Day 20 - March 6, 2010 - Coast to Coast

From the Stoker: It was a very nice day for biking, cool then warm then almost hot. We biked on Hwy 187 out of Caballo, NM to Hatch then on Hwy 185 to Hwy 28 to Mesilla, NM. It was a pretty easy 62 miles with a great 2 hour lunch and sightseeing visit in Hatch. Mom Sadie and her niece and our friend Molly, came from El Paso to show as around Hatch where Mom grew up. What a treat!

The little town of Hatch is the Chile Capital of the World and attracts people from all over the U.S. when it holds its Chile Festival each year. We had a great tour and a great lunch before we continued our miles to Mesilla through orchard and orchards of pecan trees and along the Rio Grande River.

Impressions from the Captain: An early morning start with a tailwind made it fun putting in fast miles. We were riding down the Rio Grande Valley with mountains on each side. Farming is the main industry with mostly cotton and chiles. The road was good and traffic light so it was easy to enjoy the scenery.

After lunch in Hatch, the wind switched out of the south causing us to be able to ride the last 17 miles at only 12mph.

Tomorrow, if we can make it, we'll try making the by-pass around El Paso, which will be a 67 mile day with a mild climb thru Anthony Gap. We'll be poised to pick up our trip in 5-6 days with El Paso behind us.