HEADING EAST

Due to lack of money and time (we want to see grandparents in Maine), we have changed our itinerary to make this a coast-to-coast trip.   Now that we made it to the Pacific Ocean, it’s time to turn around and head towards Maine. 

 

Leaving California and heading towards Arizona's state line through the dry mountains ...

 

 

We decided to stick to the southern states and visit the northern states’ attractions another time.  So, we took a different route to see more of the South.  We experienced more heat this time across but also enjoyed different scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

Across the Continental Divide again ...

 

 

SAGURO CACTI were an amazing sight to behold in the dry ecosystem of Arizona. 

 

We also enjoyed viewing a little roadrunner cross our path while on the highway, but I wasn’t quick enough to snap its picture! 

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CACTI .... CACTI everywhere in the RV park in Arizona where we stayed ... we just "love" them!

 

 

INTO TEXAS ...........

Driving through El Paso brought us extremely close to our country’s southern border where we could literally see the fencing that separates our country from our neighboring country.

 (Can you see the brown "border" fence?)

We even caught a glimpse of the far-away Mount Cristo Rey .  It would have been wonderful to visit this shrine, but we didn't have time.  I also read that it is best to visit the shrine in groups, such as a pilgrimage, for safety reasons. 

Look VERY closely to see the statue on the top of the mountain.   ;-)

 

 

 

Highway driving permitted us to experience 80 mph speed-limit signs, which we didn’t do with our motorhome.  ;-)

 

 

In Pecos, TX, we saw a large number of oil drills in the fields, and several of them had the "flames" that were burning off the natural gas.

 

 We stopped at Odessa Meteor Crater, which is the second largest crater site in the United States.  It wasn’t as impressive as the largest meteor crater, though. (We saw that one 17 years ago.)  However, it was interesting to read the story of this crater and walk around its rim. 

 

 

 

 

Besides seeing the crater site, we viewed a wild, horned lizard up close in the parking lot!

As you know, Texas is a large state … it could take one several days to make it across to the eastern border, especially when you enter it at the western tip near El Paso!