Jan 21st - Pancho Villa State Park

Christmas on Route 9 to Columbus, NM

Hwy 9 west from El Paso to Columbus, NM

Someone remembered

Overlooking El Paso from The Franklin Mountains

The Gift......The Red Tailed Hawk

We started out yesterday with the idea of heading north from Van Horn, TX to Carlsbad, New Mexico to visit the caverns.  Richard checked out the weather on Wunderground and discovered it was going to go down to 11 degrees at Carlsbad.  We looked at each other and in unison said "WEST".  Every now and then I have to remind myself that I am retired and do not have to follow a schedule.  That goes for traveling also.  We have decided that we will move as the spirit (and weather man predicts). 
As mentioned before we do not like to take the major interstate highways and only do so if necessary.  There just were no other roads to take to get around El Paso so we hopped onto I-10 from Van Horn and exited  as soon as possible to avoid the city.  We went north just outside of El Paso, a route that took us over the Franklin Mountains.  There was a pull off just past the pass or highest point of travel.  We stopped to take some pictures of a benevolent appearing El Paso and then slipped off the four lane onto a simple two lane that took us the 60 some miles into Columbus, New Mexico, where we are camped at Pancho Villa State Park. 

As we were driving on Route 9 west just outside of Columbus, we had pulled over so I could take a picture of a roadside memorial to someone most likely killed on that piece of roadway.  Just as I opened the door a Red Tailed Hawk took wing almost in front of me!  Without thinking I put the camera to my eye and pressed the shutter and miracle of miracles I got the photo!    What a gift.