The "Spirit Quest" to San Francisco: Day 2

Day two of Kelly and my #spiritquest from Austin to San Francisco was long, but also (mostly) picturesque and with some fun destinations. All in all, a pretty great drive.

The day started ugly, but got prettier from there. We started the day in North Texas, where we were greeted with the following sights and associated smells:

But it got better once we hit our next destination. Early in the trip, Kelly and I decided that we would eschew the Grand Canyon and Route 66 to visit a much more interesting locale.

Roswell.

Our decision was rewarded well with everything from funky murals to customized street lamps:

After a bit of a drive from Roswell to Alamogordo, we stopped at White Sands on the recommendation of a coworker. The stop was totally worth it. Neither Kelly nor I had ever seen anything like it. Stepping onto White Sands (apparently) mystically transports you to the Sahara.

And, since this was perfect fodder for the new iPhone 5 panorama feature, I indulged in a few panoramas like this one (click for full image):

Finally, the day ended with a New Mexico sunset. I have to admit, it’s more beautiful than I thought it would be:

Kelly and I are now resting comfortably in Tucson, and the city has been a wonderful host so far. Looking forward to a little rest before day 3 of the Spirit Quest starts early tomorrow!