We rolled into a Love's Travel Stop somewhere in the dusty middle of New Mexico with a car running…read moreon fumes and a group running on beef jerky and stubborn hope. From the outside, it looked like an oasis--bright lights, clean pumps, and a big red heart that whispered, "Come in, traveler... we have clean bathrooms."
Inside was a beautiful chaos: truckers comparing boots, kids losing their minds over slushies the size of small buckets, and a guy at the counter trying to buy a single banana and a windshield wiper. I headed for the restroom, and let me tell you, it was clean enough that I almost considered living there. Almost.
The snack aisle was a spiritual experience--wall-to-wall trail mix, Hot Cheetos, and mystery meat sticks. I grabbed a soda, a slice of gas station pizza and got back on the road feeling satisfied.
Love's isn't just a gas station. It's a strange, wonderful rest stop between "Where are we?" and "Are we there yet?" And in New Mexico, that's pretty much magic.