As we left Texas behind, Carlsbad Caverns National Park was only a few miles past the state line into New Mexico. Since I'd been here before and really did it proper with a tripod and taking my time, I didn't feel the need to attempt to take decent pictures on this visit.

I happily returned so Isy could see it though - and she captured the interesting washrooms that are set into the cave too, something I didn't photograph last time with my tripod, haha.

Even though the elevator wasn't broken like last time I went to the Carlsbad Caverns, we still spent a lot of time there and it was into the afternoon when we left.

Therefore I kept it moving as we headed up and over the Sacramento Mountains. I couldn't help but pull into a pull out as we crested the mountains though, as even if we didn't have time for hiking or lounging back in the mountain town of Cloudcroft, we at least had to get out and appreciate the views.

Back into another flat plateau, Isy noticed a sign for McGinn's Pistachioland and I figured I like pistachios and had never been to a pistachio orchard before.

It was a big gaudy store with lots of McGinn's Pistachioland clothing and pistachio bottle openers/magnets/postcards. We smartly skipped all of that, while our purchased pistachios made for a great road trip snack.

One thing Isy gives me credit for, is how I had this whole trip planned out with stops and driving distances and attractions; then 10 days before the trip she decided to mention that she'd like to see the desert.

Bringing Isy to the desert meant heading to White Sands National Park, since I didn't think she'd be satisfied with some of the small desert-like places in Texas. White Sands was the real deal and there was no disputing that we were in a desert here.

They rent sleds at the Visitors' Center but I decided we didn't have time - a decision which I now regret. It would have been fun to go down at least one of these hills on a plastic contraption.

The extra rush today in order to set up our tent in the daylight, meant we couldn't stick around White Sands for sunset even as it was within the hour. We had plans to camp at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area - so named because it's adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow.

Except that as we pulled up to our campsite, it was already quite windy, the wind was forecasted to pick up, the night was going to be cold, we only had one sleeping mat for the hard ground and we saw that the Four Winds Motel back in Carrizozo was only $65USD/$90CAD. It was one of those times where there's numerous factors giving you a reason to accept life on easy street.

Breakfast the next day was at the Owl Cafe in San Antonio, New Mexico. I liked the interior and they say that the scientists from the Manhattan Project came here before the first atomic bomb (they told the owner to look into the eastern sky the next day).

They also had a great picture of some of their Owl Cafe waitresses posing with a wax statue of The Rock.

We stopped to use the washrooms at some rest stop and Isy was like, "oh my! Is that a tumbleweed?!"

I had to let her know that if she put her book down, she'd have noticed that we've been passing them for hours, haha.

Today's first planned stop was in Albuquerque, where I was going to ride one of those legendary ditches of the American southwest - specifically Albuquerque's Indian School Ditch.

I had scouted not only the Indian School Ditch, but miles of other ditches all through Albuquerque, trying to find the perfect spot to film something and not waste any time. For all of the previous driving and randomly ending up at a motel in Carrizozo, I actually had a plan in Albuquerque.

I didn't plan on their being three fire trucks being parked at my saved pin though!

Of all the ditches in all the neighbourhoods in all of Albuquerque, the fire department conducts a training exercise in mine.

Local authority figures usually look the other way when it comes to skateboarders and bikers riding these ditches, but dropping in here seemed like it might be a bit flippant.

So we had to roll around blindly exploring, although we thankfully found an agreeable section of ditch soon enough. The whole Indian School Ditch is on a slight angle, so you can coast down all of the 1.5 miles (2.4km) without pedalling or kick-pushing.

I didn't have much to film, but it was just good ol', high speed fun.

We ran into a skateboarder and Isy apologized for not being very good and he said we're all out here to have fun. Meanwhile, I tried to make something happen with a bank to ledge a few hundred metres down the ditch.

We went to the mall afterwards for a reason I no longer recall, especially as I think I was the only one who bought anything - and that was a shirt that was a little tight, but that I could wear after losing about 10 pounds.

(I'll let you guess how many times I've worn my Albuquerque shirt, dear reader.)

Speeding up to Santa Fe, the next stop was for a few hours at a spa with thermal pools.

Opening the trunk to get out our swim gear, I found both of my tires deflated from the dreaded goathead thorns of New Mexico. I guess I shouldn't have aired out of that ditch and into the grass.

Part of me wanted to just stay in the parking lot and deal with my flat tires, but I knew that would take away from the experience for Isy.

If this was in Pasadena or Stephenville I could relax, but man am I not built to just chill and watch the clock tick away when I'm in some place like Santa Fe. I tried to embrace it and not ruin things for Isy, but I mean, like I couldn't even get my camera to take pictures of birds on the spa grounds as it would have been weird for the other customers, ugh.

Leaving after a couple of hours, I tried to continue making this a great Isy day by stopping at a food truck for her beloved pupusas - but even though the reviews said they were "always beside Smith Industries", we bottomed out our rental on a Smith Industries speedbump just to discover the food truck nowhere to be found.

So instead it was Taco Bell in Las Vegas New Mexico for dinner. What a shame.

Santa Fe to Las Vegas NM was over an hour's drive and then we had another two hours to get to Clayton, right near where we'd leave New Mexico behind. We were in the area of New Mexico's highpoint, but as it was only April, there was a good bit of snow still around and it would have been too much of an expedition.

I liked the funky brick and the hidden rooms of our motel in Clayton though. Just as majestic as Mt. Wheeler!

(I'm actually being a saucy goose here, as I liked this exterior and enjoyed a hard Sonic cherry limeade seltzer while standing outside our room and savouring the atmosphere.)

And the motel even made a little towel elephant for us!

Good times in New Mexico as always.

More to come.