With our stomachs full we pull out of Amarillo, headed west on Interstate 40. As we leave Amarillo we are on the Llano Estacado 
. You can see why this is called the High Plains. The horizon seems to extend forever. Due to our late start we won't get far into New Mexico today. The wind is strong and we are continuely required to reduce our speed to keep the RPM's front remaining too high - the transmission is still a problem. We stopped at the New Mexico welcome station and were nearly blown away.
By the time we get to Tucumcari we should be looking for a place to camp. There is a state park near Santa Rosa. Instead of stopping we find a state park near Villanueva. It is down a small state road but it looks good. When we get off the Interstate it is getting to be dusk. The road is a paved two lane, winding and hilly. The countryside seems to be attractive but it is getting to dark to see. We get to Villanueva after 7:00 pm and find the state park near town. It has been closed about 20 minutes (winter hours) and there is a steel gate blocking the entrance. we have no choice but to head on. Surely there is a campground between here and Santa Fe. Wrong.
In the campground directory Sharon found a campground at a Santa Fe exit. We drove up and down the road three or four times before we found the RV park behind a Ryder Truck Rental agency. The sign outside said they were full. Across the street another RV park was also full. Sharon found an Corps of Engineers campground at Cociti Lake. Hoping to find a site we push on. It is dark, the stars are beautiful but it is so dark we have no idea what surrounds us. We find a site pull in and collapse.
We wake to a surprise. There is a great view of the surrounding mountains. And there is a beautiful lake. We took a little time enjoying the locale before leaving.
Back on Interstate 25 we head for Bernalilo and US 550 north toward Farmington. Shortly after getting back on the road we start seeing exit for various Pueblos. We decided to stop at the Santo Domingo Pueblo. I was expecting a pueblo community in the style of the multi-level adobe Taos Pueblo 
. What we found was a crowded neighborhood of small houses. We did not feel comfortable snapping pictures but did get a picture of new reservation housing outside the "city." 
From Santo Domingo Pueblo we continued on to Bernalillo where we picked up US 550 and headed north. We passed through beautiful and amazing topography. There were some pretty strong winds but the transmission held up.
We finally arrive. Our 10th night on the road will be spent at our destination - Sundance RV Park, Cortez, Colorado.
NEXT:Settling In
Index:Our First Assignment - Contents