I took a Vacation to Austin, Texas! - Tucson to Las Cruses (Part 2)

A couple of weeks ago I took a roadtrip / vacation to Austin, TX.  It's took 2 days, 1300 miles, hours of music, and 100s of iPhone photos (taken while driving).  We where heading to Austin, Texas because my sister was moving there to start a new job.   The trip took my family and myself through the American Southwest.


Tucson to Las Cruses
After having lunch at Burger King in Tuscon, we gassed up, and continued our journey to Austin, Texas.
Having never driven this roadway was quite exciting.  My eyes kept wondering from left to right and straight ahead, as I tried to take in all of the scenery that was foreign to my eyes.

The drive from Tuscon to Las Cruses was for the most part flat with sprinkles of scenes along the way.  One of those scenes was a set of bridge columns that weren't supporting a bridge (see below).

Along Interstate 10 it was wide open with very light traffic.  The interstate had its fair share of interesting highway advertisements.  Two of the big names in advertisements where for "The Thing" and the "Phantom Fireworks" and just like clockwork every 50 or so miles, these signs would appear.  The sign would lure you in to stop and see what they had to offer.  But from watching documentaries and movies such as National Lampoon's movies, I knew these where tourist traps that wouldn't reel anything good except trinkets that you didn't need and most likely could get else where.  

So as we traveled pass signs saying exit here now for the "Thing" question mark, me made our way through Arizona and into New Mexico.

And when we got into "The Land of Enchantment" we where greeted more barren desertland and a few surprise along the way.  One of those surprises was a train transporting mysterious parts that I could only imagine are wind turbine parts but it's up to you to what you can come up with.

One of the cool things about driving through New Mexico was that I was able to cross the Continental Divide.  The Continental Divide is the dividing line that splits the country in half where water on the west side of the divide would flow towards the Pacific Ocean and water to the east would flow towards the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.  Being a geography geek as well as a photography geek, I was eagerly awaiting for a sign indicating that we crossing over it, with one hand on the steering wheel, one hand clutching the iPhone ready to snap the picture.  And when the opportunity came, snap, I got the shot!  (see below)

And after a couple more hours of driving, we finally reached the half way point in our roadtrip across the American Southwest!

With the sun setting behind us, my family and I rest for the next portion of the roadtrip.  Tomorrow we travel through Texas and reach our destination, Austin!

Stay tuned for the next segment in this amazing roadtrip.