♪
Reedus: I gotta say, I really like all this desert.
I don't know, there's just something about the desert, man.
Just got a hold on me.
Reedus: A blank canvas yields endless possibility...
Yeah, you're pretty blessed to have a job out here
and live out here and ride around this, you know?
A dream job.
...and artists and innovators
have long escaped here in search of freedom and inspiration.
So we shoot over here.
To the right is Camel Rock.
See that rock right there looks like a camel? Oh, yeah.
I was wondering why they call it Camel Rock.
Welcome to Camel Rock Studios.
Oh, this is cool. Yeah, man.
Talk about a creative paradise.
We shoot our show here.
It's an old casino for the Tesuque Pueblo.
We're on Indian land right here.
There's, I think, 19 pueblos in the area.
We've got, uh, a bunch of acreage.
About 100 acres back here for our back lot.
There's a mysterious pull to the sun-bleached land
that unlocks the unimaginable and unexpected,
so I'm here to dive into that creativity
with someone who lives it every day.
Ahh.
So Western vibe, I love it.
It's a nice place to go to work every day.
Beautiful New Mexico, Land of Enchantment.
Zahn McClarnon. I mean, talk about prolific.
Guy's been stealing scenes for years.
From "Longmire" and "Reservation Dogs"
to "Westworld."
His latest, "Dark Winds,"
is a gritty Western mystery made right here
in the majestic high desert.
This is "Ride," and we're in New Mexico.
Show me around the property.
Let me show you where. Joe Leaphorn --
that's the character I play in "Dark Winds" --
kind of keeps his sheep.
♪
[Sheep bleating]
♪
Have you ever heard of Tony Hillerman?
Tony Hillerman was a writer of mysteries,
and he wrote about the Navajo culture,
and he had a couple characters, and they were two Navajo cops.
Robert Redford got the rights to these books,
and he's had the rights for 30 years,
and, uh, he's been a real champion.
He directed me in a movie. He did.
Super cool guy. Yeah, he's a great guy.
Wonderful human being.
Honestly, like, if someone was going to say,
"pick your location," this would be it for me. Yeah, it's --
Desert, motorcycles, isolation, nature.
You certainly draw from -- from everything around you.
Yeah.
You must love being away from the managers and the agents.
I love being away from LA. I really do.Yeah.
I mean, I've thought about coming down here
and, you know, one of the --
the things that we're trying to do with the show
is hire as -- as much Native talent as we can.
Good. So all our leads are Native, crew as well.
Got four Native directors, a Native writing room.
Is it so much better having a Native writer
that knows what they're talking about
and doesn't Hollywood it up? You know what, man?
Yeah, it's -- You know,
from a cultural standpoint, it helps out a lot.
We're trying to represent the Navajo culture
in an appropriate way. Of course. Of course.
An accurate -- accurate way, you know?
You must be really proud of it. I'm extremely fortunate.
I'm an EP on the show, and I'm directing this season...Oh, wow.
...and I'm just -- We got a good family here, you know,
and, uh, good people to work with.Yeah.
They always ask me, "Oh, do you want to direct anything?"
And all I could think of was, like,
I'll give them some like super artsy-fartsy thing
and they'll just have -- their heads will explode. You know the show.
You're not gonna go off, you know, crazy.
I mean... Oh, I might.
Yeah, I hear you.I might.
But, uh, being in this business for,
you know, 30 years,
I really try to be conscious of that every day,
how -- what a gift it is.
Jump on the bull. Yeah!
Strap in and jump on the bull.
Ride it till the wheels fall off, man. Yeah. Yeah.
Show me around. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
♪
[Indistinct]
Let the inspiration bender begin.
Leaving Santa Fe, we'll travel south
to an old mining town turned artistic mecca
before arriving in Albuquerque.
After going intergalactic in the desert,
we'll test our palates in the chili capital of the world.
It's a three-day, 414-mile trip
off the beaten path in New Mexico.
[Indistinct rock music playing]
McClarnon: My mom was from the Standing Rock Reservation
in North Dakota,
and we moved down here when I was one years old.
We lived on a commune outside of Santa Fe.
New Mexico is really like no other.
We're over 5,000 feet here, more than a mile high.
The air is clear. The skies are blue.
The scenery is epic.
Look at this [bleep] view, though.
Excuse my language. I got to watch my cussing.
Reedus: Nah, it's [bleep] beautiful.
You won't see sunsets, like, anywhere else
as a New Mexico sunset.
The scenery is just beautiful.
Man: It's a great, great mix of just great energy,
great cultures, and amazing food.
What is that we're just passing?
This is -- This is all artist communities, man.
I mean, the whole Santa Fe area's...
you have more artists per square mile
than anywhere in the United States.
