Crossing the Desert in Arizona and New Mexico

Our trip on the Texas Eagle took us took from Los Angeles to Texas through Arizona and New Mexico. It was a pleasant trip with a route that follows closely to the international border line. There is limited cellphone or internet service. Most of the travel during the day was not terribly scenic. From our windows we could see lots of sand, sage and cactus.
I had wondered why many of our friends, who have become “snow birds”, have been attracted to the desert until I saw the colors of desert sky at sunset. The brilliance of the star patterns in the night sky is food for the soul!