Jal New Mexico

3/1/2019. Elevation 3016

First I need to rant a little.  I’m OVER Walmart, probably won’t be back in another Wally World store again. They used to have greeters at the door, now they have friskier’s!!

We were leaving the Carlsbad Walmart, pushing a cart full of stuff, the friskier can plainly see that we just came through the checkout lane, we have several bags of stuff and a couple of items where in there packed boxes which were to big for a bag. Besides confirming we paid for the items the friskier precedes to tell me that because it wasn’t in a bag he had the right to open the box, I thought he was going to for a second.

I REFUSE to submit like that, I REFUSE to be treated like a criminal for buying an item to large to fit in a bag!!! If Walmart wants my money they can treat me with the courtesy I deserve.  The Carlsbad NM Walmart is the last Walmart to get my money, there are other stores where your treated with RESPECT for spending money in their store and not treated like a criminal when leaving!!!!

Rant over.

We pulled out of Guadalupe NP around 8 am  headed for our next stop the GPS routed us a longer way around than I thought was necessary,  I looked in advance with Google to confirm that the roads were all paved, they have lots of rough gravel roads out here.

So, we turned on the shortcut, it didn’t take to long realized that while paved, with all the semi traffic had turned the pavement into a paved washboard. It took about a mile but I found a place to turn around without disconnecting the jeep. That was the end of the shortcuts for the day.

Anyway, we’re here at Jal NM. It started with a small store around 1910, it’s always been a boom and bust little town, right now it’s in a BOOM state. The oil industry here is booming, the entire region. On our drive in we passed several new or under construction plants. Not sure what they do but none 2 looked the same with the exception of they all had multiple pipes coming out of the ground.

Looking out at dusk last night you could see all the fires from the oil wells, sometimes catching the oil sent on the air. You could also hear the semi’s rumbling down any road that led out of town. Least I forget to mention all the diesel powered work trucks belonging to every other cowboy here.

Big semi’s every where along with multiple help wanted signs for CDL drivers.

This is a small town so with the boom there are RV parking spots “parks” every where, many of them are about the size of 1/4 vacant city lot, only a few are large enough to have an actual office most just have a phone number.

There is also an area with apartments like house trailers, 4 apartments to a trailer, must be 40-50 of these.

So, what we found most peculiar about this town is the lack of laundry. We did an internet search before getting here and could not find a listing. After doing a pretty through drive through the town we didn’t find a laundry. Don’t tell anyone but I asked the checkout lady in the small grocery store and was given directions. If there is a laundry in this town it’s well hidden, with no sign on the building to saying this is a laundromat.

Most of these RV’s and apartments house 1 male and do not have washer and dryers. So where are all of these guys washing their clothes, even if there is a laundry here there are enough people here there should be a line around the corner waiting on a machine.

About where we are, it’s free city park with a 3 night limit that has 6 spots with water and electricity at the site along with nice covered picnic table and charcoal grill with a free dump station near by, its located at the edge of town, with a small lake and a concrete walk all the way around the lake. A  7/10 mile walk around the lake and along the path you’ll find some covered stretching/exercise equipment, restrooms, and covered picnic tables. It all looks newer and used by the citizens. We know the basketball courts are used because they were people out there until late last night:)

3/2/2019

Yesterday it was almost 90 outside. Today, we’re running the heater and it’s only going to get colder……….. BURRRRRRR