Really? A lot of the hippies from San Francisco back in the '60s,
when [bleep] started hitting the fan in like '69,
people moved out here.
That's where, like, Hopper ended up out in Taos.
Reedus: Dennis Hopper, one of my heroes.
Whether acting, painting, sculpting, or behind the lens,
his artistry was aggressively raw and passionate.
And while it's hard to put into words
the influence he had on me,
he was one of the reasons
I picked up a camera in the first place.
In the '70s, Hopper slipped the confines of Hollywood
and landed here,
and it seems crazy that it's taken us this long
to ride through his old stomping grounds.
You also have the cowboy mix.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, I like that v-- that mixture.
That must be great.Yeah.
Montana's got that too, as well.
Southern Montana.
Do you know Montana really well?
I do.
I -- The first 10 years of my life,
I grew up in the northwest corner of Montana.
My dad worked for the National Park Service,
so I grew up in Yellowstone and Glacier National Park.
Quite an upbringing,
growing up with grizzly bears and elk
and, you know, animals everywhere.
This is Madrid. We're pulling into Madrid now.
This is already cool.
Man: Madrid's a great place.
It's such a quirky, funky, hippyish town.
Woman: "Mah-drid" is one of my favorite places.
Although I call it "Muh-drid," but...
No no, no, no, it's not "Muh-drid."
Man #2: I call it "Mah-drid"
because the locals call it Madrid.
"Muh-drid's" in Spain. "Mah-drid's" in New Mexico.
I'm not sure which one is right, to be honest with you.
I just always called it "Mah-drid,"
and it's its own country sometimes, man.
That is such a cool spot. [Chuckles]
Reedus: To help us tap into this town's pulse,
we're meeting with musician Chris Mansfield.
Mansfield: What's going on, man? What's up, buddy?
Zahn, Chris. Chris, Zahn.
How you doin', man? Christopher. What's going on, man?
Nice to meet you, man. Good to meet you, brother.
Amazing. Pleasure.
Reedus: Chris is a singer-songwriter
for the band Fences,
an old friend who I haven't seen in years.
So when I heard he left Seattle to call New Mexico home,
it was a no-brainer to sync back up.
[Indistinct conversation]
...and I love you. Yeah! I love you too, brother.
Thank you, man. I've been --
I've been wondering what you're up to.
So this is like -- this is where you've been
hanging out writing songs and stuff? Yeah.
There's more music in Santa Fe area, in this area,
than, like, anywhere I know.
I had no idea this is what this would look like.
Places have a... almost like cliches to them.
Like, Texas is cowboy,
like, New York is like The Strokes or like the Ramones,
and, like, Seattle's Nirvana.
But New Mexico, I'm like, I don't know what it is.
Has its own vibe here, yeah. Oh, for sure.
Kind of feels like Mars, I think, or something.
It's a magical place. Yeah.
Reedus: And, come on.
With his eclectic look and Dennis Hopper vibe,
what better guy to join us in this little slice of Bohemia?
I mean, like, look, there's little scenes everywhere.
This is like "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"
if he took mushrooms.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh-oh. Don't get us stuck in this little...
amusement park, man.
Wait, you guys get in the bikers.
I want to take your picture.
It's "Easy Rider."
How's that? How's that? How's that?
So good. Look tough.
I'm so mad right now.
You guys are so mad right now.
Perfect! Okay. My turn.
[Both imitating motorcycles revving]
Mansfield: It looks so real.
Hey, take my picture with the alien.
Oh, there you go.
Do I look like an alien or just some [bleep] in an alien hole?
Super cool. In Madrid, weird is what's normal.
McClarnon: Now that's cool.
If this place feels like an old ghost town
taken over by the artists...
What the heck is that? That's crazy to me.
Yeah, that's super wild.
...well, it's because that's exactly what happened,
and being here is like stumbling upon
a mind-bending mirage in the desert.
It feels like a place You come and you just...
you just stay and that's that.
Although, we've got places to go...
Alright, now, what do we do now?
...we plan on sticking around for a little while.
♪
I mean, look at these [bleep] houses back there.
The way they're built.
Like the one with the trailer in the backyard.
Yeah, this is dope right here.
Damn.
Yeah. That's fun.
-Great patina on it. -Uh-huh.
-What's going on in here? -Welcome.
What's happening? Hi, I'm Norman.
-Hi, Norman. Riana. -Nice to meet you.
Reedus: For thousands of years,
turquoise has been intertwined with New Mexico's rich heritage.
The Turquoise Trail, which runs from Santa Fe to Albuquerque,
still produces some of the most
sought-after jewelry in the world.
Everything on this half of this case
is our local Cerrillos Turquoise,
which we mine all by hand.
What's the story with the crocodile, that alligator?
