Interstate 10 to El Paso, TX

After San Antonio, our next stop was El Paso, TX, approximately 10 hours from San Antonio. Not only did we have to drive through the empty deserts and mountains of west Texas with nothing to see but the occasional oil rig (better make sure the gas tank is always full because the stops are few and far between), we also encountered 4 distinct types of weather along the I-10. When we started out, it was a bit overcast and slightly raining. As we drove along enjoying the views, the sky became very calm, still, and eerily dark blue. We considered turning around but there was really no where to go. Suddenly and unexpectedly the sky opened up and M&M sized drops of hail pummelled the car and coated the road with ice. Luckily we were near an exit so we got off and waited the rest of the storm out. Shortly after the hail, the sun came out and the weather was fantastic. It was so nice we put on our sunglasses and stopped at a rest area to take pictures. A few hours later, the rain began again and as we began to ascend to a higher elevation, the rain turned to snow. We were relieved and happy once we FINALLY pulled into El Paso. In El Paso, we drove by the Mexico-United States border and were advised NOT to go to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico because of gang activity - you don't have to tell us twice! We were content to shop and eat on the USA side. We also attempted to go to White Sands National Monument, approximately 1.5 hours from El Paso, but the fog on the mountain at about 5700 feet was way too dense to drive through so we headed back.


Hail covering the I-10


Zo holding the hail


Enjoying the view and the nice weather


Mountain views and cloudy skies on I-10


Mountain too foggy to continue to White Sands


Mexico border crossing to Ciudad Juarez