My combo-plate tour of the Southwest continues with a visit to El Minuto in Tucson. I first ate there back in 1980, and whenever I’m back in town it’s the first place I stop.
The food isn’t like the fiery grub you get in northern New Mexico — it’s more like the Tex-Mex that hooked me as a kid in San Antone. The mild red sauce has a tomato tang, I’m pretty sure the tacos have some potato in ’em (I always gobble them down too quickly to be sure), and the beans are refried instead of whole. Good stuff all around, and smack dab between La Choza and El Sombrero in terms of price point.
The drive west was uneventful. Giant vehicles remain all the rage in this part of the nation, whether people need them or not, and Texicans with regard for neither law nor order owned the left lane from Las Cruces all the way to Tucson, roaring past the rest of us like Soviet apparatchiks passing proles in the Moscow Zil lanes. They gave no quarter, and even Californicators moved over to let them pass.
While dodging the sons of the Lone Star State I enjoyed periodic bursts of philosophy from the New Mexico Department of Transportation: “Dust storms may exist.” Ah, but then again they may not. And they didn’t.
The Suburu’s thermometer flirted with 60 but never quite closed the deal until I crossed into Arizona around 1. It’s 69 and sunny now, and doesn’t that feel good to this ghostly pale gabacho. I won’t be wearing three jerseys while riding around these parts. But I will be wearing a shitload of sunscreen.
• Late update: After getting settled at the hotel I thought about driving back into Tucson proper for a pint or two at Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the traffic, which is slightly insane. Instead I picked up a sixer of another local microbrew, the IPA from Nimbus Brewing Company. Drinkable, but not spectacular; last night’s pints at High Desert were much livelier. In other news, tomorrow morning’s update may be the last on this site for a couple of days — I don’t believe I’ll have wi-fi again until Tombstone. So keep an eye on maddogmedia.wordpress.com for the latest in vertical gain and pain management.
• Later update: How could I forget? Today is not only Herself’s birthday, it’s Jack Kerouac’s birthday. An auspicious day to be on the road. Herself was treated to a pleasant dinner at The Blue Star by our mutual friends Steve and Doris, but Jack got jack shit ’cause he’s all like dead and stuff.
Mad Blog Media 
Hope you all have a great time in the wild west. It’s going to be great cycling weather this weekend in warm and sunny central Texas as well. Got to love Spring when it’s green with blooms everywhere.
We were just talking about Colorado yesterday on a training ride. We were in Atlanta discussing escaping Colorado. Or needing to be there for altitude training but in a fictional utopian universe where there isn’t snow and cold right now. We were comparing scenarios of either living in Atlanta and purchasing altitude training tents to sleep in or living in the ATL and traveling to Colorado for altitude training. I don’t think we really sorted that out.
Happy birthday to Herself from the Snow and Rust Belt, which is where I am sitting right now visiting family and waiting to fly to the Windy City for work related crap on Monday.
Texas Canyon pic on the alternate site is pretty neat and I’m still trying to figure out exactly what rocks they are. I’ll be thinking of you, Patrick, as I sit cold, miserable, and bikeless in an Argonne N.L. conference room all week. I did bring running stuff in the luggage so I have some way to torment myself. Meanwhile, put in some quality miles for me, bud, until I get back to the beautiful Southwest.
For any rockhounds out there.
http://www.mindat.org/loc-55767.html
Happy birthday, Mrs. Dog, and many more from soggy DulMn. We haven’t seen the Old Sol in some time, and I’m itching for some sun screen weather. Envious of the good Mex chow you’re enjoying, though we do have a couple of passable Mexican joints around here. Have a good ride, Patrick.
Khal, you’ll be flying into Windy City sunshine & 50-60 degrees come Monday & Tuesday. It’s even damn nice today.
Patrick, sounds like you’re enjoying yourself. Let us know if you start to run out of beer money. Happy birthday to Herself!
Its my luck to have the weekend off and be watching the animals board two by two as Tonawanda Creek floods, and then be stuck inside a classroom with the bikeless blues again after the weather clears. Oh, well. That must be karma for something I’ve done.