That was in my dad's private collection.
He was famous for overlaid skulls that he did.
Oh, wow. And inlaid jewelry.
Is that your pops right there?
That is. Yep. That's my daddy.
You learned your trade, your craft through your father?
I did, yeah. How old were you when you started?
He was a turquoise miner,
and I went mining turquoise with him as young as 5.
I learned how to make a heishi necklace when I was 9.
Where's the mine at?
It's about 10 miles from here as the crow flies.
How do you keep people from mining in your square?
[Laughs] [Imitates cocking shotgun]
Oh, really? Short of camping out with a shotgun,
not a whole lot you can do.
What's the significance of turquoise?
It's supposed to be a lucky stone.
It connects people to the earth,
and it connects people to each other.
The indigenous people of the area
held the stone to be sacred...
Do you have any water birds in here?
Water birds...
They're hard to find. They are.
Not many people are making them in modern times.
Basically a representation of Native American church.
They're beautiful.
Reedus: ...and incorporated it into many aspects of their lives.
Reedus: What's your cat's name?
That's Miner. Of course.
Riana carries on a craft
that stretches far beyond her own father,
back to the ancestral pueblos of New Mexico.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Yeah, you're welcome. You're super sweet.
And she continues to support and work with local native artists.
And together, they keep the tradition alive.
Are you guys following us?
I wanted to take a picture of him...
Go take his picture.
Sure. ♪ Love is in the air
Yeah, but you got to take it with mine.
You want it sideways like this?
Come on, act like you like each other.
Come on.Come on. We do.
Woman: Turn around, Virginia.
"Turn around, Virginia."
"Turn Around, Virginia." That's a good song title.
♪ Turn around, Virginia
Ma'am, we need him back.
Woman: Okay. It's okay.
No, he's just joking. We can do it.
She won't let go of him.
You can have him.
Is that cool?
Yes. I'll see you guys later.
They don't need to. Let's go.
Bye.
See ya. Return him in one piece.
♪
Okay, cool. One down. Let's roll.
And just like that,
I think it's time we get out of this town
while we still can.
We're on a 60-mile trek southwest
through Albuquerque to catch a car race under the stars.
♪
McClarnon: It's been a while since I got out on the bike.
Like, done any distance, you know.
Do you ever ride from here to LA if you have to go to LA?
I've ridden just about every road west of Iowa,
every state, just about every road I've done.
I think the longest ride I did was like 8,000 miles.
Took a month off. Yeah, just took off.
♪
Oh, that girl's puking on the side of the car.
[Laughs]
You see that?
Yeah, I did.
Just barfing on the side of the road.
Welcome to New Mexico.
♪
So there's beautiful downtown Albuquerque to the right.
That right there? Beautiful New Mexico sunset.
♪
Shake and bake, baby.
♪
[Engines revving]
Ooh, listen to that rumble.
That's cool, right? Yeah.
Since 2011,
dirt track enthusiasts have gotten their fix
every Saturday night at Sandia Speedway.
It's a half-mile oval mud pit that brings out the area's
top racing teams.
Look at that engine, man.
It's just like "Tak, tak, tak, tak."
Raw.
♪
Is this you guys's car?
Ronnie: This is the national champion.
Oh, really? Oh, wow. My name is Norman, by the way.
Ronnie. Nice to meet you.
-Zahn. Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you. Ronnie.
How are you? Thanks for coming.
I mean, we always like people to come out.
Yeah, thanks for having us.
I drove six hours from Lubbock just to come and help.
McClarnon: Oh, you're from Texas?
Is there a lot of, uh, competitive, uh, hate going on?
Like, uh, we hate that group?
If there's a Ronnie around,
there's probably gonna be a fight.
Really? Who's the Ronnie?
That's me. Oh, that's you.
Oh, right. Oh, okay.
Cool. I thought maybe you had an enemy.
I try not to, but, I mean,
[bleep] happens when you party naked, you know?
Yeah, totally, I get it. We'll get out of your way.
You want to jump in it, sit in it?
Really? Do I gotta climb in it?
You just put your leg up.
Put your leg up and then hop.
Reedus: I got a -- I got a dislocated, uh, rotator cuff.
Well, you hold the camera and let him get in.
Got it. Give me the camera.
Not exactly the directorial debut I was envisioning,
but I guess you've got to start somewhere.
Got it.
He's on, he's on. I will.
Get in there.
Go for it, buddy.
[Bleep]
That's all right.
[Engine revs]
Reedus: How's it going?
Oh, there you go.
[Laughter]
Just remind me to look for my name
when they roll those credits.
♪
McClarnon: I mean, I can see why people get hooked on doing this.
And it's the lifestyle.
Whoa! What the --
This is when I'm supposed to tell you
about the poetry and art that is racing.
