I left the marsh at 9:00 pm and headed west. Back at home, before I began the trip, I’d looked up restaurants in all the towns I was passing through to see if there were any I particularly wanted to visit. I had discovered Lucy’s Tacos in La Junta, but it had never been my plan to stop this late. I decided to settle on the first McDonald’s I passed.
But then I saw the turn for the La Junta business district and, on the spur of the moment, pulled off. The town was closed. There were no lights and no people anywhere. I found Lucy’s Tacos, and it looked closed too. But there was a lit “open” sign in the window.
As I drove by, I noticed a trailer parked next door. It wasn’t very well lit either, but I could see a lighted window and another “open” sign. I circled the block and pulled in. A pleasant Mexican man greeted me and recommended the beef tacos. I ordered two, and a side of chips and salsa.
I really hadn’t thought this through very well. It was late, I had a long way to go. I didn’t want to sit in the dark in Lucy’s parking lot and eat, but this food wasn’t going to be easy to eat on the go.
I took a bite of one of the tacos and drove away. I’d been counting on Lucy for the use of a bathroom, but she’d let me down. I pulled into the McDonald’s on the outskirts of town and walked inside. The young woman behind the counter gave me a look that communicated “please don’t be here.” She asked, “Are you just using the bathroom, or are you buying something?” I said I was using the bathroom, and I just wanted a bottled water. Her attitude perked up after that. It turns out that even the McDonald’s in La Junta closes at 10:00.
Back in my car, I took another bite of my taco. It was very tasty. I pulled out my iPad and tried to connect with McDonald’s wi-fi so I could call ahead to the Hampton Inn in Pueblo and make sure they had a room. My iPad found the signal, but just wouldn’t connect. The lights of the McDonald’s were going off behind me — maybe they shut their wi-fi down too.
I looked up and … there, not 200 yards away was a Hampton Inn. I sighed. I’d been up since 4:15. I was 70 miles away from Pueblo. It was 10:00 at night. I was exhausted. And I had a supper of tacos and chips getting cold on the seat next to me. I finished off the first taco and decided to be smart. I’d make the drive in the morning and just get a room here.
Or not. They were full. After having decided to stay in La Junta, the thought of a drive to Pueblo became even more daunting. But I had little choice.
I opened my window most of the way (it was around 54 degrees by this time). I leaned forward in my seat. I found a classic rock station on the radio and turned up the volume. I pulled out on US-50 west. The trip was uneventful, as it turned out. I managed to grab the occasional bite and finish the other taco. By the time I got to the chips, they were cold and soggy. Lucy’s had put the salsa on top instead of on the side and it had soaked in. It tasted good, but I could only finish about half of it.
I arrived in Pueblo at 11:15. The guy behind the desk at the Hampton Inn said they didn’t have any more rooms. I didn’t panic, because there were several other hotels in the immediate area, but I said, “Really? Because I got up at 4 this morning in Chicago and I’d really like to find a bed.”
He said they did have one last room, but it would cost $109. I said that was OK. As I walked into the room, I was greeted by several large moths flying around. Many others were lying dead on the floor.
I stepped over them and fell into bed.