Things worked out better than I expected. I managed to get an earlier flight from Dallas to El Paso, and when I got there, Advantage had a car (for the bargain price of only a hundred bucks a day, including all of the outrageous taxes and fees they put on rental cars these days).

I'm in my room now, and the broadband seems to work, sort of, though it seems more like narrow band.

Rental car taxes are the Rhine tolls of our time ...

Rand,if you want a good breakfast buffet,the Quality Inn on Montana has a very good one,'specially if you like it Mexican-style,I can personally vouch for the chorizo & eggs.They even have morning mariachis!
But get there early,it's popular & fills up fast.

I live in Albuquerque. I'm considering taking my boys out of school on Friday, leaving early in the morning to get there by 9 or 10, watching some of the rockets, and coming back that evening. We can't do Saturday because I'm the soccer coach for two teams.

Anybody have any guesses as to whether this would be worth the trouble and expense? Would my kids remember it forever, or would they just think it was six hours of driving for not much spectacle?

We'll see you there then. Our booth is right next to Armadillo's, right near the entrance. ~Jon