Day 39: El Paso, TX to Las Cruces, NM

We hung about in El Paso this morning to ensure a good Mexican breakfast even though the city itself was quiet because of Easter Sunday.

Another short day (fastly becoming the norm) over into New Mexico border to Las Cruces made sense.

Exiting the west side of El Paso took us down Mesa Road, an endless repeating sequence of shopping plazas and commercialism. We followed a bike path along the Rio Grande which is really one of the least impressive rivers I've seen.

The Grand River, everybody

Goodbye Texas

See ya Texas. It's been big, it's been hot, it's actually been a really great state. Austin was fantastic fun. West Texas especially has been kind to us with our run of memorable hospitality. The ultra-baron landscape never really materialised and even the stretches without sign of life never lasted long enough to grind you down.

A strong westerly sidewind really hit us hard on the exposed road heading into Las Cruces

Another Mexican lunch: barbacoa tacos. Possibly the best yet.

We arrived at Lisa's house, likely the most enthusiastic Warm Showers host I've met thus far. There were already three eastbound cyclists sat on the sofa when we arrived. She had baked cookies and was just over the moon to be socialising with us. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She took us all out for a meal (Mexican, obviously, to complete the breakfast, lunch and dinner trio) in the historic area of town.  We all had a few margaritas and a great time.