2026 Southwest Meander - Days 1, 2, and 3

Our latest adventure was a roadtrip through the southwest desert and our old California stomping grounds in Oxnard and Cambria.

Day 1: Dodge City, Kansas

We left on the Monday after the end of the winter olympics.  I based our stops on the experience we had on our last road trip to Key West in 2023.  During that trip we drove too long each day and often arrived in the dark.  On this trip I kept the days shorter, rarely going over eight hours.  This dictated our first stop to be in Kansas and I picked Dodge City figuring there would be something interesting in the famous cowboy town.  Turns out I was wrong.

Dodge City probably is an interesting, if not touristy town, during high season, but in February it is not.  Most of the downtown area was torn up with construction and the hotel I'd picked was ... adequate but not awesome.

The sign that welcomes you to Dodge City.

We drove around to find something interesting and found a few things.  Just outside town is a cross marking the point reached by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado.  Next we stopped at an overlook expecting a view of the Kansas plains or Dodge City, but instead got a view of a large cattle feedlot.  The Wife and I shook our heads at this.  We stopped to get a picture of the impressive sign as you entered Dodge City and took pictures of the various statues of gunslingers and famous cowboys, real and fictional that dot the city.  We ended the day with what I consider to be a mediocre meal at a local restaurant.

We did avoid going to the Mid-point between Los Angeles and Cleveland that is listed on the internet as a five star attraction.  The one photo showed an empty field with no marker or anything.  I think it might have been a joke.

Day 2: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Another seven hours driving got us to our next stop along the way, Albuquerque.  Our newly refurbished hotel was nice and within easy walking distance to the old town.  But, before we could enjoy the old town, I had to find a Toyota service place.  A plastic shield in the front driver's wheelwell had come loose and was making a racket.  They ended up just cutting out the shredded plastic shield.

After that racket was stopped, the Wife and I walked to the old town and did a little shopping and sightseeing before finding a nice restaurant to eat at.  The few hours we spent in the old town were relaxing.

Day 3: Oracle, Arizona and Biosphere 2

This was a shorter driving day but it was also very interesting and beautiful.  Part of the way took you down into colorful canyons and back up the other side.  While the Wife didn't enjoy the twisty-turny road, I always find this type of driving exhilarating.

Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona.

We arrived at Biosphere 2 which is located fifteen minutes outside of the small town of Oracle, Arizona.  After entering the visitor's center and downloading the app, we followed the self-guided tour through the larger than expected facilities of the 'self-contained' habitat. The structure has spacious living spaces, farm fields, jungles, deserts, swamps, and even an ocean.  Everything is maintained, tho the ocean did die out and is in the process of being restored.  Ultimately, Biosphere 2 was a failed experiment when the oxygen levels within the habitat could not be maintained, but it was a fascinating attempt at creating a self-contained environment similar to what a Moon or Mars base might be like.

We spent the night in the only place to stay in Oracle.  The sprawling 'ranch' had many rooms/cottages that were very comfortable.  The property had trees and gardens though they were not ready for the high season yet.  There were only a few guests there in February.  The Wife enjoyed a go on a tire swing outside our room.  The pool wasn't ready yet but the hot tub was and the Wife and I soaked before the sun started to go down.  We had dinner at an italian place which, most likely, made most of its money from pizza sales.  The chicken parmesan we ate was very good.

Next ... Kanab, Utah.

Photographs can be found in my 2026 Southwest Meander Google Photos album.