Look how smooth this guy is. You know what I mean?
♪
And while there's definitely truth in that...
♪
...sometimes it's just about hearing some roaring engines
and having a good time.
Tomorrow we venture off to discover all the weird
and wonderful New Mexico has to offer.
♪
This was our production office on the right here
in this building for a movie I did called "Americana"
with Sydney Sweeney and Paul Hauser recently.
What's she like? What -- Sydney Sweeney,
she's having a moment, isn't she?
Yeah, she's a sweetie, you know?
She's, uh -- She's a sweetheart.
She's a sweetie? Sydney Sweetie?
Reedus: Day two, and we're in it for the long haul.
We're covering 160 miles to reach the town
of Truth or Consequences.
So before heading out, we're stopping for some coffee
brewed by guys who really know their bikes.
Hope they don't make fun of my bike.
All bikes are good bikes, bro.
I'm not into bike fashion.
I have a -- I have a sweatshirt that says "[Bleep] la mode."
What does that mean?
I guess it means [bleep] fashion in French.
I think it means -- that means [bleep] ice cream.
[Laughs]
This is it right here.
Rust Is Gold Coffee.
Now, this is what I'm talking about.
A place where only two things matter.
Motorcycles and caffeine.
♪
Hey. Hi. I'm Norman.Welcome.
Thanks. Thanks for having me.
Thanks for coming in. Thanks for having us.
So, whose spot is this?
This is ours. It's ours.
Oh, cool.Yeah.
We're just dirty vintage motorcycle guys.
I'm the dirtiest guy you ever met.
Yeah.
Now, we're glad you came this way.
Yeah, yeah. We're glad to have you.
Yeah. This is beautiful.
So we, you know, we build vintage bikes,
we -- we road race, we, uh, flat track.
So we just decided to incorporate the coffee
because we just [bleep] love coffee.
You know, back there used to be the shop.
That's where we'd build bikes.
And then as we started to roast more...
Where do you roast?
Right there. You can check it out. Yeah.
So that took the place of the garage.
Reedus: Since 2018,
Thaison and Steve's modern blend of dirty bikes
and high-end coffee has been the perfect recipe
Albuquerque was looking for.
♪
Maes: This is Rusty.
Garcia: And it's been through hell and back.
It's caught fire a couple times.
We almost burnt the building down once or twice.
I like that you guys have such good taste
because you have, like, this style grinder.
This could be some modern thing that nobody cares about.
Right. Yeah, we do it old-school style, for real.
Reedus: And do they have a podcast?
I mean, come on.
All right, everybody,
welcome to the Rust Is Gold racing podcast.
We have some amazing guests today.
Hey, guys. Welcome. Yeah, thanks for having us.
Good coffee too, by the way.
Oh, you guys like it?
It's great. So, how did you get started?
I was up in Montana as a kid, seeing a -- I don't know what --
It was a gang.
It might have been HAs or something.
They went by me, and I was just like,
"What? Dad, what is that?"
You know, and then you get into the movies
like "Bad News Bears"
when Kelly comes on the [bleep] bike
through the baseball field and stuff like that.
Reedus: Listen, I could talk about riding all day long,
and I love hearing Zahn talk shop.
It's the main reason
we keep hitting the road year after year.
McClarnon: I love New Mexico, man.
I love riding in New Mexico.
It's a beautiful state to ride in.
Reedus: That said, you've listened to me now for seven seasons,
and I only have so many stories to tell.
So if you don't mind,
I'm just gonna zoom by some of the greatest hits.
We ride all bikes on this show.
Yeah, you've heard this one before.
He taught me how to ride the YZ80,
and we would just, like, run from police all the time.
I've definitely told that one a few times.
Be sure to get the sour cream.
Don't get the sour cream.
I'm not even sure I want to know what that one was about.
Thanks. Nice meeting you guys.
Yeah. It was a real pleasure.
I'm gonna steal a whole bunch of coffee.
-Yeah, yeah, for sure. -Thanks, guys.
In just a few short years,
Rusty Is Gold has become a pillar
of the Albuquerque motorcycling scene...
Bye, guys.
...giving those a place to get together,
show off their bikes, even make plans for an epic ride
all over one cup of coffee at a time.
I gotta bee in my helmet in Wyoming once.
That happened to me.
Yeah.
I didn't get stung, though. I didn't either.
♪
I don't know about you, but I'm hungry.
McClarnon: For sure.
♪ More of you
♪
♪ I want more of you
Cool shirt. What is that?
A friend of mine made it and gave it to me.
It's just like an old Indian guy.
I want that to be in my wardrobe next season.
I have that weapon. That's my weapon now.
It's a cool shirt.
It's almost like, uh, The Hamburglar.
