Wow- what a day it was! A quick summary: wind farms, first drone flight of the trip, aliens, and white sand. Interesting mix right?
We left Abilene around 6:30 with a few stops in mind. As the drive through west Texas went, the abundance of wind turbines increased. From the interstate we could see them in the distance. In fact, on Day 1 as we passed a rest area there were numerous 18-wheelers with trailers parked. The flat bed trailers were much longer than normal. On each trailer was one blade. The blades were for new turbines. They were huge! As we drove, the need to get closer to one of the turbines increased. As we left the interstate for a smaller highway we got our chance.
Along the highway the turbines were much closer, but access was limited due to the turbines being enclosed in fenced in ranches. We diverted from the beaten path and finally found a fence-free area that had numerous turbines! Score! We got right up on one and Dean dropped me off and drove a short distance to get a picture of me next to it. If you zoom in, I am standing at the foot of the turbine! The turbines average 345 feet in height. While standing under the blades I shot video on my iPhone. There is a hum that comes from the 'innards' of the turbine but when you listen closely, you can hear the blades cutting through the air- so very awesome!A few tidbits about wind power in Texas (I just can't stop being a teacher...lol):
- Texas produces the most wind power of any US state.
- Wind power accounted for 12.63% of the electricity generated in Texas in a 12-month period
We continued our trek towards White Sands. We stopped for a bit for Dean to take out the new drone and get the first footage of the trip. The great thing about all of our technology (drones, cameras, ,iPhones, Go-Pros, etc) is that it captures everything that we ask it to! The tough part is finding the time to download, edit, and upload everything to share. Our long days prove in making that almost impossible. Our current workflow doesn't allow for the videos to make it on the blog. I actually type the blog the day after while we are driving to our next destination. We will get all videos and pictures online. LOL- Dean just suggested that when we get home we set up a time for everyone to come and watch it all with us...for two hours!!! LOL- to think people do that to others!
Dean is far more open-minded than I am. I acknowledge that. I also know that he made the stop in Waco for me based on my interest. This explains our next stop of the day... Roswell, New Mexico. I am not a believer (so close minded right?) However, Mr. Guidry has not ruled it out. How could we be the only intelligent life in such a huge universe? We pulled into Roswell around noon. If ever there was an opportune time to visit Roswell, we found it (accidentally). The 70th Anniversary of 'The Roswell Incident' is this year and it was being celebrated this very weekend.....what a treat!?! We walked right into the UFO Festival along with hundreds of other 'believers'. Main STreet was blocked off to traffic and there were vendors set up in tents selling everything from everything alien to purses, candles, etc. There were numerous food vendors as well. We decided to first enter the UFO Museum to get the facts. Maybe I could be persuaded to believe... Now, the other believers are far more invested in all of this hype. There were speakers and entertainers that people lined up to see.
Dean recognized one older gentleman from Discovery. We didn't want to have to buy his book, so he just walked behind him as he was signing someone else's book and I snapped a pic! LOL Maybe some of you will recognize him.
I walked up on a conversation that a guy in his twenties was having with one of the 'experts'. As I listened in, I heard the young guy explaining to the very attentive expert where the power source for this particular craft was located and the aerodynamic properties of said craft.... as I looked closer I realized that the 'craft' in question was in the hands of the young guy. He brought his invented craft with him to the Festival.... what dedication!
Oh, and the proof that live does exist outside of Earth was this lovely display that shows aliens near their space craft. So life-like....
Honestly, it was a community gathering that ended in Town Hall's square with large trees providing shade- a band playing on a stage, couples dancing, everyone
enjoying the food and weather. Very much like anyone of our fairs, just instead of a focus on food, this one is on aliens.... definitely something that we can say 'hey, we've been there.'
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We left Roswell heading west to the White Sands National Monument. After a couple hours we arrived. The temperature was 98 degrees at 5 pm. We stopped at the visitor station to grab an informational pamphlet and then headed to the 'dunes.' This national monument is acreage of gypsum sand dunes. The short of it 'why' or 'how': Deep layers of gypsum was left behind when the Permian Sea retreated millions of years ago. Mountains rose and carried the gypsum high. Later, water from melting glaciers dissolved the mineral and returned it to the basin. The word gypsum has collected into this area of dunes that is now protected. Upon first entering the park, you can see the white sand but there are numerous scruffy bushes growing throughout. Somewhat like the dunes on the Gulf Coast. As we drove deeper into the park it became just dunes of white sand- miles of them! It was just beautiful. I always thought that my love for the beach was mainly about
This park is definitely one that we've seen kids enjoy more than any other park. Families had been camped out all day with pop up tents and the kids were sledding down the slopes of the dunes. Just an incredible place to visit if ever the opportunity presents itself.
We left White Sands and headed to Las Cruces, NM to spend the night. We were going to head north on I-25 in the morning so we chose to stay near the interstate. Before checking in, we used Yelp to find good burger joint. Farley's Food and Fun Pub is where we decided to eat. Dean ordered the Smokey Bear- BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. I ordered Farley's Favorite Burger- Guacamole, grilled mushrooms, onions, and Swiss cheese with lettuce, tomato and pickle. We so enjoyed every bite!
Heading to the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Meteor Crater, and Sedona on Day 3! Stay tuned!
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