What's between Austin and Albuquerque?

tlglenn

tlglenn

Cleared for Takeoff
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Tucson, Arizona, United States
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Ted
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KTUS, AZ67
Next month I'm flying to Austin and then to Albquerque before returning home. I have several days between when I'm finished in Austin and when I plan to arrive in Albuquerque. What cool places should I visit between the two cities?
 
+1 for Caverns of Sonora. An incredible place that nobody's ever heard of. (Ground transportation may be a challenge--if you figure out a good solution, I'd like to hear it!)
 
There is also the Southwest Soaring Museum in Moriarty NM. Its about a mile or two from the airport (OEO). Other than that all I can think of is a lot of open space. It also depends on which way you go...or how much out of the way you go. Lots of pretty country but from Roswell or Hobbs to Albuquerque there isn't a lot of places to land that are near anything.

Frank
 
Spenser Theater is within a walking distance from Sierra-Blanca KSRR, but you need a performance to coincide with the visit to make it worth.
 
Rocks and mesquites, plenty of both, and a few oil wells thrown in. Oh yeah, there is also the greatest kept cultural secret in America, Odessa Texas. Your life and travels are not complete until you have visited Odessa TX, preferably on August 15.
 
Henning said:
Rocks and mesquites, plenty of both, and a few oil wells thrown in. Oh yeah, there is also the greatest kept cultural secret in America, Odessa Texas. Your life and travels are not complete until you have visited Odessa TX, preferably on August 15.
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:rofl: :hairraise: :goofy:

Never forget - about eleventy million windmills. :thumbsup:
 
Henning said:
Rocks and mesquites, plenty of both, and a few oil wells thrown in. Oh yeah, there is also the greatest kept cultural secret in America, Odessa Texas. Your life and travels are not complete until you have visited Odessa TX, preferably on August 15.
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After spending a couple months there one afternoon, there's plenty of reason to call it Odessalation. What's happening 15 Aug?
 
Hmm, just so happens that I'm right seating a Citation to Odessa tomorrow. I guess I should bring a good book based on the comments.
 
In Midland, there is also a small museum of Chaparral race cars ... those Group 7, CanAM unlimited racers,
 
Henning said:
It's the day when you get to feel the greatest effect of living in a pizza oven.
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Actually, I think you're steamed more than baked in Texas, right? Or maybe that's just Dallas.
 
Albuquerque, alburnum, alcaic, alcaide, alcestis, alchemist, alchemize, alchemy, alcemene, alcohol, alcoran, alcove, alcyone,aldente, alder, aldol, aldose, aldrin, ale, aletoric, alembic, alencon, aleph, alert, aleurone, aleut, alevin, alexia, alresco, algebra, algol, algonquian, algorithm, alias, alien, align, alimony, alive, [about another 2000 words], aurora, auspice, aussie, austere, Austin.
 
From east to west Texas goes from hot and wet to hot and dry, with sand and dust to fill in the gaps. Plus several poisonous snakes, spiders, and scorpions, killer bees, tornados, fires, and snow. Also, a lot of the plants will poke you or make you break out in with a rash. Truly Gods country! I love my State!
 
murphey said:
Kidding? It has 5 of the 7 worst climate zones just in Houston alone!
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SCCutler said:
CRAP!

Beat me to it. :D
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Me three. :)

My sister just took a job with the City of Houston.

I'm happy she as a Gen-Y'er FINALLY gets to put her Masters Degree in Restorative Architecture to work in her 30's.

As a generally anti-large-government person, I'm torn on who her new employer is. :)
 
rainsux said:
In Midland, there is also a small museum of Chaparral race cars ... those Group 7, CanAM unlimited racers,
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That would be Jim Hall's place. We used to stop by there on the way to Big Springs where we would do Indycar testing at the old airport turned race track. Hall VDS was also the engine builder who rebuilt our Ilmor/Mercedes engines. Not sure who is still there and whats in the museum. Here is a link to the wiki article about him....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_(racing_driver)

Having spent a lot of time flying between Alb and Row as well as all over the southeast part of NM and west tex I think the advice on the weather is good. Not a lot to see out there.

