West Texas, Southern New Mexico

February, 2009

Our RV-on the road- adventures began in earnest on February 26, 2009. We headed to Van Horn, TX. Cruising down the road through vast deserted desert is really a great way to start. The next day-more desert as we drove through El Paso to Las Cruces.

We spent 2 weeks at a wonderful resort, Hacienda RV, just off I-10. Highlights included a visit to Ft. Bliss to visit our nephew and his family, hikes in the desert, the Organ Mts., markets, Mexican food, Cloudcroft, relaxing. Lowlights – adjusting to altitude and toilette repair.

We had a great time at Michael’s home in El Paso with his wife and son. He took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of Ft. Bliss. It was neat to hear him talk about his job and hear the pride he feels to be in the Army. We ruined his day, however, when we beat them at a trivia game back at home. He began with the confidence of youth and lost with the grace of a gentleman.

Las Cruces was the start of our Mexican Food Tasting Tour. Russell fell in love with marinated peppers and was determined to replicate the recipe. He sampled peppers through several states, never finding any as good as the ones in La Mesilla. Certainly the ones we tried to make from the same ingredients were no match.

We really enjoyed our low-key visit in a city that is large enough to provide services without the drag of heavy traffic and confusing freeways.