
I was all prepared to write a raging bitch rant about how much it sucked to drive 500 miles from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Abilene, Texas – known forever in my head as Hwy 20 from hell across west Texas. But then I thought, what would Pollyanna say?
Pollyanna
Me, I’d be sarcastic and impatient while Pollyanna would play the glad game to find the good in the situation. So even though I’m about as far from a Pollyanna as one can be, I’m going to write my version of the glad game.
We left Las Cruces, NM after a two night stay and hit the road at 8:30 a.m. It was 18 degrees outside, by the way, but the sky was blue and the sun was shining. It was all good as we headed east toward Texas. See? That’s a positive start, right?
Concordia Cemetery
There was a highlight in the day when we stopped in El Paso at the Concordia Cemetery. I know how odd that sounds to say a stop at a cemetery was the highlight of the day, but this was not your average cemetery. There is a story to tell about the cemetery but it will have to wait for another day so I can do it justice.

Concordia Cemetery – El Paso, TX
Texas Best
Another odd tidbit about the state of Texas; it has the best roadside rest stops. Of course I didn’t think to take a photo because I wasn’t planning a Pollyanna moment. They are large, clean and very well-maintained. You know Texas, go big or go home! At the first rest stop I stood in Texas and looked out at Mexico – that was pretty cool.

Standing in TX, looking at Mexico
Are You US Citizens?
We drove Hwy 10 southeast along the western border of Texas and Mexico. It was interesting to come across this inspection station pretty much in the middle of nowhere and be asked, “Are you both U.S. citizens?” I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if the answer was, no.

Are you both U.S. citizens?
Never Again!
Remember I told you if we had to drive Hwy 5 – the length of CA – ever again it would be far too soon? I’d like to amend that statement and add in, if we ever have to drive Hwy 10 and Hwy 20 across west Texas again, it will be too soon. If the weather forces us to do so on our return trip I’m pretty sure I will break down and cry. Okay, that’s not a Pollyanna attitude but it’s the truth.
Zip, Nada, Nothin
I’m the first person to find beauty in the desert, I’ve said this before and I stand by it, but, O.M.G. this drive was 500 miles of zip, nada, nothin. The occasional blink of a town – kind of – and a few of those large truck stop places, but other than that, nothing. Until… we reached Pecos and then we saw lots and lots and lots of oil drills and these…

Oil refinery
I don’t know what Pollyanna would say about oil drills and refineries, I suppose she’d be glad that we had the natural resources. What I would say is the smell stench of crude oil in the air is beyond description. I was wearing a turtle neck sweater and I kept pulling the collar up over my nose in an attempt to squelch the smell.

Oil refinery at dusk
I suppose Pollyanna might say that the lights make the refinery look a little more festive.
Glad for Sunsets
We had enough by the time we got to Midlands so we pulled into a Hampton Inn but pulled right back out again. The room rate was $219 for the night. Excuse me?! So on we went all the way to Abilene, which is where we are now. We still have nearly 200 miles before we reach Dallas. Beyond Dallas we will make our way northeast through Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia to Washington, D.C.
Pollyanna and I are both glad the freeze that gripped the midwest has passed and hopefully will not return. And sunsets, we are both glad for sunsets because they bring a beautiful ending to a less than beautiful day. And Pollyanna and I agree that tomorrow is another day and for that we are glad!

Sunset over west Texas on Hwy 20
Now that you have passed Texas….have fun and stay safe. Love reading your posts! 🙂
Thank you Julie! So glad to know you enjoy reading!
I used to think I would be interested in driving through West Texas. Thanks for helping me reconsider!
Seriously, there is just nothing out there and you pretty much have to drive it in a day because of the lack of towns out there. And there are signs warning that should there be zero visibility due to sand storms, pull off of the road. Yikes! It’s quite the harsh environment, not someplace one would go unless one has to get from point A to point B.
LOL! Nope there is not much there…I remember driving with my parents one time through that stretch. I was so bored that I watched the odometer to see the distance between each telephone pole.

Kerri recently posted…Taking Your Child to Auschwitz and Birkenau
Ha! Ha! Yeah, we were hard-pressed to keep ourselves entertained.
Well, great job on channeling your inner Pollyanna, Patti! This post really boomeranged back around as to why it sucked (the darn horrible winter storm) and that you were not able to stick to your original itinerary. But, as always, I’ve always believed you to be one to make lemonade out of lemons and certainly have so far, our friend! Good read as always 🙂

Mike recently posted…My Top 10 +1 Favorite Christmas Movies
Thanks Mike. The fact that we hadn’t planned to drive that section of west TX did add salt to the wound, but we survived it and now we have a good story! 😉
Wow that’s a big drive, love that view of Mexico, did you see me waving? 😉 Hope the next leg inspires some real Pollyanna moments! Safe travels Po.. I mean, Patti 🙂

Sarah recently posted…Might as well face it I’m addicted to carbs (and Twitter)
You know I thought I saw you waving, but decided it must be a mirage because there was no water in sight! It was a very big drive but it put a lot of miles behind us and that was good, so now we have more time for FUN!
A very good exercise on looking at the bright side. But you are right about that boring drive.

Gaelyn recently posted…Settling into Stellenbosch South Africa
It was deadly, Gaelyn. It may have been worse than Hwy 5, but it was good to put the miles behind us even if we didn’t intend to do it all in one day.
It has been so much fun to read everyday about your travels. I can’t wait to read more. Good luck, be safe, and make it a journey you will always remember.
Ah, that’s so nice, thank you for the well-wishes!