Las Cruces, NM to El Paso, TEXAS - Wed 2/29

Today it was planned as an easy day so we started by touring Las Cruces.  We rode through the downtown plaza and bought some pastries at the farmers market.  We were both jarred when I missed a wheelchair ramp and suddenly found that we were going down a set of shallow stairs in the plaza.  Fortunately the bike wasn't loaded at the time.

Next we checked out of our motel, loaded the bike, and headed for La Mesilla, the most historic area near Las Cruces.  There was a beautiful Catholic church that dates from the 1850s, named San Albino.  Pope Benedict recently elevated it to the status of "Minor Basilica."  On the other end of the plaza there is a building that once was the courthouse where Billy the Kid was tried.  And next to that was a chocolate store, so we had to get some fuel for our ride.

Ever since California we've seen lots of farmland growing cotton and alfalfa.  I took a picture of some of the cotton that was missed by the harvester.  In eastern New Mexico we also saw miles and miles of pepper farms and pecan orchards.  Now we are seeing lots of horses, too.

Finally, we entered Texas!  It's funny, I thought there'd be a bigger sign.  Then it was dinner at Subway and a 15 mile ride to the home of West, a Warm Showers host who is putting us up for the night.  (See warmshowers.org)

Miles: 53.5  Average: 10.9

The truth from Ruth:  My favorite part of today was Mesilla.  Besides the church and chocolate store, there was a cute little bookstore.  I could have browsed there all day.  It was hard not to buy anything!  They had a cute  dollhouse on display that was in the adobe Mexican style.  Many of the homes we have seen along our trip look like that.  I really like them.