Driving From Houston to Las Vegas

I’m no stranger to driving cross country and this barely qualifies, It took me a total of two days of driving. 13 or 14 hours the first day and 8 hours the second. 1471 miles all told not counting my detours. I could have made it faster but I had to stop often to eat, pee, get gas, and stretch my legs. Still there were a few things that happened that made this trip feel unique.

First off I gained an extra hour each day due to crossing the time zones. Normally, at least on the first day, I drive longer than 12 hours, continuing on until it got dark only it didn’t get dark fast enough. I stopped, got a room, ate dinner at a local diner and still had a bit of daylight before turning in. It felt strange giving up driving further while the sun was still out.

Second was dust storms. No I didn’t actually experience one but there were plenty of signs alerting me to the possibility, especially in New Mexico. I’ve really had my share of natural disasters having lived in both Southern California and Houston. I wasn’t really open to new one. Thankfully I missed out. I hope my luck holds out for the return trip.

It was also interesting seeing how these businesses operated due to COVID. Everyone wore masks at the truck stops but every time I went deeper into a town, they seemed very afraid of the possibility of catching it. Maybe I’m used to Houston where everyone can get the vaccine now and businesses are opening up.