Monday 3/7/11

Cam spent the morning taking care of some home and work responsibilities that have built up over the past 29 days on the road. Karen loaded the truck for today's drive to Van Horn, TX. Instead of following the more common route of I-10, we chose the road less traveled.  The "Old West Highway" was scenic and remote for the full length of it's 153 miles from Globe, AZ to Lordsburg, NM. The Old West Highway traces 600 years of western history and adventure. We passed silver mining towns and the home town of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day-O'Connor. As we passed the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, we learned the sad fact that this is the poorest Native American community in the United States.  However, this reservation operates one of 3 peridot mines in the world.  This green "gemstone of the sun" is mined from the nearby Peridot Mesa and it is estimated that 80-90% of the world's production of peridot comes from this reservation.  While Karen was packing the truck this morning, the news she was watching ended and Regis&Kelly appeared on the television.  There was a segment on a well known ultra-athlete, Dean Karnazes, who is participating in the Run Across America. Regis and Kelly were following his progress along the way.  Sure enough, east of Phoenix, we rode by a brightly colored Regis&Kelly van with about 5 or 6 local runners alongside Dean on the shoulder of the highway. Then a few miles down the road we saw more buses for the Regis&Kelly entourage.  Dean is running 3,000 miles from coast to coast to inspire America and raise funds for Action for Healthy Kids.  Amazingly, he will average 40-50 miles of running a day!  That is inspiring!   We had a quick lunch stop in Globe, AZ, which is famous as the home of the West's only known female stagecoach robber, Pearl Heart.

We hit two high's today.  Gasoline in Deming, NM was $3.70, and the speed limit was 80mph on the desolate drive from the eastern New Mexico border to Van Dorn, TX.
We drove 520 miles today.