Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Winslow, Arizona

Began this morning in Santa Rosa, New Mexico with a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) departure involving sky conditions of 1,200 foot broken clouds.  Bill and Will had to make their way through gaps in the clouds to the clear conditions on top.  Heading for Albuquerque, they rose to 12,500 feet to a beautiful sky.

Meanwhile, I made an embarrassing phone call from the car to a family friend who lives in Phoenix.  Why did I think that Phoenix was on I-40?  I don't know - but I did.  I had told our friend that we would be passing through Phoenix and would love to visit with him.  So, I had to explain how confused about our country's interstate system I was....embarrassing.  Please forgive me, Mike.  😌

On their way to Gallup, New Mexico, Bill & Will flew over the Albuquerque International Airport.

They stopped and refueled in Gallup, New Mexico, and gave me a call.  I had just reached the Continental Divide.  They were ahead of me but not by much.  But I knew once they took off for Winslow, I'd be waaay behind them.

Being from the Mississippi Delta, the high desert landscape between Gallup, New Mexico and Winslow, Arizona was uncommonly beautiful to all of us.  Below is a picture Bill took of a unique land formation with rain showers in the distance near Winslow.

Bill & Will landed in Winslow about 12:40 pm (Mountain Standard Time) and made themselves comfortable at the airport terminal which was really quite nice.  Thank God, because they had to wait about an hour and a half until I arrived.  Reunited, we made our way to the historic La Posada Hotel which began civilizing the west in 1930.  We weren't able to obtain room reservations but we were able to enjoy an outstanding meal in the enchanting Turquoise Room.

After our delicious meal, we walked to the iconic street corner.   Take it easy!

Clinton, Oklahoma to Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We woke to challenging weather for flying - low clouds, rain and reduced visibility.  The good news was that the weather to the west of Clinton, Oklahoma (where we were headed) was good for flying.  We just needed a break in the weather to take off.  Over breakfast and many leisurely cups of coffee, Bill & Will continually checked to determine if a break in the weather was coming.  Finally, at about 10:15 am, Bill decided the weather was good enough for an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) take off.  Bill & Will headed to the airport and told me to begin my trek to Santa Rosa, New Mexico.  I really didn't want to leave them as I feared that I'd make it to Santa Rosa and they would be stuck in pea soup.  The below picture shows how poor the visibility was as I entered I-40.  

After driving only 15 minutes west, the clouds broke up and the rain stopped.  Within 30 minutes, the clouds had a much higher ceiling with some blue skies.  

Meanwhile, Bill & Will did some pre-flight planning, filed an IFR flight plan, went out to pre-flight the airplane in the rain, and then departed for Borger, Texas at about 1:00 pm.  They rose to about 8,000 feet and after about 30 minutes of flying, they too broke out of the worst of the weather.  They canceled the IFR flight plan and proceeded visually.  The below picture shows how the clouds were now just scattered.  

While they were flying to Borger, I was traveling through the Texas panhandle.

Just west of Amarillo, I received a text from Bill saying that they had just landed in Borger, Texas (below). 

At Borger, Bill & Will fueled up and stretched their legs.  Then they re-boarded and took off for Santa Rosa.  The picture below shows how the landscape changed almost immediately upon entering New Mexico with scattered mesas across the land.

 And how did I know that I entered New Mexico?

I was surprised when I rolled into Santa Rosa and hadn't received a call from Bill or Will.  They had beaten me to our two previous destinations, I was certain that they'd reach Santa Rosa first as well.  When I arrived at the Santa Rosa Municipal Airport, it was clear that I arrived first.  But more importantly, the airport was uncontrolled and closed up.  So, I waited for them outside the gate and watched the sky in all directions.

I heard them before I saw them.  I wanted so badly to video the landing - I did the best I could "behind bars". 

Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get a better video of their take off.   

Being pilots, they had the super secret password to open the gate.  😊   I joined them as they tied down N20190, and then as they cleaned up in the airport building (where there were complimentary drinks and snacks).  Oh, and painted on one of the walls, was this cool piece of art/

Again, our hotel cames with points, no fly swatters.  And dinner at the Silver Moon was fantástico!  New taste sensation for the Parks family, posole.  Looks bad....tastes great!

Lesson for today?  The importance of being flexible in a dynamic environment.  Tomorrow's forecast calls for sunnier weather....but we'll stay flexible.  🌞