[Laughs]
The Owl Bar and Cafe.
Opening in 1945 as a place
to serve those working on the Manhattan Project,
legend has it its name stems
from the night owls who'd hold gambling benders
at the back of the bar until sunrise.
She's watching me. She's got her eyes on me.
♪
Hello. This one.
[Laughing] I'm watching him.
♪
She wants me.
Reedus: This place staked its claim as the originator
of the green chili cheeseburger,
made with a secret chili recipe from the '40s,
loaded with cheese, pickles,
and chopped onion to create a magic no one can resist.
No one, apparently, except for me and Zahn.
McClarnon: I think I'm gonna get some eggs, man.
Where do you see eggs?
Oh, there. Yeah, 10:30, they stopped serving.
Hold on one second. Hold on one second.
I'm gonna try to get her to make me some eggs.
I just want to --
I know 10:30, breakfast is -- it's over,
but I just really want some eggs.
♪
You guys ready to order?
Yeah.
Um, can we still do breakfast?
Is that possible?
Let me ask. One sec.
Ask the -- Ask her.
They want to know if you'll still do breakfast.
Yeah. For him, yeah.
Yeah.Really? What do I want?
Do I want the burrito
or do I want the two eggs and hash browns?
You want the burrito. I do? Okay, I want that.
You're the coolest. Thank you.
Janice: And do you guys like chili?
I love green chili.
And do you make this here yourself?We do.
What's your name again? I'm Janice.
You're so sweet, Janice.
And this is your place, right? This is my place.
I'm going to try your green chili, Janice.
That's good green chili, man.Really?
Yeah. It's good.
Really good. Really good.
Really delicious.
New Mexico green chili.
Made with real owl.
Mmm, mmm, mmm. [Laughs]
Made with real owl. Oh, that's good.
Reedus: Hi, buddy.
McClarnon: Hello.
Sexy cow.
♪
Yeah, there's an openness about New Mexico
and a lot of -- lot of America, man.
It's...
You've got the openness, and you get out of the city
and you realize, "Wow, there's a lot of land out here."
You know, it's beautiful. And...Yeah.
The open range.
Yeah. It's crazy.
I don't see [bleep] anything for miles.
I can see in front of you. I don't see anything.
I love all this emptiness.
Great.
Reedus: Despite being one of our largest states,
there are less people in New Mexico
than in the city of Houston
or about 10 New York City blocks.
All of that empty space is a big reason
this desert has been at the forefront
of scientific experimentation and discovery.
♪
We're on an 85-mile ride south to visit Spaceport America...
Wow, look at this place, man. This is wild.
...where commercial spaceflight is quickly becoming a reality.
Look at that [bleep] building.
Virgin Galactic.
What is happening here?
Is this top secret [bleep], where we're going to?
Man: It all started back in World War II.
Government was able to come out here and do secret stuff,
and there was nobody to spy on them
because there was nobody here.
A lot of science experiments and rockets are tested out here.
Man #2: My whole family works at Sandia Labs,
my two daughters and my wife,
and I'm not sure exactly what they do.
I think they might be spies.
Look where we're going in there right now.
The Death Star. This is crazy.
♪
Welcome to Virgin Galactic.
How are you? Norman. Great. Jamila.
I'm Colin. Great to meet you.
Jamila.Nice to meet you.
Wonderful to meet you.
Hi, Zahn, I'm Colin. Nice to meet you.
All right.
This is the gateway to space.
We have launched 37 people total to space.
32 of those have been here from my home state of New Mexico.
And I'm very, very happy to say I got to be one
of Virgin Galactic's astronauts and go up myself.
If you want to come inside, we'll, uh -- we'll show you.
McClarnon: Oh, yeah. This is great, man.
It's really neat. It's, um -- On flight morning
when you're walking down here,
every single step that you're taking, you're like,
"These are my last steps as a non-astronaut
about to go get suited up,
get on a spaceship, and go to space."
Wow.
♪
So this just gives you a bit of a perspective
on the spaceship.
So we've got 17 windows,
and in space you'll be mostly pitched upside down.
And so you can look out of those top windows.
Jamila: And you can just see that thin, thin blue atmosphere.
And it's the only thing
that protects us from the vastness of space.
It's really incredible. -That's scary and cool.
-Right? -Yes, it is.
Uh, it is something else to see it, and it just glistens.
The planet is brilliant.
-How are you, sir? -Hello.
-How are you doing today? -Good. Hi, I'm Norman.
Nice to meet you.
I'm CJ, I'm one of the Virgin Galactic pilots.
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
My pleasure. Hi, CJ. Zahn. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
This is the first vehicle with humans
to fly to space from New Mexico.
I sat it right there.
That's your seat right there.
That's my seat. Seat 2L.
