More about New Mexico

November 4, 2010

We left Santa Fe with a pledge to return in spring to make our way north; there is so much more New Mexico to see! We got a surprise call from my cousins, Scott and Ginger, who were in Ruidoso, NM. Ginger was heading to Albuquerque, so we made a stop and completely enjoyed a few sunny days there. Trees along the Rio Grande were still vibrant due to milder temps at night.

We drove further south today, arriving in Alamogordo, NM this afternoon. What a nice drive! We took a back road out of Albuquerque through Isletta Indian Reservation to catch up with I-25 several miles south of town - thank goodness traffic forced us off of the original route straight down the interstates. The Rio Grande announced its path with a swathe of gold, yellow, umber, brilliant colors in a brown/grey landscape. The river and road played tag, both eventually heading to Texas, like us. We turned east at San Antonio toward Carrizozo. The mountains changed from ragged to a more sloping variety. We were skirting White Sands Missile Range to the south, a more flat desolate desert than we've been seeing.

Further east we drove through another section of the Malpais, the Valley of Fire. The lava is up to 165 ft deep in some places. It is a forbidding landscape, which probably explains why we didn't stop. I mentioned taking a short walk to see it up close, which met with comments about snakes and sprained ankles. It isn't like we were going to see exotic wildflowers or anything else for that matter a few feet in from the highway. It is a sea of black rock with hard chiseled faces.

At Carrizozo we turned left for the final leg to Alamogordo, driving along the eastern perimeter of White Sands Missile Range, complete with sound effects. I was surprised by the number of orchards; nuts, grapes, and who knows what else. Tularosa is a cool little town, as is Carrizozo. This part of New Mexico is called the Tularosa Valley and forms the western edge of the Lincoln Forest. From here east the only way to drive is up to arrive at the cities of Lincoln, Ruidoso, and Cloudcroft, all popular for cool summers and winter ski areas. Lincoln County is also known for Billy the Kid, Smokey the Bear and the Lincoln County Wars. Interesting place!

We are staying at Boot Hill RV Resort, a wonderful place to stay. Our front window framed a glorious sunset tonight behind a giant pistachio billboard, White Sands and the mountains. Perfect! We are on the northern reaches of town and will explore it tomorrow. But before I close, I have to mention how perfect the air is. Clean, Clear, Cool, Sunny, Fabulous!