Thursday, April 20, 2017

A 420 Road Trip? Visiting Weed, New Mexico and more

It struck me that, should the laws of the land ever change, and should the U.S. Post Office ever become the U.S. Pot Office, it would have a couple of great names to start with. Basically, yes, here is a post about post offices whose sole connection is they have 420-friendly names! Let's start in New Mexico.

Weed, New Mexico
Weed is located in the middle of nowhere. Located east of Alamogordo in the hills of southern New Mexico, it's a community of 20 people. Nevertheless it, and the neighboring post office of Sacramento, is able to sustain a four-hour post office. Get your bearings with this Google Map; Weed is on the right side:



Name aside, Weed, New Mexico has some of the best welcome and post office signage around. Check 'em out!

Welcome to Weed, New Mexico sign
Weed, NM post office sign

The building that houses the post office also houses the Weed Café.
Weed, NM Cafe and Post Office

Love the cowboy minding the entrance!
Weed, NM Cafe and Post Office porch

Inside the front door is the community bulletin board and some additional directions:
Weed, NM Cafe and Post Office

The actual postal part of the building has been standardized re: the counter and P.O. Box section.
Weed, NM post office

I visited the site in 2012, during my second large cross-country road trip. A few weeks later I visited another Weed, this time in sight of Mount Shasta in far northern California.

Weed, California


Weed has a mid-century Federal Building, which unfortunately was backlit (and doesn't have very unobstructed views in general).

Weed, CA post office and federal building

Weed was the site of a massive fire in 2014, which destroyed several institutions—including churches and a library—though not the Federal Building.

Finally, let's head up to rural South Dakota, where two small towns (also visited on that road trip in 2012) east of Pierre on U.S. 14 round out our 420 tour.



Blunt, South Dakota has a population of about 350, and the post office has been at 301 North Main Street for nearly 50 years, since 1968. The current lease, as per USPS's Leased Facilities Report, is for a modest $4.99 per square foot.

Blunt, SD post office

And, of course, once you've driven through Blunt it's pretty easy to achieve Highmore. Population-800 Highmore has had its post office located at 111 Commercial Avenue SE since its building's construction in 1961.

Highmore, SD post office

'Til next time!

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