We had not decided which route we would take home until we were pulling out of the motel this morning. We had a choice of at least three routes that were all within 15 min travel time and all were on two lane highways and all had limited motels until we had driven over 700 miles.

I decided to take a new route and head up to Kearney, NE. This route takes us up I-25 into CO, then mostly two lane roads through KS and into NE.

Our first stop was still in NM, we stopped at a rest area near Maxwell. Very windy, the cleaning crews plants were flapping in the wind, lots of tumble weeds most of the way.

Lunch and fuel was at a Love's in La Junta. The 2nd Godfathers at a Love's this trip. Mileage is doing pretty well considering we have a head wind of up to 50 mph. The current average is 40-45 mpg.

Lots of ghost towns, signs where it is only a block until the sign for those coming from the other direction and all that is there are some falling down buildings. Even most of the live towns are mostly has been with maybe a feed mill or a shop and a few houses.

The road ranges from a few miles of four lane highway to some that has no shoulder beyond the white line. Lots of traffic in parts for 'back roads.' Feed lots and lots of ag. More sorghum than I have ever seen, and more grain being stored on the ground than I have ever seen.

Our afternoon stop was at a Shell in Sharon Springs. That town had an Oak Tree Inn and a Penny's Diner. Most towns don't have much if any name brands.

Sun set about an hour before we got to the motel, but by that time we were on a highway that had good shoulders.

Our night is spent at a Quality Inn in Kearney, NE and we went through the drive thru at Taco Bell.

We spent a lot of time talking about work numbers this AM. How much we've made in the last two years and what had to happen to make it.