The Detour to National Geographic: A Ghost Town, a Camera, and the Photo I Never Planned

Some families take spontaneous trips.

Mine does not.

When I was in college, my mom planned a two-week itinerary through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado that could compete with a novel. Everything was organized and perfectly planned. It was a great trip too. We went to Amarillo, TX; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Durango, CO; Telluride, CO; and a few National Parks.

The moment that would end up being a part of National Geographic?

That wasn't on the itinerary.

It happened in Glenrio, Texas, a ghost town we decided to go through, while running out of gas and outrunning a storm.

The Ghost Town

Glenrio sits on the Texas-New Mexico border, a stretch of the iconic, and once-busy, Route 66. We decided to drive through the town out of curiosity.

The town was abandoned, hollow, and the incoming storm made it feel like a post apocalyptic world. A town once lively with tourist before the interstate redirected everything.

The gas gauge was nearing empty, and even though we could see the interstate, there were no working gas stations in the vicinity, and the storm was quickly approaching. We thought we were entirely alone. That's when I saw the only resident of the town.

The Local

I shouted to stop the car. I grabbed my Nikon camera and jumped out of the car as the first few raindrops began to fall.

Across the street from where we stopped was a small, concrete building with "MODERN RESTROOMS" painted across the side in big, block letters. It definitely wasn't modern as it probably had not had visitors in years. That's what made the scene even stranger of the lone cow standing next to the building.

I started taking photos with my mom yelling at me in the background. After a few shots, I ran back to the car as the thunder started arriving. We kept driving till we met the interstate and found gas.

Honestly, I didn't think the Route 66 photo would amount to much.

The National Geographic Opportunity

I decided to create an account for the National Geographic Community page to share photographs, which was also home to Your Shot Assignments. Unfortunately, the page no longer exists; however, you can still participate on the Your Shot Instagram page.

I had uploaded a few photos to my page for fun, when I noticed an Assignment opportunity entitled Anachronisms. If you are unfamiliar with the word, it means something is out of place chronologically. I thought about the cow and the restroom, and submitted the Route 66 photo for the Assignment.

One day I received an email that Ben Folds, the curator of the Anachronism Assignment, had written an Editor's Note, and a few weeks later, I received the email I had been selected for publication.

Out of approximately 9,500 submissions, only 15 were selected.

Mine was one of them.

This was a moment I had never expected. What was just an interesting encounter became one of my most cherished accomplishments.

Final Comments

No matter how many itineraries we create, and no matter how hard we try to stick with the plan, sometimes the most spontaneous opportunities can turn into the adventure you didn't know you needed. I love itineraries, and I never go on trips without them, but I acknowledge we cannot control everything, and sometimes it’s okay to go off book. Give yourself room for some spontaneity because you never know what adventure might come your way.

If you’re interested in looking at planning your Disney Destination vacation or a cruise, I would love to help you plan your trip, or if you just need travel advice for your next trip, we can chat.

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