Next, can I believe my ears? Country and western goes political

Cause in the real world they’re shutting Detroit down
While the boss man takes his bonus pay and jets out of town

This one is by the Nashville Socialist Alliance. (not really, I made that bit up!).

The next poster confuses me even more, “Baldwin for President”. Is that Stanley Baldwin, or has there been another one since him?

New Mexico fast approaches, and an hour disappears. The red rock cliff faces are a stunning sight to behold but, more importantly, breakfast beckons. My time has just shot from 10.15 to 11.15, and I find myself wondering if lazy New Mexicans sneak into Arizona for a late breakfast.

No worries though, because I go to Cracker Barrel, and they have all day breakfast. You may remember Cracker Barrel from my previous journal, all front porch, rocking chairs and Patsy Kline. They all feature a restaurant attached to a shop which is supposed to resemble a trading post, and sells nostalgic candy, country recipe books, and bumper stickers with homely little messages like “Support our Troops” and “One Nation under God.”

The only problem with the menu is all the breakfasts come with sausage gravy and grits, both of which should be avoided at all cost. I seem to remember there was a trick last time, and eventually work out that if you order two small breakfasts you can get exactly what you want without the junk.

Next I pass Albuquerque, and my eye starts to hurt and I have to suppress an urge to lie face down, but I press on over the last 50 miles of beautiful mountainous terrain until I reach Santa Fe. I was thinking that Joel, who you may remember came to my rescue two years ago, might drive over with his mom for a beer, but I hadn’t realised quite how far it was. So we have a good chat and defer our reunion until they come to England later this year.

I walk into Santa Fe for a quick bit of tourism. The only place I have in my notes is the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which is not a museum, but a bar and barbecue. I arrive around six, and enjoy a nut brown ale. The place looks fun, and the menu interesting, but the band doesn’t start until nine. So I set off to the Plaza, which is the centre of old Santa Fe, and which proves a very pleasant place to pass a couple of hours. There are a couple of churches dating back to the original settlement, but most of the buildings are now converted into shops and restaurants.

The contents of the shops are also a cut above most tourist areas. There is a lot of original artwork, plus native Indian and Mexican craft. I actually see one thing I would like to buy but the shop is closed and, for once, it doesn’t seem to be sold anywhere else in town. The shop doesn’t open until 10.00 tomorrow, by which time I will be long gone.

I see some interesting cafes and restaurants, but I think I have already decided upon the Cowgirl, to which it has these days been abbreviated. As it is still quite early, I detour through the Railyard, which has been converted very tastefully into a shopping and entertainment area.

Eventually the Cowgirl ropes me in, and I order an oatmeal stout while perusing the menu. The staff are all appropriately friendly and stetsoned, and there is a good atmosphere to the place. I order the brisket platter, which arrives almost immediately. It consists of around eight thick slices of brisket, so well smoked they should have a health warning with them, plus potato salad, coleslaw and barbecue beans. The beef is covered with a very tangy barbecue sauce, and stands on a thin slice of bread, which has all but disappeared by the time you reach it. Not a meal for the gourmets, but damn fine nonetheless. I still have time to kill so, after a suitable pause, I risk a slice of Cowgirl mud pie – very tasty and not, for once, excessive.

By now the band is ready, so I listen to the first three songs – very slow, bluesy country music. By one of those weird coincidences that occur when you’re so far from home, their first song is Dylan’s “Forever Young”, which happens to be the song I sang to my daughter on her wedding day!