From Convention Centres - to oil fields

I cant believe that I could get it so wrong -- when we set the routes and locations to stop on this trip I genuinely thought that we could try to avoid El Paso by going earlier up to Carlsbad in New Mexico and then cutting across country -- over the mountainous region and down into Tucson --well I was way wrong---- well about 80 miles overall so in the great scheme of things , no big deal but a lesson on this part for better planning in the future.

Lynda and I did the whole trip one time which was around the 850 miles mark and if it wasn't for I think going back through 3 times zones we would have probably had to stop west of El Paso but it was still around 11 hours of driving, too long for this old fella these days.

 

 

So this was around 480 miles and one time zone and this today will be around 480 miles and through at least one more time zone----

 

 

So not the best planning but it did raise an eye opener for Lynda and me.

 

I realise that sometimes if you read this blog in the past , you might be forgiven for thinking that it was written through Rose Tinted Glasses. Ok so what I would say is that we have seen plenty of areas in America that are poor , rundown, and really in an awful condition for people to live - and this is like any country where there will be many places the same but those were mostly unplanned and by chance, because most of our planning has been about going on trips that we want to do and therefore with pretty good research by my wonderful navigator and organiser, we tend to be found in reasonable areas.

 

That bit was for clarification because if we had not gone way out of the way that we should have done we would not have seen the trip up from Fort Stockton, Texas to Carlsbad, where we say a combination of things that we havn't seen before.

 

Most places along the way might reflect what it was like back in the Klondike times for the miners. We have never seen so much activity in opening new Wellheads, Refineries, Process Plants and Power generation facilities -- and all this while trying to widen and upgrade the main 285 highway at the same time.

 

 The picture below is of the stacks on 5 massive turbines that have fuel processed by the side and pushing power up on to the grid lines.

 

I mean there are very little other use for this land except Cattle and the condition of the land has also been a problem for that but along with the oil and gas exploration is also major drilling for water and this I am assuming -- as it is not potable (you cant drink it yet) --will help eventually transform the land in parts -- at least that land which isn't currently being transformed.

 

 We did have a little bit of luck with a sprinkle of instinct for a guy who has had to duck and dive around traffic jams in England all his driving life -- we got into a traffic jam and were not moving-- at all--- and so when we saw a pickup dive out of the queue and hang a left I decided to follow --- after a bit of rights and lefts we realised that there was a massing section of train containers stuck across the main road with no engines attached so no-one was going anywhere--- except us and a few select others -- this was a real win as some would be there for hours.

 

 

 

 More turbines and more process plants

 

 And while these might be extreme they are n indication that Housing is not the criteria -- making money is and it is like boom time around These areas for workers who have a pickup and a trailer.

 

 

 So the map below shows the areas being drilled and explored and opened up and I thought I would do this blog as a reminder that under the Trump administration there are areas such as Utah where he has certified licences for the mining for oil and minerals on a 2 million acre site that is actually park and nature reserves -- so while job figures today are at an all time low in the US -- be careful what you allow to happen.
 
As we drove , the smell of gas and the amount of dust and the condition of the highway and the surrounding landscapes with high burn off flares going full bore-- well this might be coming to a town near you folks sometime soon.
 

 

So an experience for us both and with the stopping in a good hotel and we were the only ones without a pickup truck, we wont be too disappointed to leave this town --- so bye bye Carlsbad and roll on Tucson.