to New Mexico

It takes a long time to drive across Texas.  From the eastern border with Louisiana, to the western border with New Mexico, the distance is 880 miles. Traveling west, once you pass San Antonio, there are few campgrounds.  But there are traffic accidents.  We waiting in this traffic line for about 30
minutes just west of San Antonio.

There was no fence between the freeway and the frontage road to the right . . . many people simply drove over the grass to the frontage road to avoid the wait. 

we're past the wreck site; the frontage road drivers have their own traffic problems now

Texas has made the long drive across its state very hospitable by providing numerous rest areas, most of them equipped with large parking areas for big rigs like ours, and . . . ta da . . . free wifi!  We stayed the first night out of Houston in the rest area at mile marker 394, along with many truckers and several other RVs.  We stopped relatively early because there was a huge thunderstorm headed in from the west, and we didn't want to drive in it. 

darkening skies ahead

The next day we drove to Las Cruces, New Mexico.  We still love the incredible beauty of the western landscape.  It's interesting to see the landscape change in increments once you get past San Antonio.  First you notice there are no more big trees.  Then, you see that the bushes get smaller and smaller, until you reach the actual desert area.   The desert plants are completely different from anything else.  The whole drive is quite beautiful, in our opinion.

One of the surprising things we notice on every drive through here is the exploding growth of the El Paso area.  It is so much more than a can of Old El Paso Red Chile Sauce.

What used to be a sleepy, dried up border town is now a big city, with big freeways to prove it. 

Remarkable.