And We Must Go…

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Actually, John and Olivia are calling, so Jeff and I take a road trip, in our car this time, and head to Austin to spend 3 full days with my youngest son and his high school sweetheart who will become my daughter-in-law next year.

We take the I-10 East through the rest of California and continue driving through Arizona and New Mexico until reaching our final destination.

Even from the freeway, this is beautiful country!

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Ten hours later, we stop for dinner in Las Cruces, New Mexico at Dick’s Cafe. (I barely recall arriving here because my brother, Ken, and I reconnect once again by phone. Ken calls me about my grandson, Oliver, and we briefly catch up. It’s been several years since we talked. I owe you a call this time, Ken!)

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This popular local diner serves everything from burgers and sandwiches to Mexican food, and barbecue.

courtesy of Maiava Ohana, 2019

courtesy of Maiava Ohana, 2019

courtesy of William Matthies, 2018

courtesy of Sam Torrez, 2019

In 2019, Dick’s Cafe celebrated 60 years of serving good meals at decent prices.

courtesy of Cristian Strawn-Monarrez, 2019

This family-owned restaurant started out as a small hamburger stand owned and operated by Dick Perez. In the 1970s the business moved from the Tortugas area to its present location on S. Valley Drive in Las Cruces.

Today, Ace Perez is the 3rd generation owner of Dick’s Cafe and has hopes that his son, Dylan, will take over the family business in the future. (lascrucesbulletin.com)

lascrucesbulletin.com

After dipping tortilla chips in the hottest salsa I have ever tasted, Jeff eats the best burger ever and I enjoy my Mexican dish smothered with salsa verde.

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Rested and satisfied, we head southeast on the 10 to El Paso, Texas. Not used to the traffic and lights on a major city, the drive through the city is unnerving and stressful. What a shocking difference from the desert daytime driving!

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Finally through the city, we continue on I-10 in the dark toward Van Horn. Towns are few and far between for the next 90 minutes. We need gas and, of course, no gas stations are available.

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After a very long day of driving, we conk out at a Motel 6 in Van Horn.