Green Chili Cheeseburger

Hard to believe it's been five (going on six) years since I made full time RVing a lifestyle. While some say time flies, for me it rolls. Living on wheels provides me the ultimate control for adapting to climate change (mostly seasonal). It's true. One of the best ways to winterize my RV is parking it by a cactus, palm tree, or both. Life is good? Truly.

For the past six winters I aimed southwest. It's been a treat to enjoy some local fare along the way. If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then NM green chilies got that memo. Yet I somehow managed to keep missing opportunities to indulge in the ubiquitous green chili cheeseburger. Last week that became more of a goal.

On my way north from El Paso towards Albuquerque I followed the Rio Grande River. That took me through Hatch, NM. Sparky's is an iconic Route 66 burger joint. I had an inside tip that their GCC would be worth the stop. The good news was timing my arrival around noon. No better time for lunch. The bad news was I arrived on Wednesday. They were closed. Dry swallowing my tummy grumbling disappointment, I settled for

Vrump vrump

You know those rumble strips that're sorta stamped into paved roads? The ones that go vrump, vrump when you drive over them. That noise is characteristic, isn't it? Immediately recognizable. Which is good for safety, I think. They can instantly alert you if you start to drift out of your lane, for example. Or give useful cues to an upcoming intersection. Not a bad idea.

That noise, however. It isn't exactly melodic, is it? Have you ever wondered what other sounds rumble strips might be able to make? Perhaps something more pleasant? Well, wonder no more. There's a short section of old Route 66 near Albuquerque NM that answers the question.

The sound is kinda weak so you may have to max out your volume, and squint your ear balls, to hear it. My ABQ friends said National Geographic just did this project a few years ago. It may be one of very few in the country. I'll leave that research as homework (for either of my followers) to learn "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.

Cool Heat

I've long been fascinated by deserts. Growing up in MI they were foreign to my realm of experience. The whole environment seemed as alien to me as the Moon. In school I learned more than nothing about desert life. Plants and animals somehow made a living in what seemed a brutal climate. Scorching days. Freezing nights. Scarce water. I didn't quite get it. Not fully. But I was curious.

I started experiencing the desert well into adulthood. First, a motorcycle trip to AZ to visit friends. Later, some business trips to NM. I guess the more I saw of - and learned about - the southwest, the more intrigued I became. Once I started full time RVing, my first three winters I aimed for desert.

Frugality helped me embrace desert life. Being stingy with water proved

Appearances Matter

So I had an interesting encounter today. I'd just come off the hiking trail. I was tired and hungry. As I pulled into my reserved campsite I saw that it was occupied. One tent, one Prius, and three young ladies.

They all conferred quickly amongst themselves as I pulled in. "Hello" they greeted. I reciprocated. I let all our best smiles play on all our faces for a few beats. "I think one of us might be in the wrong campsite" I said. "That's entirely possible" one of them replied. So I let that hang.

It didn't take long. "We were wondering if maybe we could