Oh, the places you'll go: Baratunde Thurston showcases the beauty of New Mexico in 'America Outdoors'

Baratunde Thurston is a renaissance man.

As a student of life, he’s always open to learning new things.

The writer and comedian wears a new hat when he jumps on the road to host “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” which airs on New Mexico PBS.

The second season premiered in early September, and the show will feature an entire episode dedicated to his travels in New Mexico.

“America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston” will air its New Mexico episode at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, and 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on New Mexico PBS channel 5.1. It will also stream on the PBS app.

“The goals were to continue what we did in the first season,” Thurston says. “We learned a lot from the first season, and we feel more confident about where we are traveling to.”

In the series, Thurston travels across the United States to uncover more amazing stories about how we work, play and interact with the outdoors.

In a country as diverse as America, Thurston is on a mission to see how culture, history and the land itself are shaping what we do when we step through our front doors to embrace an outdoor way of life.

From a champion ice climber in Utah to racially diverse mountain bikers in the Ozarks, from biologists saving snapping turtles on the Suwannee River to a scientist revealing what happens to the human body when we spend time in nature, he meets a fascinating cast of Americans with one thing in common – a passion for the great outdoors.

In the episode featuring New Mexico, Thurston travels to many corners of the state. He’s in Gallup with Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee in Gallup, as well as turkey hunting in the woods. Thurston travels by boat along the Rio Grande and learns the history by seeing the petroglyphs etched into the stones.

He also travels to Taos to learn how to make bread and what comes after the fires in northern New Mexico.

And also spends the night under the stars in Chaco Canyon.

Thurston works with a team of producers and location scouts on the ground.

“For New Mexico, I wanted to showcase the beauty the landscape has to offer,” he says. “My initial impression is that New Mexico is much wider and has more range. New Mexico is more than I expected, and the landscape is truly stunning.”

Thurston filmed for about a week in the spring of 2022.

He aimed to tell a little bit of New Mexico’s legacy through time.

“I had a moment there in Chaco Canyon,” he says. “It was moving. I spent the night out there. While I was under the dark sky, I did this monologue that was inspired by the moment. I was just reflecting to be aligned with nature. Here I was witnessing the genius of the Puebloan people, who built an entire town and temple structure. It is perfectly attuned to the stars and sun. I took a step back to ask myself what does it mean to be so in tuned to the environment.”

In Taos, Thurston spends time at the Tiwa Kitchen Restaurant, where he learns how to make bread.

Not only was he fascinated by the process, he was impressed by the horno.

“It takes time to stoke that fire and build the oven,” he says. “I also learned a lesson in patience because I like to have structure when I’m in the kitchen. All of that is thrown out the window, and I learned that you know when it’s done.”

Before heading out for a new adventure, Thurston prepares himself in many ways.

By sharing his story, he’s able to draw stories out of others by using humor.

“Years of stand-up comedy, I’ve learned to listen to comics so that my ear gets attuned to hearing something great,” he says.

Thurston credits his producing team on both seasons as they work to get the best content in each episode.

“There’s a lot of research,” he says. “And we’re putting this on a public media channel. There’s a heavy responsibility there.”

When the chaos is overwhelming, Thurston will find himself in the silence.

“I try to get several quiet moments in the show,” he says. “There’s a physicality to the show and it can be risky. If I get too caught up in my head, it’s easy to forget to be in the moment. I’m there to connect with others and the land. That’s the story.”