John is graciously allowing me to stay through Monday. I am so grateful to have had this stop since the weather has been dire through Colorado, Wyoming, and southern South Dakota this past week. My host near Rapid City even got snowed in, or just about.

When I was planning the trip home, it was always my intention to spend the bulk of May in New Mexico, then pretty much canonball to the Black Hills as soon as the weather turned. So I’m actually right on schedule and about where I hoped to be on this date. I just didn’t expect to get such great digs in Santa Fe that would allow me a little breathing room to have so much fun!

I’ve got a few more outings planned for the weekend as well as a small project. I’m leaving not too late on Monday and have an excursion planned. Then, I’m driving. I have a back roads route planned through Colorado and Wyoming that will get me to the Black Hills by Thursday morning, even if I have delays because of weather. I really want to do the mountainous western route, even if it will mean worsened gas mileage, because I’ve been through the Denver area before. But I’ll monitor conditions and head towards an interstate if I need to.

But if the weather cooperates, this is what my route to the border looks like:

My clients are busy and I already have work for Thursday and Friday since my host will be working, too. Then, I’m taking the weekend off to go exploring with her and a friend (Mount Rushmore and Deadwood are on our list). Monday, I plan to head for the border, stopping at Devils Tower in Wyoming. And then Tuesday, I will hit the border when it opens, 8:00 a.m., and be home by 10:00 a.m., which should coincide nicely with Charles and Caroline’s morning coffee break. 😀

The weather in Santa Fe hasn’t been great, but the weather ahead of me is much more terrible, so I’m actually not that eager to get going again. I’ll need to pack my overnight bag for winter conditions and have resigned myself to the fact that I’ll be moteling it all the way to South Dakota. But thankfully, I have free accommodation through a very expensive weekend. My blog readers are awesome. I need to tell you guys that more often!