Starting off perfectly...

...with good weather, favorable winds, and cloud cover to keep the temperatures below 90!

Sunday, June 7   Day 1   El Paso, TX to Las Cruces, NM  50.5 miles

Here we are about to climb on our bikes. L to R: Craig Needham, Sue Rowland, Bob Long, Neil Rowland, Corey Loyd, Paul Wood, and myself. (Three of us wore California jerseys.)

Our first mile was in the wrong direction - south - but we wanted to touch the border with Mexico since the other six in this photo will be ending in Canada.

And here we are as far south as we can go, other than farther across this road, called Border Road. That bridge crosses the Rio Grande, and is for vehicles returning to the U.S. from Juarez, MX. An identical bridge behind the photographer is for cars entering Juarez. Swarms of pedestrians use both bridges to go in either direction.

We then rode along the border to the northwest, and in just five miles we crossed the Rio Grande River into New Mexico. Another photo op:

At this location, New Mexico was not as enchanting as it became later in the day when we reached the Rio Grande River Valley. Here it was dry sand, tumble weeds, and many "needy" homes.

The terrain was completely flat all day, and we mostly had tailwinds to push us along. 

Just look at the flat road ahead. But we eventually came to numerous pecan orchards and many wineries too.

Our three master chefs and caretakers, Jack, Ella, and dad Rod Cartier. They laid out an incredible spread for us, with Calif cherries, other fresh fruits, sandwiches (Jack is making one - hummus and pickles), hard-boiled eggs, homemade nutrition bars, and peanut M&Ms! Behind them is a pecan orchard. Craig and Bob are sampling the goodies.

Once we moved on with full tummies, our scenery changed quite significantly from when we were closer to El Paso.

We soon crossed the Rio Grande once again, as we will many times during our first week. This river flows southward from Colorado, just as we ride north along its course. That mountain range in the background is the Organ Mtns, which provides an incredible backdrop in Las Cruces.

I was riding into Las Cruces when I thought this view of the Organ Mtns was spectacular. Las Cruces is the 2nd largest town in NM, and has New Mexico State University. Not too far away is where the first atomic bomb was tested in 1945 - the White Sands Missile Range.

Our dinner was at this historic La Posta de Mesilla, which began in 1939 with four tables and no running water. However, the building itself has been standing for 150 yrs, as described in the sign on the wall.

 If you can't read it, it says that Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa, and Kit Carson all stayed there when it was the Corn Exchange Hotel, a stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. Apparently, this town of Mesilla, just a couple miles from Las Cruces, was a roaring Wild West town during the late 19th Century, and was the largest town in the Southwest between San Diego, CA and San Antonio, TX. Aren't those chile pepper hangings cool-looking? They were draped every 10 feet or so around the entire building.

Inside, the restaurant was colorful and seemed like a museum. As always, we enjoyed a fabulous meal. This photo shows two more of the hanging chili pepper decorations.

Tomorrow we will ride 78 miles to Truth or Consequences. I will tell you the story of why it is named that in tomorrow's blog. Today was totally flat, and tomorrow is supposed to be almost the same. I realize I named this blog "mountainous", but in a few days, it will be.