Day 16 - June 30, 2010

Odometer reads: 3922 miles

This day started a bit earlier than normal, when we both woke up around 3:30 a.m. for a usual restroom/flip-over-so-my-back-doesn't break moment and heard drumming in the distance. We laid there and listened for awhile, trying to figure out where it was coming from. We saw what looked like a huge bonfire about 15 miles off in the distance (about the same amount of land between us and the Apache Reservation). Both of us tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed to be getting louder, so like the suburban girls we are, we started making up horror stories in our minds as we ran to the car clutching our pillows. We stayed there for awhile, googling Apache violence and other bedtime stories. After an hour or so we decided we were being silly and headed back to the tent to sleep, like our peacefully-slumbering neighbors.

A few hours later, we got up and hung out for a bit while laughing about our midnight scare, then it started raining yet again and we packed up our wet gear as quick as possible. After stuffing our dripping tent and tarp into the car, we took off for a full day of driving. Got to Albuquerque - which is surprisingly adorable - and found a "Road Food" location called Modal's Pharmacy - a small place that is a combination diner-drug store. We got there a bit too late for lunch, but Kat had an awesome milkshake and Smalls had homemade blackberry cobbler (jealous, Mo?). Left Modal's and snooped around town for a bit, eventually finding a Boston Market and eating our weights in comfort food.

Drove some more... drove... drove. Finally, around 10 p.m. we arrived at Great Sand Dune National Park and found a depressingly full campground. Turned around and trudged 30 miles back to the nearest town only to find every motel and hotel we called, FULL. Back-tracked another 18 miles to Monte Vista, Colorado to a tiny motel owned by a friendly hunting enthusiast from Alabama. Brushed our teeth and slept wonderfully.