After sleeping in a bit today due to a late night last night, Rebecca got started around 6:45 am and quickly made it the last 10 mile stretch on 652 to Orla. I went ahead to the Pilot there (which seems to be the highlight of the "town") and restocked on ice and fuel (finally since leaving outskirts of El Paso! - seriously first fuel place available). Then she headed down 285 South to Mentone. If we thought the oilfield trucks got busy/bad on 652, 285 was even more rough and busy. Non stop 18 wheelers blowing by and construction - she had to run in the ditch for a big chunk of it. We met a random lady who was coming out to see if I needed help while I waited for Rebecca who warned us of he dangers of the road. Today was also the most road kill seen - 3 dead cows, a coyote and a chicken! (I didn't see the chicken - Rebecca did.) So I guess we will never know why it tried to cross the road...
Rebecca was on a mission to get to Mentone straight through and boy did she! She kept a steady pace to get there despite the crazy traffic, wind, beating sun and feet that started to finally feel the beating pavement all day. After 285 it was a left onto 302 to head into Mentone. As I was sitting at the crazy under construction intersection of 285 and 302, I started thinking with all this oilfield traffic, do the oil companies help pay for the roadwork/improvements or is that all paid by the state? Just saying...
We spent most of the day in Reeves County (wonder if its named after someone I'm related to...) She crossed the Pecos River (on the narrow bridge dodging 18 wheelers as I'm looking through my binoculars - aye!) and into Loving County right before getting into town. Did you know Mentone is the smallest county seat in Texas? And the only town in Loving County? Me neither until today... I gave Rebecca a history lesson as I circled the Loving County courthouse reading all the historical markers and signs. At the end of the tour, I asked for tips and got a whopping $1.66 (actually the $1.66 was my payment for the day that she found on the road). Once we ate our gourmet dinner I cooked in the parking lot of spaghetti, green beans and mango, Rebecca continued on for a few miles out of Mentone headed towards Kermit on 302. Today's miles were 40 even. This makes 216 altogether- she has surpassed the 200 mile mark - woohooo!!! Pic below to see how she celebrated. :)
Tomorrow, we continue on 302 to Kermit, but first tonight we get to sleep with the glow of burning natural gas shining in the van windows. Night night.
