Running From the Cops in Texas After Buying Meth in Albuquerque

After a good night's sleep, we woke to a winter wonderland in Albuquerque.  Not as heavy as Flagstaff, but still flurries that stuck and made the roads slick.  In fact, the interstate was closed in the direction we were headed. The elevation of Albuquerque is about the same as Seligman, Arizona, so that shot my elevation theory of the weather we were experiencing all to pieces.  It now appeared the colder weather was just coming along for the ride.

It was also here that we met "Buttercup".  While in Albuquerque, we met a friend who lived there.  She gave us Buttercup to keep us company on the road.  I'm not known for my green thumb, but the tag gave care instructions, and the internet said the biggest problem was over watering.  Considering how good I am at neglecting plants, I decided we might just get along pretty well.  When we checked out of the hotel, I tucked Buttercup in in the back seat and wrapped her base in a blanket to help her stay warm.

Because the interstate was closed, we decided to have a leisurely breakfast at Cracker Barrel before heading to our first sight of the day.  Bruce was excited.  He loves Cracker Barrel, and since they don't have any locations in Washington, he hasn't had a meal from there for over a year.

After breakfast, we went in search of that commodity of which Albuquerque has become known, thanks to Walter White and Jessie.  So, we headed to the Old Town, to see the major distributor, The Candy Lady.

The Candy Lady sells fudges and multiple other types of candy (including some that may be considered x-rated in some circles).  In the back room, Walter and Jessie stand by as you inspect and package your special candy.

We picked up a few dealer packs and some smaller user packs.  It's actually cotton candy flavored rock candy.  There's so much more to see in Albuquerque than Breaking Bad stuff, and all we saw was the Candy Lady, so we'll definitely be back.  Because of the snow, we missed what I was looking forward to as one of the highlights of the area - the musical highway - which is a section of Route 66 that still exists parallel to the interstate just east of Albuquerque.

By the time we finished with Walter and Jessie, the interstate was reopened, so we got back on the road, heading east.  We didn't make Amarillo by morning, but we did get there in the afternoon.  Just before getting there, we pulled off the interstate and onto the frontage road for the Cadillac Ranch.  We had picked up some spray paint just so we could add our contribution.

Cadillac Ranch sits probably a little over 100 yards off the road in the middle of a dirt and grass/scrub field.  When we got there, it was still spitting snow and the path to get to the cars and around them was a giant patch of mud.  Knowing we'd be back, we took a few pictures out the window and went on down the road.

At the first cross roads, there's an RV park that is definitely capitalizing on the ranch.  According to information on Yelp (which you have to believe because it's on the internet!!), the RV park is not owned by the same guy or formally associated with the sculpture garden in any way.  But, they make their presence known and sell spray paint in case you forgot to pick some up before coming.  There's supposed to be a gift shop in there, too, but we didn't stop except to take pictures.

By the time we got to the other side of Amarillo, it was still cold, but the snow had stopped.  The ground was still damp, but around the Slug Bug Ranch, it hadn't been churned up nearly as much as at the Cadillac Ranch.  Plus, it's right by the road.  We got out here and used our spray paint.

Be careful if you stop here, the abandoned gas station on the corner is apparently haunted!

Soon after we got back on the interstate, we came across some police cars parked on the side of the road.  It was my turn to drive, and in keeping with the move over laws which are probably in place in Texas, too, I moved over the left-hand lane and slowed down to right around the speed limit.  There was hardly any other traffic on the road at that time, so I slowed down a little more, and we did some rubber necking.  Just as we were getting up close to them, one of the officers reached into the back seat of his SUV and pulled out a shotgun.  I hit the gas when he pumped that bad boy up!  The last thing I wanted was to be in the cross fire if people started shooting at each other!  Especially after seeing the Candy Lady in Albuquerque and having our stash measured out in little distribution baggies!!

Hoping we had gotten far enough away, we pulled of the interstate again close to Grooms to check out the Leaning Tower of Texas.  The story goes that back in the day, there was a little sundries store and restaurant, and people were passing it by.  The owner decided he needed a gimmick to get people into his little diner.  Once he got them in, he could make some sales.  So, he took some concrete and raised the legs on one side of his water tower next door.  Worked like a charm.  People stopped to tell him his water tower was about to fall over, and while they were there, they bought something, even if it was only a cup of coffee. The diner has since closed and been apparently abandoned, but the water tower still stands - or leans.  Definitely a sight to see, but as we were sitting in the parking lot of the abandoned diner, a policeman in an SUV started driving down the frontage road, so we high-tailed it back on the interstate and on down the road to Oklahoma City!