Frank
 
Henning said:
Texas is a big place, it has 5 of the 7 worst climate zones in one state.
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I believe it. In my one year of living there, I didn't find it a very "outside conducive" place to live (which really bummed me out). And now I live in New England-- harsh weather, but very outside conducive.
 
If you want cheap gas, stop in Sonora. Not much else there, but the price was right!

Here's a lot of what I saw yesterday...

IMG_0295.JPG

That's the town of Pecos, surrounded by what you'll see a lot of.

Once you get close to the NM border you'll start seeing things like this:

IMG_0300.JPG


Ryan
 
Jim_R said:
+1 for Caverns of Sonora. An incredible place that nobody's ever heard of. (Ground transportation may be a challenge--if you figure out a good solution, I'd like to hear it!)
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Boy, you weren't kidding! A query yielded this reply:

At this time there we have no courtesy cars available and there are no rental cars available in the area. You might check with the Caverns to see if they might have someone that could arrange transportation for you. There is a Days Inn that adjoins the airport on the Southeast corner that is an easy walk from the pilot lounge, at the Sutton County Steakhouse is located in the Days Inn Parking lot on the I-10 service road.

Thanks for the inquiry, and let me know if I can help you in any other way.

Leonard Leinfelder
Public Works Director
City of Sonora
325-387-2558, extension 308
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That said, the Steakhouse has a pretty good chicken fry, per AirNav reviews. And there's a golf course adjoining the field....
 
Tracey said:
I believe it. In my one year of living there, I didn't find it a very "outside conducive" place to live (which really bummed me out). And now I live in New England-- harsh weather, but very outside conducive.
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Actually the hill country (around Austin) is really great. Spent 4 years there, then had to move to Houston. It's either fantastic or the pits. Nothing in the middle. Traffic is horrible. Weather is horrible. Summers are horrible. Fortunately, for the 7 years I lived there, I only spent 2 summers there.
 
I'm an "outdoorsy" kind of person. I prefer drinking beer and grilling on the back porch. ;)
 
I hear the whistle of "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" theme starting...
 
DavidWhite said:
They have a really good restaurant just a few steps further than the hotel. The gas pumps there sure are funny.

What were you doing out there?
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Flying... sometimes it's good to get out and do a nice long solo.

I've got a long X/C coming up in an RV-6 with a customer and thought it might be good for my pilot skills to do something I hadn't done in a while.
 
Well, the Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg is a good meal, but that's not even an hour out of Austin. Roswell (ROW) has an airliner boneyard.

Last time I flew it, I went non-stop SAT-SAF. Santa Fe is just beyond ABQ, but it's worth a visit in it's own right.

Not a lot to see at San Angelo, but IIRC, there's food at the field. Carlsbad is worth the stop.

And with a little detour, there are some great folks in Alpine/Ft. Davis.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Flying... sometimes it's good to get out and do a nice long solo.
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Sigh. I bet. I'm looking forward to doing a long solo one day (and to not be afraid of doing it!). For now, I just go on long runs and that will have to do.
 
Tracey said:
Sigh. I bet. I'm looking forward to doing a long solo one day (and to not be afraid of doing it!). For now, I just go on long runs and that will have to do.
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I fly with students on a nearly daily basis - sometimes multiple times. I managed to log 9.8 hours of solo time this trip, so that was a nice little break.

Ryan
 
Henning said:
Rocks and mesquites, plenty of both, and a few oil wells thrown in. Oh yeah, there is also the greatest kept cultural secret in America, Odessa Texas. Your life and travels are not complete until you have visited Odessa TX, preferably on August 15.
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I agree, and not far from there is Wink Texas. At Wink Airport there is a guy named Charlie Cooper, the manager. He lives there inside the old FSS.

A couple of years ago I flew the 170 in there and was stranded. I've never been treated better anywhere so far than I have been at Winkler County Airport.

I want to go back to visit. There is absolutely nothing in Winkler county but one nice old pilot that really helped me out.
 
RyanShort1 said:
I fly with students on a nearly daily basis - sometimes multiple times. I managed to log 9.8 hours of solo time this trip, so that was a nice little break.
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Ryan- I'm glad you got that little break and enjoyed it. I hope you get even more.
 
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