After our overnight stay at the Super 8 at Amarillo and a fitful night's sleep I wake to find Rory's latest nocturnal adventure was to carefully cover the bathtub with all the towels...
This morning's breakfast is at Ye Olde Pancake House, except it isn't; it's closed due to severe flooding in the local area. In fact, the flooding is so severe most of the roads are coned off and we are thwarted at every turn...we got in so we must be able to get out. Our second choice breakfast place is also shut, and after some creative cross country driving we find our way out and leave the animals boarding the Arc.
The only option is iHop - International House of Pancakes - a place not close to my heart. To be fair the food wasn't bad despite the bizarre arrangement on the plate that looks like a Rabbi (can't be an accident?), and with bacon too. Tres peculiar. Our first visit of the trip to Walmart is disappointingly devoid of any weirdness as we stock up on picnic items, some cheapo T-shirts and a pair of shorts.
Today is a sightseeing day with marginal risks tomorrow and the day after around eastern New Mexico and western Texas, perhaps even south eastern Colorado; perhaps Campo revisited? We head off west on the I40 and then north on US385 towards Clayton, NM then stop at Dalhart for a pitstop and the first can of Starbucks Mocha Doubleshot Energy drink of the trip.
We cross the state line into New Mexico and stop in Clayton for a picnic in a school yard as they've already finished for the term. Rory has a bottle of Mountain Dew which has 154% RDA of sugar and more caffeine than the can of coffee. It's chilly and there is drizzle in the air. A funnel cloud is reported just to our north west. Go figure. As we leave Clayton we move into Mountain time which is -7 compared to back home. It's now pouring down.
We drive up to Mount Capulin, an 8,000ft extinct volcano I've been up a couple of times before and walk around the rim. It's cool and refreshing up there and the views are something else plus it was good to get some exercise even if it's only a mile or so. Having said that the thinner atmosphere needed a tad more effort. We go into Folsum, the bar closed in 1909 so we've missed last orders. The power is out in the adjacent museum but there is enough light to see some of the exhibits. The gift shop is selling fur coon skin hats; despite the reasonable price tag of $12.50 Rory declines to purchase citing "practicality issues".
We drive through the rain to Trinidad, Colorado and check into the Days Inn which has an outdoor pool and hot tub. On entering our room we find there's already a bag on the bed...as an apology for the cock up we get a room with a "patio" out the back. Not sure we'll use any of it due to the incessant rain and lack of swim trunks.
As we drove in there was a "dispensary" right next to the hotel but I don't think it's the same as Boots the Chemist...The hotel also has its own restaurant which has a good reputation so this is where we will have dinner. As it happens the food is good. The inquiring mind disappears to see what the dispensary is all about...and reappears about an hour later with a wealth of information about the Colorado weed business where they "do it right". Apparently in the Trinidad area there are 50 dispensaries for a population of 9000. According to the "budtender" when weed was legalised crime when down but road traffic accidents went up but they were travelling much slower...
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