Well, We Got Snowed On
Like the Donners on their way west, we too got snowed on … but we didn’t have to resort to cannibalism. Instead, we’re shacked up at a hotel in Raton, New Mexico. Now that the snow has stopped and we can see more than a few yards ahead, we can tell that this is a pretty cool town. We’ve already hit up their library, their local coffee shop, the Raton Museum, and the store that sells beer (seriously, there may only be one). Here’s what we drove through today. It was insane.
We thought we’d have a bad day today, then two good ones to see northern New Mexico. But the forecast for tomorrow? It keeps dropping. We’ll have to figure this out. We may need to run to the south. Or to AZ.
Edit from Lisa: I don’t think Paul conveyed this fully: this is the worst driving I’ve ever experienced. And I’m from the snow belt of upstate New York. The visibility was often zero, and the wind was blowing so hard that the gusting snow was creating these weird, shifting shapes and patterns that were messing with my eyes. Add to that countless tumbleweeds, speeding semis (UPS gots to get there on time), and the inability of New Mexico to plow their roads, and my first impression of the state I’ve been dying to get to is not great. But now that the clouds have cleared and Raton has been so awesome (and beautiful), I’m warming up to it a little bit.
12 thoughts on “Well, We Got Snowed On”
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Ack! So much for warm weather in the South. Looks nice here:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Alamogordo+NM+USNM0002
Yes, but perhaps too close to Roswell to be safe from UFOs.
How about here then:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/index.shtml
“Warming” up to it. I see what you did there.
Both hands on the wheel, kids… Ten and two! Glad you got there safely.
Next time: 4 hands on the wheels. Double the safety.
You beat us for first snow! Glad you arrived safely. Nice to know you don’t have a schedule to meet. Enjoy
Holy. The Raton Pass? Drove this very stretch in 2003 with a pal. Pal had a Chevy S10 blazer that was pulling a dangerously overloaded trailer and was overheating up any minor incline. We had to stop 4 – 5 times getting up that mountain. That’s not a fun stretch at all.
Time to head south it seems … after a couple days in Taos. I believe south is always downhill …
I think there might be some truth to the “south is always downhill” thing. That said, it also sounds a lot like something my pal with the Chevy Blazer told me once we arrived in California: “In California, the ocean is always on your left.” ‘kay…
Sorry guys, had to laugh cuz we had the same experience when we traveled that route! We were expecting relative warmth and mildness compared to NY and boy were we in for a surprise! Love your blog, will continue to follow it as you head in our direction!
Raton strikes again!
Perhaps the saying should go, “There’s nothing certain but death, taxes, AND SNOW!”
Be safe.