on the other hand, I'm not so sure I want to do that part of east Texas. White Plains and a little bit more of New Mexico are calling. Ultimately I pull off in Las Cruces and check myself into a La Quinta Inn.
Once settled in, its time for a quick swim. I meet a grandmother and her three charges. She and her husband live in Albuquerque and are just down for a couple days with the grandchildren, something they get to do every couple of months. She and her husband lived in San Diego and Oceanside when he was stationed in San Diego and Camp Pendleton. It's a small world.
Still not sure what to do about tomorrow's ride.
Two days ago I wrote that regarding the Arizona Confederate Memorial: But it begs the question: How many people could Arizona have sent to fight in the War of Northern Aggression? One of my attentive readers wrote back that he felt there were some minor skirmishes in Arizona. I did a little researching on the web -- not the definitive last word on these matters but usually interesting.
First, the site State Civil War Maps shows only one battle shown in Arizona. The second site Confederate Arizona and the Arizona Confederates is very interesting. Remember Arizona was not yet a state at the time of the Civil War. If we are to believe the maps on this site, Arizona was split in two. More was going on than I thought, but I leave up to you to decide if I was right or wrong in my summarization.
Depart Tucson on Interstate 10 heading east.
Arrive Las Cruces.
(c) 2001 Thomas N. Engler Revision Date: 04/14/2001 revised
08/11/01
