We woke by 6 A.M. and got ourselves mobilized.  It was our first morning of the re-pack/re-load process and it wasn’t pretty.  What was fabulous was the massive breakfast they offered.  Every palate was pleased as we ate and ate.  It was awesome.

We got started – later that we wanted – (this will become a repeating theme) – and headed from Fort Smith, AR to Albuquerque, NM.

It is essentially a straight line through Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle, and into New Mexico.  Sights thrilled us as we took in places we’d never been before.  But we didn’t stop, per se.

We played some games, read some books, watched some movies, and just kept moving.

We stopped at Walmart for more food at lunch time and enjoyed crispy fried chicken, potato salad, and cookies. 

West, west. west.  We just kept moving west.

We drove directly to Dickey’s BBQ pit in Albuquerque for dinner.  Dickey’s BBQ Pit is a chain we’d discovered on our last road trip to Oregon in 2015.  We were eager to eat there again.

As we approached the building, other would-be patrons warned us they were closed.  The manager popped his head out the door to explain they were closing because they were out of meat and most of their sides.

We tried to find something fast… and it wasn’t fast.  We asked our cell phones to help us find a Longhorn Steakhouse, but it said it was 13 miles away.  We could see an Outback Steakhouse from where we were, and with a little finagling, found or way to it.  In the end we spent WAY too much money and time for a so-so meal.  We barely got to the hotel in time for a quick swim for a few of us. 

Katriel fell asleep as we headed to the hotel.  She stayed asleep through bed changes and well into the morning.