Girl Who Travels

Travel Date: March 2026

Sands, Storms, and the Road to El Paso

The drive from Tucson to El Paso is a sensory journey where the very earth beneath your tires begins to tell a new story. As you leave the saguaro-studded hills of Arizona behind, the transition into the Chihuahuan Desert becomes undeniable.

The Shifting Earth

One of the first things you notice upon hitting the open stretches of New Mexico is the changing texture of the world. The rugged, rocky soil of the Sonoran Desert gradually yields to a finer, paler landscape. You can see the earth turning sandy, shifting into rolling dunes and light-colored patches that seem to glow under the high noon sun. It is a softer, more fluid terrain that sets the stage for everything the high desert has in store.

Pies and Hospitality at Elise’s

If you’re making this drive, your appetite should have one specific destination: Elise’s House of Pies and Restaurant. Located along the route, this spot is the definition of a roadside treasure. It’s the kind of place where the air smells like sweets and slow-cooked comfort food. Whether you’re stopping for a full meal or just a slice of their famous pie, it’s the perfect way to break up the desert miles. We were immediately greeted like we were family and seated at one of their comfortable booths. We were offered tea or lemonade, or their own take on the Arnold Palmer. I took that option, and it was delicious. It was served in a summery picnic-style glass and tasted like sunshine in a cup. We placed our order, choosing Elise’s famous meatloaf for the meal. Again, delicious. I cleaned my plate.

While we were eating, Elise herself came through the door, windblown and cheerful, arms laden with bags from her shopping trip. She chatted with us for a few minutes and then went about her chores. We learned that they’re fundraising for a new sign for their restaurant. They’d recently moved to a new location, which was, admittedly, a little hard to find. We dropped a few bucks in the bucket and got back on the road. I always try to rate and review places I enjoyed on Google, so I wrote up a quick review and posted it. Not a few hours later, I got a notification that they’d replied to the review. It was a sweet message and clear that they’d remembered us from our stop. 

Texas Rock Formations and Dancing Dust

As the miles ticked by and we crossed into the Lone Star State, the landscape began to put on a show. The approach into West Texas is marked by stunning rock formations—jagged, sun-drenched peaks that rise suddenly from the desert floor. It felt cinematic, like a scene from a classic Western. Then, just as quickly as the peaks appeared, the terrain leveled out again. The shift was startling.

Not much farther down the road, Mother Nature added some drama to our drive. We drove straight into a massive dust storm that turned the horizon into a wall of shifting tan silk. The mountains that had been our constant companions began to fade, swallowed by the heavy, gritty air. We pulled into a rest area to capture the view, tasting the earth with every breath. 

However, the desert wasn’t done yet. Inside the haze, we spotted several dust devils—miniature, vertical whirlwinds dancing across the flats. Watching them spin across the open plains is a vivid reminder of the raw, unpredictable energy of the desert.

A Sighting on the Horizon: The Search for Nancy Guthrie

As we reached the city limits, the tone of the road changed. Towering over the highway are massive billboards that stop you in your tracks. They feature the face of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Nancy was abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills in February, and the FBI has extended this digital search across the Southwest. Seeing her face up on the billboard is a poignant reminder that while we travel for leisure, a family is still searching for answers. It was a sobering final note to the drive, urging every traveler to keep their eyes open for more than just the scenery.