Dirt Rhodes Scholar
-The drive back to Califronia was much more eventful than the drive to New Mexico.
-So I tooling along I-25 going through Soccoro when I see a sign for the Very Large Array. I look on the map and sure enough, it is located outside Soccoro, New Mexico...63 MILES OUTSIDE SOCCORO, NEW MEXICO!!!
-But I thought to myself, when will I ever be in this area again? And if I ever am, will I be able to stop and check it out? So I went.
-The thing with the Very Large Array was that it wasn't very large at all. I was disappointed when I came over the horizon. Each arm of the Very Large Array can extend out to 13 miles, and it sure didn't looks like 13 miles to me. I later learned at the visitor center that they can move each of the array dishes outward or inward depending on how narrow of a view they want to get. At the time I was there they had them all close inward.
-Then I started to feel adventurous. The only reason why I would not have gone to the VLA is because of the long drive out there and then the long drive back. I figure that if I'm going to be driving a long time, I might as well take an alternate route and see a different scenery. Rural route 52 is 50+ miles of nothing in the middle of nowhere. 40 miles of it is unpaved and has free range cattle and wild antelope wandering across the road. It goes through hills, but nothing too steep, and no cell phone service at all. And yet, some people live out there, ranchers. It became clear to me how bad of an idea this was about 20 miles down the dirt road. I thought, what if my tuck breaks down right here? I have no cell phone service. I only passed three vehicles in 40 miles and they all looked like ranch trucks. Who knows how often the people who live out here travel the road, and who knows what kind of people they are? They could be Texas Chainsaw Massacre types for all I know.
-And then it happened, just as the asphalt returned I got a flat tire. I pulled over and emptied a can of fix-a-flat into the tire and drove it to Truth or Consequences, NM only 20 miles away and the closest "biggest" town. I got the tire fixed and went on my way south.
-I'll admit that little adventure was the worst idea I've had in a while, but I learned not to go onto New Mexico roads that extend for 40 miles unpaved. At least not alone and unarmed. You never know who's out there.
-Next time:
-The Salem shortcut, and on to Phoenix.
-So I tooling along I-25 going through Soccoro when I see a sign for the Very Large Array. I look on the map and sure enough, it is located outside Soccoro, New Mexico...63 MILES OUTSIDE SOCCORO, NEW MEXICO!!!
-But I thought to myself, when will I ever be in this area again? And if I ever am, will I be able to stop and check it out? So I went.
-The thing with the Very Large Array was that it wasn't very large at all. I was disappointed when I came over the horizon. Each arm of the Very Large Array can extend out to 13 miles, and it sure didn't looks like 13 miles to me. I later learned at the visitor center that they can move each of the array dishes outward or inward depending on how narrow of a view they want to get. At the time I was there they had them all close inward.
-Then I started to feel adventurous. The only reason why I would not have gone to the VLA is because of the long drive out there and then the long drive back. I figure that if I'm going to be driving a long time, I might as well take an alternate route and see a different scenery. Rural route 52 is 50+ miles of nothing in the middle of nowhere. 40 miles of it is unpaved and has free range cattle and wild antelope wandering across the road. It goes through hills, but nothing too steep, and no cell phone service at all. And yet, some people live out there, ranchers. It became clear to me how bad of an idea this was about 20 miles down the dirt road. I thought, what if my tuck breaks down right here? I have no cell phone service. I only passed three vehicles in 40 miles and they all looked like ranch trucks. Who knows how often the people who live out here travel the road, and who knows what kind of people they are? They could be Texas Chainsaw Massacre types for all I know.
-And then it happened, just as the asphalt returned I got a flat tire. I pulled over and emptied a can of fix-a-flat into the tire and drove it to Truth or Consequences, NM only 20 miles away and the closest "biggest" town. I got the tire fixed and went on my way south.
-I'll admit that little adventure was the worst idea I've had in a while, but I learned not to go onto New Mexico roads that extend for 40 miles unpaved. At least not alone and unarmed. You never know who's out there.
-Next time:
-The Salem shortcut, and on to Phoenix.