Tonight we are in Tucumcari as we travel back to our home. We have been pushing on much more quickly on the return path than we typically do, perhaps because of an unexpected desire to get there to rejoin our friends and community.We are staying in the Cactus RV Park, an Escapee, 1/2 price park. It is nice enough for one night, but nothing special. Driving around we spotted five others that ranged from seedy to about what this one is.

We have begun to realize that our view of travels seems to have changed dramatically from what it was full-time. In the past, the travel was the objective but now with a home again, we seem to have shifted the emphasis.

Tucumcari strikes us as a very sad place to live. The most numerous thing here is the range of cheap, or abandoned motels and restaurants. We drove around the town and while there are some very attractive buildings, the downtown section has more empty buildings than occupied ones. The town lists a population of nearly 6000, yet there is only one grocery store! The old US66 is lined with motels in various states of neglec and more than half of them are now closed.