Are you part native?
Uh, my -- my mother is indigenous,
yes, from central Mexico, Puréchan indian. So you're,like,
one of the first indigenous people to be in space?
Yes. Wow. That's amazing.
That's awesome.
You know, looking out at the planet, it's --
it's us in the cabin, a few folks on the ISS, right?
Yeah. And then everyone else.
So everyone you've ever known, who has lived, all in one place.
Did that change your guys's perspective on...?
For me, yeah.
I think from that vantage point,
it's kind of impossible to ignore the fact
that we're already on a big, round spaceship
that's just kind of drifting through the universe.
And -- And so to me,
it was a pretty instant realization
that, you know, our lives are all interwoven
and we're all in this together, so. Right on, man.
Reedus: To prepare would-be astronauts
for their maiden voyage,
it takes months of training in their flight simulator.
And for two guys who want to play astronauts on TV,
they give us about 10 minutes.
Come on up. There you go. Step on up.
Yes, sir.
So I'm going to go ahead and push the stick forward.
And then you can lift that switch up right there.
Okay. So we release. Now pull out this red knob.
Pull it out. Good. We lit the rocket.
Excellent. We're doing Mach 2 already going straight up.
Look out the window.
How it's getting dark out there.
Oh, yeah.
We're passing 80,000 feet.
♪
I'm going to raise the feather.
That's going to pitch us over on our back.
♪
We're still going up, Norman.
Now I'm going to just stop our pitch rate right there.
♪
Welcome to space. We just passed 50 miles up.
I think my ears just popped.
[Laughs]
So we're going all the way around.
♪
Whoa!
Yep.
This is so cool.
Even from a fake 50 miles up in the sky,
this experience is mesmerizing.
And you can't help
but feel your insignificance start to creep in.
Should I jump out?
All right.
This is what you guys train on, basically.
Yes. This simulator
is where we train for these flights.
And we train every day.
Oh, this is awesome. Crazy, right?
How long is the total ride from start to finish?
It's about an hour and a half.
Wow.Yeah.
It's crazy that you can do all that in an hour and a half.
Yeah, yeah. That's right.
You can look at Instagram for an hour and a half,
or you could do that.
You know what I mean?
Reedus: Wow, this is wild.
This part's real, right? Yeah. Wow.
The vastness of space is pretty mind blowing.
And when I get my chance, I'll be the first one on board
to greet the aliens.
It's the future that's wild.
Struckow: It's here.
♪
Reedus: It's day three.
What's that over to the right?
I don't know what that is, man.
Like a bowling pin in the middle of nowhere.
And we're on the road to nowhere.
And being here means things are about to get weird.
I have never been down here, man.
This is a first. This is pretty cool up here.
Look at this dam. This giant dam.
It's great to see water, man, you know?Yeah.
In New Mexico, you know, you just don't see it very much.
Yeah. We are in the middle of nowhere.
Truth or Consequences used to be called Hot Springs.
It was changed in 1950. It was a contest.
Man: There was a TV show called "Truth or Consequences,"
and they asked all the cities in America -- as a joke.
It was a joke, really --
"Hey, what city would want to be named after our show?
We'll come and we'll do a parade every year.
And we'll give you a bunch of prizes."
And long story short, Hot Springs
then won, became Truth or Consequences,
and we're going on our 75th year this year.
Truth or Consequences.
That was crazy,
the story of why they named it that.
Yeah. I had no idea, man.
Yeah, we could be going to the Family Feud right now.
Jeopardy would be all right. Jeopardy, New Mexico.
Oh, that's a good name.
I think the greatest thing about T or C is the hot springs.
The Native Americans said it had healing powers.
Man #2: It's a psychotropic.
So after you get out of the hot springs,
you're going to feel a little cosmic.
You're going to feel a little of the New Mexico charm.
Reedus: That charm we'll have to save for another time.
Me and Zahn forgot our suits. But since we're here,
we're making a stop to meet a guy
whose family has been running a local spot here for decades.
Let's go down here. Check this out.
What we would do when we were kids,
we had a place called, uh, Boiling Hot Springs.
It's on a river, right?
It's a freezing cold river in Montana.
But these hot springs coming out of the ground
and are going into the river.
So they built a little, like, rock pool.
And, I mean, we're kids in the '70s, man.
We were -- We'd all be naked.
You know, it was, uh, it was a beautiful place.
Oh, look at this.
Good morning, gentlemen.
-What? Oh, no. -Welcome to Riverbend.
Here's some hot coffee for you.
Thank you, man. So this is your spot?
It is my spot. Welcome.
This was, um, neutral healing grounds for the Apache warriors
where you couldn't bring any weapons.
And people came here to heal their wounds.
