4/23: Tuscon, AZ, to Truth or Consequences, NM

​We had long (for us) 4-1/2-hour drive starting East on I-10. We ran into some construction west of Lordsburg, which put us in bumper-to-bumper, single-lane, 5 mph traffic for about five miles. Hank noticed a strange whining noise that we initially thought was coming from the semi-tractor trailer in front of us. But as we began to accelerate to normal speed, we discovered the sound was coming from our truck!
The sound was correlated with throttle application and release, rather than tire rotation. So we suspected a drive train problem. We stopped for gas in Lordsburg, NM, and asked for a referral to a mechanic. We stopped at All Makes Automotive, where Victor and Dewey did a test drive with Hank. They heard the noise, but could not diagnose the problem. They suggested we head to a dealer in Las Cruces, which was about an hour past our planned exit at Deming, NM. 
We continued driving east on I-10. The sound dissipated, so we made the stressful decision to try to make it to Santa Fe, where we were planning to spend three days. We got an appointment at Octane GMC in Santa Fe, said a prayer and turned north at Deming toward Truth or Consequences, NM, which was our scheduled stop for the night. We barely noticed crossing the Continental Divide at a meagre 4,600-feet of elevation between Lordsburg and Deming. 
We drove through Hatch, NM (famous for its chili peppers) and made it to a beautiful lakeside campsite at Lake Caballo State Park. The 11,000-acre lake was formed in the 1930s when an earthen dam was built across the Rio Grande. Charlie had a good swim and game of fetch on the beach. But it was cool and gnats drove us crazy, so we didn't spend much time on the beach or outside the trailer at our campsite. We enjoyed a morning walk along the heights above the lake before hitting the road.