From Vegas, it's a fun ride through the mountains, across the Hoover Dam. Moves so slowly, because of the 1 lane and all of the traffic, but it's a fun ride. Hoover Dam is magnificent, and stunningly deco in the midst of literally nothing. 

As you can see, clocks on towers on either end of the dam mark your passing from Nevada to Arizona. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time (one of the few rebellious acts of Arizonians that makes sense), so the time was the same on both sides, a detail that would bedevil us throughout this trip.

On to I-40, we spent the afternoon crossing the state of Arizona in it's entirety. We love the high desert country, and could look at the graceful landscapes for days. By early evening, we were into New Mexico, marked by a huge amount of buttes and mesas, including some with life-size dioramas of Indian villages.

By 8:00, we arrived in downtown Albuquerque, at a Comfort Inn. Much to our surprise, the hotel was completely sold out; good thing we made reservations! We found a nice American restaurant for dinner (Santa Fe Steak: yum!), but were exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before and the drive, as well as the 90+ degree temperatures. Back to the room, collapse, and a full-night's sleep, leaving early for the longest segment of the tip the next day: Dallas.