All right, time for the traditional Where we went, why and where we stayed post.
Except life has changed, so, well, no “we” is involved. That has positive and negatives, which will be the subject of another post. This is more practical.
(Previous travel posts here. It’s not comprehensive, but it’s got most of the big ones of the past few years.)
Where:
The focus was New Mexico, with stops along the way in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
How:
I drove because I wanted this to be a more meandering kind of trip, I wanted to take stuff like hiking poles without having to worry about checking luggage, car rental rates and availability are problematic right now, and I bought and paid (completely) for this used 2018 Mazda 3 hatchback two years ago with the intention of driving the hell out of around the country for the next few years.
(Update: I am rethinking that now because of ground clearance issues and the Mazda3. I won’t do anything different for a year – until at least one of the two guys in college gets out – but I did find it limiting – for example, I didn’t go to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert because the way in (and out) is a 13-mile gravel road, which looked, at the beginning at least, more gutted than I’d expected. The car probably would have done fine – well, okay – but the journey would have stressed me out, especially considering what I’d experienced earlier in the week, tire-wise.)
Also – I should add that driving is not a chore for me. I can drive all day, take few breaks (much to the dismay of any passengers) and just….go.
I offer this simply as information that might help random readers plan a similar – or very different – trip.
Where and When:
Sunday, August 21: Drove from Birmingham to Subiaco, Arkansas
Stops: Oxford and Clarksdale, Mississippi
Monday, August 22: Drove from Subiaco to Tucumcari, New Mexico
Stops: Clear Creek Monastery in Oklahoma, Okemah, Oklahoma, and the huge cross off I-40 near Groom, Texas.
Tuesday, August 23: Drove from Tucumcari to Abiquiu, New Mexico
Stop: Santa Rosa, New Mexico, various small missions in New Mexico including San Miguel del Vado – and, of course, Discount Tires in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Thursday, August 26: Ghost Ranch
Friday, August 27: Towards Taos, again.
Saturday, August 28: Abiquiu to Santa Fe
Mass at Santa Rosa mission ruins, procession honoring St. Rose, tour of O’Keefe home and studio in Abiquiu, Santa Fe Opera
Sunday, August 29: Santa Fe, Las Vegas & Pecos
Monday, August 30: Drove from Santa Fe to Shreveport, Louisiana
Stops: Palo Duro Canyon, Capstone Canyon, Turkey, Texas
Tuesday, August 31: Drove from Shreveport to Birmingham
Stops: Mississippi Welcome Center off I-20 overlooking the river.
Arrived home around 2:30 pm
Where I stayed:
In Subiaco, I stayed at the guesthouse of Subiaco Abbey. It was lovely and perfect. I didn’t do any meals, but you can pay for those and eat in the refectory. Availability of rooms is, of course, dependent on the retreat schedule, but just email the guesthouse, and they will respond very quickly. I’d definitely stay there again.
In Tucumarci, I used the paltry amount of Choice Hotel points I had gathered over the years, and paid $17 for a room at the EconoLodge – it was shockingly clean and updated. I mean, the view was…the view. But the room was absolutely fine.
In Abiquiu, I stayed in this gem, about which I raved here.
In Santa Fe, I stayed at this, through Airbnb – it was nice – albeit with weak internet – and very well located for my purpose – near the Santa Fe Opera. Others might want to be closer to the Plaza and downtown, but I knew I’d be driving back from the opera at night, and I wanted to be close (although..nothing in Santa Fe is very far apart, as I discovered).
Shreveport? Does it matter? A Country Inn and Suites, if you insist. Let’s just say that the area near the Shreveport airport is crowded with hotels, but it’s an extremely sketchy area if that might bother you.
What I ate:
Well, food, of course. My life was not filled with great meals on this trip, mostly because when traveling – well, most of the time – I only eat one meal a day (I don’t do breakfast, for example, unless I’m in a place where there are good bagels and/or I’m with others), and for much of the time, I was in a place with few choices – and then my Santa Fe time was brief and weirdly timed.
But: two good meals I did have were at:
Rancho de Chimayo, near the Chimayo Sanctuary/Shrine – Carne Adovada.
and
An amazing green chile stew at Cafe Sierra Negra in Abiquiu. I would have returned there the next night, but I didn’t get back into the area until about 7:15, and they close at 7, understandably, but sadly.
I would also like to say that my one goal in travelling through Texas (twice in a week) was to have smoked brisket. It’s all I wanted. But what I discovered is that more barbecue places than you might expect outside of large cities are closed on Mondays – and both days I was in Texas? Mondays. So I was basically out of luck there.
Charlotte was Both 
In my neck of the woods. Some of my favorite haunts in the Southwest.
As to vehicles: we upgraded to a Subaru Outback and haven’t looked back. For the past two years, it has been the only car and we take it all over the Colorado Rockies, etc.
Definitely one to consider when you decide to upgrade.