Burritos, Desert Jeeping, Lava, Murder and Escape, Aliens, even Bunnies!

The romance of the road.

A friend who lives in ABQ suggested "You're gonna have to get you some authentic New Mexican breakfast burritos in the morning." So we did exactly that.

Blake's breakfast burritos with hash browns and eggs and meat and cheese and hot sauce and chilis and awesome.

After four-bying through our highly successful detective Jeeping adventure we continued south and traveled along parts of the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. But first we had some desert to cross.

Our path took us past the north edge of the White Sands Missile Range.

As we crossed the hot desert I started thinking of what a friend wrote to me on Facebook about New Mexico, "My least favorite US State so far." Hmmm. I might see why.

We stopped at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area to see the Carrizozo Malpais, an ancient lava flow. This was the first exposure to stepping out of the RV into hot. The air was hot but the asphalt was hotter. The puppies cried are were carried back to the motorhome by two young girls more than happy to get out of the heat as well.

Jessie and I couldn't help comparing this Carrizozo Malpais to Craters of the Moon in Idaho. Craters is radder.

As we started getting back into some hilly country, we learned of the area where the real Smokey the Bear was found in 1950.

When we got to the Billy the Kid Byway, Jessie was pretty excited. She loves the Jessie James/Wyatt Earp/Wild Bill Hickok/Butch Cassidy stuff.

In the teensy town of Lincoln we stopped to learn about some of Billy the Kid's last days. It was interesting. We got to walk the very stairwell on which the awaiting-execution Billy murdered a guard and escaped.

We left the hills to drop about 1500ft elevation back to the desert and find Roswell. We checked the temp and saw our first triple digits of the trip. Why did the aliens choose this place?

Finally, Bunnies.

We are staying tonight at the KOA in Carlsbad. Apparently the fact that there are rabbits running around is a thing. While walking around Riley saw the bunnies and got excited. She wanted to chase them. That is all.