Legend has it that Geronimo was a guest of Chief Victorio here.
Somebody told me this has lithium in the water.
It's just the mineral that we're most proud of.
It just gets you chilled out and really relaxed, you know?
I mean, lithium is lithium, right?
These are the Caballo mountain range,
and this is Turtleback Mountain.
I don't know if you can see, but right on the summit,
it kind of looks like a turtle.
The head's on the left side.
So right at the very top summit, it's a little turtle.
And that's how the native tribes were able to find
the hot springs is by using that as a landmark.
You had to be really good to go, "Oh, that's the turtle."
You got to stare at it for a while.
Yeah, I don't see it.
It's not so turtleish.
Later on when it got a little bit colonized,
you know, it became Hot Springs, New Mexico.
What year was it incorporated?
We were incorporated in 1914.
There was no interstate, so it was a very popular town.
It was full of hot springs and motor courts and brothels
and gambling and really had its heyday,
actually, during the Great Depression.
So you you get loaded, you get laid,
and then you come chill out.
Get laid, and then you chill out and sober up a little bit.
The hot springs are perfect for sobering up.
Reedus: Once I heard the word lithium,
I seriously debated dipping my toes in.
But being in a town with a backstory like this,
we didn't want to waste any more time before checking it out.
You've never been here, right?
I've been through it. I've never spent any time here.
It's definitely got its own little vibe, doesn't it?
What do we got here? A little -- A little estate sale.
Reedus: Got roller skates.
There somebody living in there?
I think there is.
I'm not even sure how we got here,
but I'm kind of too intrigued to leave.
Is this your spot?Yeah.
Oh, got it. How long have you been here for?
I've been here almost 20 years.
But what brought you out here?
Hot springs.
Like, I took a whole trip for hot springs.
And these were kind of, like, the best tasting ones.
You drink this.
You drink the water you soak in?
Every day. Yeah. Really? With the lithium in it?
Lithium, is that right? Lithium?
I wish there was more.
Wow. I kind of want to drink it now.
You got to. Yeah, I'm gonna.
Soak you later.
Don't drink too much of the water.
What was it? Did he say -- Did he say soak you later?
Reedus: At this point, I'm not sure what's more bizarre.
The fact I'm even considering drinking this water...
It seems very empty, right?
...or that this entire town feels completely deserted
in the middle of the afternoon.
This is it?
♪
Okay. All right. All right, cool.
Let's ride some more.
We're off to Hatch in search of more
of the offbeat creative spirit
that makes this place distinctly New Mexico.
♪
I did, uh, children's parties back in the '90s.
You did what?
You know, you dress up like Big Bird or Bart Simpson.
You did that?
Yeah. I threw up in one of the --
Threw up in one of the costumes.
[Laughs] That's awesome.
♪ 'Cause I'm a traveling man, but I never stay alone ♪
♪ One night'll do...
Reedus: We've got one more stop
on this unexpectedly strange trek
through the New Mexico desert.
It's a 40-mile drive down I-25 to the village of Hatch.
Narrator: The fruits of the earth
passed through the hands of the family,
planted by those hands, gathered by those hands, stored by those hands.
♪ Desert smoke
♪ Fire in the sky
Reedus: If you've heard of Hatch,
no doubt it's because of their world-famous chilies.
Rich and smoky, yet subtle and sweet.
They're a staple ingredient of the regional cooking,
and they've been growing and roasting them
for 60 years strong.
I'm starving. Let's eat a robot.
To call Hatch surreal,
even after everything we've seen,
still might be an understatement.
Because at the center of it all is Sparky's.
They have a Ronald McDonald out front.
Isn't that, like, against the rules?
It seems wrong to have Ronald McDonald here.
All right. Where do we go? In here?
Combining eclectic decor with delicious food,
Sparky's is if Pee-Wee Herman stopped on his way to the Alamo
and just decided to open a restaurant here instead.
Yeah, this little dude.
Oh, this is great.
The house specialty? Yep.
You guessed it, the green chili cheeseburger.
And since we missed out last time,
maybe it's fate calling that it's on the menu here
at the green chili capital of the world.
That's crazy.
It's like Sunday afternoon, and everybody's here.
There's nobody outside. They're all in here.
Yeah.
Hey, guys. Hey. What's up? Hi.
There you go.
Can I get you guys anything else?
Nope. This is what you're famous for, right?
Yeah. It's the world-famous green chili cheeseburger.
Wow. Uh, is this what everybody orders when they come in?
Usually, yeah. Yeah. What --
You guys are such a mix of so many different things.
It's very eclectic. You got a fortune cookie.
Oh, nice. My pop likes to collect
just different things that make him happy.
And, yeah, I don't know, makes other people happy too.
Oh, your dad owns the place?
