Again we experience the odd feeling of wandering into a strange town from the outskirts. We decide to go until we see a good place for breakfast. We reach the post office before this happens. Our supply box and drift box are there, and a letter from my Mom. A box from Ann’s mom didn’t make it, but we learn that we can fill out a change of address form and have it forwarded to another stop.

I see the run-down Uranium Cafe across the street and can’t resist. Ann agrees with some trepidation. Inside is the rear end of a 1950’s Chevy, and much more aging decor. The menu looks good. I spot something called the Uranium Yellow Cake Challenge, but decide in favor of a chile omelet instead. We groove to all-gospel radio, sign the guestbook, and consume a good, greasy plate of food.

Grants is not laid out well for hikers. The post office is far from motels and laundromats, stores are far from everything. Star, the director of the tourist information office takes pity on us and gives us a ride to the PO, then The Sands motel. We stay busy a long time bathing, laundering, and organizing. Ann calls her friend Elaine in Albuquerque and she agrees to come spend a wild Friday night with us.

Elaine meets us outside the library after it closes. We hop in her red Celica convertible and head back to the room to prepare for Walmart.

Walmart isn’t easy to handle, but we are successful in getting new pants for Ann and a few other useful things. We return to the room to recover, then go to La Ventana restaurant for dinner.

It’s graduation night, and they will only seat us on the patio. We have fun there squeezing limes into margueritas, sharing appetizers, and eating with the patio to ourselves when the big party with reservations there doesn’t show.