Muleshoe, Texas

Scene along US Rte. 84
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It is raining in Muleshoe.  Distant lightning silently reaches the ground, but the rain is not heavy.  It wouldn't matter, I won't be going out.  I had a great sirloin steak at the nearby Dinner Bell Restaurant before it closed at 9:00 pm.

My travel plans did not include a stop in Muleshoe; I actually had a reservation at the supposedly  "pet-friendly" Townplace Suites in Lubbock, 70 miles before Muleshoe.  But when I arrived, I learned that the hotel imposed a $100 pet fee, almost doubling the cost of my $117 room.  Even after I presented my email reservation confirmation, with no mention of such a fee, the hotel staff wouldn't budge.  So I decided to cancel, on principle.  Unfortunately, all hotels in Lubbock were booked, thanks to the 80th Texas FFA Convention "Ignite the Flame."  http://www.texasffa.org/

Muleshoe filled the bill

100 miles from the first scene... things look pretty much the same
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But it all worked out - Muleshoe filled the bill.

Every town in Texas seems to be the "Gateway to" somewhere.  My motel's guest services directory informs me that Muleshoe is the "Gateway to West Texas." Hmmm..., since it is only 30 miles from the New Mexico state line, there is not much more of Texas to reach from Muleshoe, gateway or no gateway.  It must be the gateway for those entering the state from New Mexico.  According to the city website, Muleshoe is the agricultural and shipping center of Bailey county, with

Wind farm in west Texas. Texas accounts for one-third of wind produced power in the US. http://www.infinitepower.org/pdf/FactSheet-14.pdf
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farm supply manufacturing and food and feed processing plants playing major roles in the local economy.  So there, now you know.

This morning, I left Seguin in south Texas for the 425-mile trip to Lubbock, planning to arrive at dinner time.  Once I entered US Route 84, I drove through a  lot of flat "nothing" landscape -  absolutely nothing for 360 degrees, all the way to the horizon.  Finally, the horizon was broken by a large wind farm, so the scenery changed to windmills in all directions.  This was followed by flat landscape with oil wells every 500 yards in all directions, as far as the eye could see.  The were few towns and those were barely towns at all, just tiny intersections.  So I was ready to stop in Lubbock, but it was not to be.

Closer to Lubbock, the wind farm gives way to oil wells.
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The Lubbock hotel snafu annoyed me, but I decided to push on to Clovis, New Mexico, a couple hours' drive from Lubbock.  Luckily, I spotted a nice motel here in Muleshoe.  "Lucky," because I learned that the rodeo is in town in Clovis, so there would not have been rooms there, either.

I won't see much of Muleshoe tomorrow - a quick breakfast and I'll drive off.  And I've already missed by 10 days, the World Championship Mule Shoe Pitching Contest, held every Fourth of July.  But this little town was a friendly port in the storm.