Gas Stations in Encino, NM

“A Christmas Miracle?On the night of December 23rd, my wife and I were between Amarillo and Albuquerque headed to Santa Fe from Houston. There were no other cars on this eerily dark and empty section of I-40. We’d been driving for 12 hours, immersed in Anderson Cooper’s podcast, "All There Is," which is about grief. It’s gut-wrenching, sad, but also funny, and soothing to listen to after her father’s recent death just two weeks prior. Our Audi is usually good at giving us warnings of all sorts: Veering off lane. Going too fast for the speed limit. But we were so absorbed in the podcast, we missed the more crucial low fuel warnings until we jumped at the one that said we had enough gas for 25 miles. The car’s unhelpful navigation system recommended a gas station 35 miles away. My wife started to wonder out loud if this is how we were going to die, murdered by a serial killer who stopped to “help” two fuel-less, clueless idiots stranded by the side of the road, and if our story would be featured on 20/20. By now we had fuel for 20 miles, and—wait—a glimpse of hope! My phone’s Google gave me a closer location: a gas station just 18 miles away. I know the car’s gas mileage estimate may have a margin of error, but who is to tell how much? So, we slowed down to save on fuel and watched the competing figures: Fuel for 15 miles, gas station in 13. Fuel for 10; station in 8. Fuel: 5; station: 3. We pull into the Phillips 66 with what I’m sure are the top two Guinness-World-Record-setting longest sighs of relief. Only after we fill the tank, and each get a coffee did I reveal to my wife that Google had also informed me the gas station was closing at 8:00. It was 7:55. We vowed to never let the tank get lower than 1/3 as we pulled out onto the highway from the Phillips 66 in Milagro, New Mexico. Yes, Milagro is the Spanish word for “miracle.””

“Just a cool little shop to visit whenever passing through... it's usually on the way home, when visiting Albuquerque. Lots of souvenirs with prices starting at $0.49!”