Alamogordo, New Mexico

Alamogordo, or "Alamo" as it's referred to by the locals, is located about 70 miles North of El Paso, Texas. It's the city center of the Tularosa Basin and is surrounded by the Organ, San Andres and Sacramento mountain ranges.

View from rear of campground in Alamogordo, NM

The majority of driving to New Mexico from Louisiana is in Texas, an 850 mile stretch along I-10 that provides a unique view of the state's dynamic geography. East of San Antonio is the standard shifting highway pattern of urban and rural areas. I had always wanted to visit San Antonio so I was pretty happy to be driving through it until my trailer tire blew on the busiest part of the highway. I had no spare, and AAA was having a tough time locating someone that would tow the camper. So instead I drove it, 15 miles per hour, for about seven miles to a discount tire shop. They even had the non-standard tire in stock, and I was back on the road within two hours.

Boot Hill RV Resort, where I am staying

West of San Antonio is, well, nothing until you reach El Paso. 550 miles of nothing but but a baron, stunning landscape of sand hills, desert valleys, desert grasslands and the Davis Mountains. It was incredible.

I hadn't yet booked a campground when I arrived in Alamo, but I had contacted a couple earlier in the week so I chose one, and it happened that they were expecting me. The campground is quite a bit out of town but is very quiet, save for the roosters that start their day at 5am. There's a horse stable right behind my camper that provides a nice odorous background, but the private bathrooms/showers are the cleanest I've seen yet.

Katie discovers a cactus!