Trip Report--Day 5

Got up at 0500--had breakfast, shaved and hit the road by 0600. Clear and
calm. Just starting daylight. They've resurfaced U.S. 54 from Logan to
Tucumcari and it was as smooth as a baby's bottom.....considering the
difference in scale.

They were peddling gas in Tucumcari at $3.40 for 86 octane. Same in Santa
Rosa. Even Vaughn which is usually the highest on the entire route is being
kept honest by an Allsups that opened a year or so ago and was only $3.50.
Corona was $3.78 and Carrizozo is $3.58. I'm not going to make El Paso at the
rate the gauge is dropping but Tularosa or Alamogordo shouldn't be too high.

The Freeway from Tucumcari to Santa Rosa is nearly pothole free so I passed
nearly everything in sight. Only 2 semis passed me and one caught on fire
right after he did so. Something under his hood made a loud bang and black
smoke started pouring out of both exhausts and from under the hood.

U.S. 54 from the junction with U.S. 60 is good nearly to Corona after which it
turns into a series of ridges, holes and ruts. 55 MPH was max if I wanted to
keep out of the ditch. A few miles north of Carrizozo it smooths out
somewhat. Anyhoo we made 210 miles in a tad less than 4 hours....which is not
bad. Wind hasn't started blowing yet and only 75 degrees so far.

I'm having a Molson's Golden....ohh! ahhh! I earned that.
LZ