It was an uneventful flight to Hereford, TX, where I took on fuel and Paul and Louise rushed off to inspect the FBO. They say it was a nice place. Flying towards the West, it wasn't surprising that we fought modest headwinds. Once we reach Las Vegas, NM, Paul and Louise perked up and I could feel their excitement rise along with the terrain. Finally, the real West began. Just north of Santa Fe, a plume of smoke rose out of the forest with no evidence of someone attending it. Louise called Center to let them know and we continued on. It was a spectacular flight as we crossed the Rockies and then landed at Cortez, Colorado, to once again feed me. (You know us 19-year-old eat a lot!)