I’d already been driving for well over an hour when I pulled off the freeway for gas, and to capture the sunrise I could only see in my rearview mirror. Leaving Tucumcari shortly after 5:30 meant no return visit to Kix On 66, which Caroline and I visited last year because they don’t open until 6:00. That was okay, or so I thought, as I’d be passing Santa Rosa further west, where we’d had the best breakfast burritos ever at Lulu’s Kitchen On Route 66, except it turns out that they are closed on weekends; I’ve been foiled. Option number three would be a winner, too: I’d hold out to the other side of Albuquerque and grab a truly great green chili burger at Laguna Burger at the Laguna Pueblo. That didn’t work out either, as they were still serving breakfast at 10:30 and wouldn’t make me a burger.

It wasn’t until I reached Gallup, New Mexico, 310 miles (500 km) away from Tucumcari, that I’d get a Navajo variation of the green chili burger at Earl’s Family Restaurant. I skipped looking at the menu and asked if they had a green chili burger; I was assured they did, so I told the server to bring me one. I was surprised when, under a heap of cheesy fries and green chilies mixed with Fritos, I found the burger underneath it all, served open-face. My other surprise was looking around me at the approximately 100 Navajo customers; I appeared to be the only white guy and knew I was at the right place.

Reentering the Southwestern United States is a powerful reminder of just how different the landscapes are, with the effect on the senses best being realized when approaching slowly on roads instead of flying in.

Another great benefit of a slow approach is that, at some point, you can tune in to KTNN – The Voice of the Navajo Nation on AM 660. But then today, I learned something fantastic: KTNN is now broadcasting on FM radio at 101.5, though that will do nothing for you unless you are within range of their signal, so if you go to KTNNonline.com, you can tune into what is being listened to over parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Even if you don’t like Country & Western or Powwow music, pay special attention to the ads and when the announcers come on, as they often speak Navajo mixed with a bit of English.

Somewhere along the drive home between Heber and Payson, I let Caroline in on the secret that I was only about two hours away from her.

It was back in Adrian, Texas, where the first glimpse of the Southwest came into view, but it’s not until nearly reaching Phoenix from the north that you’ll encounter the mighty saguaro cactus. Something else about this landscape is that you may not appreciate it as much when you are living here as you will after being gone for an extended period of time and then returning to its stark ruggedness.

While romanticizing the desert, I still find it impossible to do the same for the city I’m about to drive into. I’m on the edge of Fountain Hills, and the temperature at the end of September is still burning at a mid-summer heat of 116 degrees (46.6 Celsius). While that is a heavy reality check, I’m only about 45 minutes from getting home to the person who will be genuinely happy to see me, just as I am to see her. Our vacation is officially over.