Yeah. Yeah. Now he lets me run it for him.
How long has he -- How long has your dad been collecting?
Um, since before I was born.
Our house has always been like this.
And then the antique shop and stuff like that,
so it's just really nice.
Is that in the back?
Yeah.
He opened up that antique shop back there,
so it's kind of like he's retired,
but he's still super busy.
You guys enjoy. Bye. Thank you.
Yum.
Mmm.
This is good.
Wow. This is spicy, man.
It's nice.
Spicy.
Is it?Mmm.
Reedus: After eating at a place so refreshingly absurd,
you know we've got to meet the people responsible.
Oh, this is going to be fun. Oh, look. Let's go in.
Reedus: Explain to me what's going on here.
There's a lot going on.
So my husband and I've been collecting
for 40 years or something.
There's my husband right there. -Hi. How are you, sir?
Nice to meet you. I'm Norman.
Glad to meet you, Norman. I'm Teako Nunn.
Nice to meet you. This is Zahn.
-You've met my wife, Josie. -Yeah.
Hey, Teako. Zahn. Nice to meet you, man.
Nice to meet you. You too as well.
Yeah. How cool.
You guys both have, uh...
great soft auras.
-Oh, good. -Nice, great faces.
Well, I'm full of food now.
Maybe that's why.
You're all relaxed.
Teako and Josie's shop is a one-of-a-kind experience
that can only make sense here, and I'm all for it.
I love Americana.
Advertising, neon, grocery store, saloon.
You know, old jukeboxes, slot machines, cash registers.
How did you guys meet?
Oh, we met in El Paso when I was just out of high school.
But now we've been together for 45 years or something.
Yeah. You guys -- You guys are a good team.
You can tell.
We are. We're not --
We -- We just have so much fun, you know?
What are some of your favorite pieces?
I like the American Printing. I saw it a lot growing up.
I don't want to be corny, Norman.
Be corny.
You guys are my favorite piece.
Oh, you're corny. You're definitely corny.
No, no, I live for -- for people having fun.
They've taken it upon themselves
to scour the globe for its rarities and oddities,
and have put them in one place.
Cool.
All for the sake of bringing a little joy
to anyone lucky enough to be passing through.
Try it again.
Thank you, man.
Nice to meet you. You too as well.
Thank you.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Likewise. Thank you so much. Bye.
Reedus: Now, this may be the chili peppers talking.
Take my picture.
Or maybe I had some lithium water snuck into my glass.
But this is the perfect oasis in the middle of the desert.
The chili pepper corporate statue
Americana tchotchke oasis I never knew I needed.
Bye, bye, bye.
Bye. Have a good day.
Where's Zahn? Where'd he go?
McClarnon: I love those mountains.
Reedus: Yeah. Really pretty.
Remove yourself from the rhythms of everyday life,
and you'll soon realize what true freedom can be.
It's cool New Mexico's got these little,
funky little places all around the state.
Such a beautiful state.
At first glance,
the New Mexican desert is a vast, unassuming place.
But there are surprises around every bend in the road.
What the [bleep] was that?
Let's go. Come on. Let's go get a drinks here.
♪
Out here, renegade artists
immerse themselves into their passion.
There's a simplicity in being
and space for every idea and vision,
no matter how outlandish they seem to be.
♪ I'd ride for anyone
♪ But I couldn't ride for my kin ♪
♪
♪ And I'd die...
Reedus: And after three days with my buddy Zahn,
I have to admit it inspires me in ways you wouldn't believe.
♪
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, brother.
I appreciate you very much.
Yeah.I had a really good time.
♪ I am the moon
♪ Now even the clouds
Good luck with the rest of the filming.
Yeah. You too. You go direct the [bleep] out of that thing.
I'm gonna try.
♪ I know why you can't
It'll be great. And it's time --
It's time for you to probably take that up, too, right?
I -- I -- Everybody wants to see it.
I probably will, but it'll,
you know, it'll be a whole episode from the point
of view of a -- point of view of a butterfly or something.
You know what I mean? I'll get in trouble.
Why not, man? Make it personal.
You know, you're -- you're a butterfly, brother.
Yeah.
♪ And I'd ride for anyone
♪ But I couldn't stop this trip ♪
♪
♪ And I'd die for anyone
♪ And I guess that's how this trip ends ♪
Reedus: It's been a journey of a lifetime.
But eventually, every ride comes to an end.
♪ Forgive and forget
♪ Forgive and forgive
♪ 'Cause I can't forget shit ♪
Maybe? Dude, beautiful.
Beautiful. [Bleep] beautiful.
Hell, yeah. Thank you.
I was a little nervous there, but we got it. Yeah.
Come on. Yeah. Cool. Cool.
That was fun, man. What an honor, man.