Following stays at 5 hotels, 4 flights (including 2 connections) and 1 rental car we completed our wonderful trip to the Land of Enchantment.
“Tell me Dave, what were the high and lows of your trip?”
“Well thankfully, Sam, the highs outnumbered the negative connotations”
“Can you expand on that theme for your readers, Dave?’
“Certainly Sam, I’ll be glad to.”
“Best breakfast: Hotel Garden Inn, Albuquerque (ABQ.) It was the only hotel on our schedule which had waitress service. Best lunch: a food truck situated to the rear of a bar in Las Cruces. Best dinner: sizzling beef fajitas served at an authentic Mexican restaurant, “La Posta de Milla” in the historic town of Mesilla minutes from our hotel in Las Cruces. Best dessert: a green chile sundae topped with pecans which was original and delicious from Caliche’s Frozen Custard.
Best shower: Hampton Inn, Las Cruces. It was walk-in shower and very spacious. Most comfortable bed: Hampton Inn, Ruidoso.
Worst night’s sleep: Hampton Inn, Carlsbad. The second floor of the hotel was being remodeled, a construction worker was prowling the corridor outside our room at 4.30am coughing his lungs out while a nearby store alarm joined in for good measure.
Best landscape: The Valley of the Fires is the youngest lava flow in the continental US and is located about 3 miles west of Carrizozo. It measures about 3 miles wide and 20 feet long, and suddenly appeared out of context with the surrounding desert on Highway 380.
Worst nightmare: Unquestionably flying with American Airlines. Our plane was delayed leaving Atlanta. We were not given any snacks or drinks during our three hour flight. On our arrival at Dallas we were informed we had 10 minutes to catch our connection. There was nobody at the desk when we arrived at the gate, and an employee ignored our pleas to open the door at the gate, so we could catch the plane. Luckily a gate attendant standing at the plane’s door saw my wife frantically waving her arms to attract her attention. She mercifully returned and opened the door and told us to run down to the plane as they were just about to close the door to the main cabin. They must have known there were passengers attempting to make the connecting flight, but made no attempt to accommodate us until we took matters into our own hands.
Most spectacular experience: There are two candidates for this category both of which can be considered two of the most outstanding natural wonders of the world you are likely to see. Carlsbad Caverns are home to 500-800 thousand bats which every evening at dusk emerge from the caverns and spiral up into the sky and return next morning. The caverns themselves resemble a fantasy land of wondrous shapes and colors. Our 31/2 hour visit barely scraped the surface.
Most disappointing experience: New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo at Las Cruces. We originally planned to spend two days there, but it was very hot, the State Fair was mediocre saved only by the “Frisbee dogs,” and the rodeo was like watching Double A baseball which on occasions resembles watching paint dry.
Best historical places visited: Chloride, a genuine Western ghost town; The City of Lincoln where Billy The kid and Pat Garrett had their little dust up; Fort Stanton features more than 155 years of history ranging from its initial creation as a military garrison to its significance as the first tuberculosis hospital in the state, to an internment camp for German sailors during World War 11., and the 400 year old San Miguel Mission in Soccoro.
Most scenic route: The drive from Las Cruces to Cloudcroft where desert merges into mountain greenery.
Most Bizarre Moments: Excuse my ignorance, but I didn’t realize that New Mexico was a substantial oil producing state. Situated in a very industrialized area dominated by oil we passed through a little town called Artesia on our way to Carlsbad and it reminded me of Port Talbot, South Wales. Apparently Port Talbot inspired Ridley Scott to film “Blade Runner.” Win, Place and Show Tap House was a bar recommended by a local guide pit, and only receives a mention because the barmaid didn’t know how to make a margarita, and there were several different brands of tequila sitting on the shelves obviously resigned to being ornaments.
Memorable mention: White Sands Monument which has 275 square miles of gorgeous white sand complete with 40 feet high dunes.
Surprising delights: Dave’s Café in Cloudcroft where they served a splendid beer, wine tasting New Mexico wines also in Cloudcroft, and strolling through the farmers & crafts market in downtown Las Cruces on Saturday morning. It was lively, colorful, and entertaining highlighted by a parrot that could imitate a dog or cat and play dead at a stroke. We attended the Manhattan Short Film Festival in Mesilla in the evening which more than compensated for the hapless rodeo. Since our trip to California in June, we have become short film aficionados probably because they only require a short attention span.
Off Key Moments: Hubbard Western Museum in Ruidoso was okay, but I was expecting more on the Wild West considering its location in New Mexico. The Booth Western Museum in Cartersville, Georgia is far superior. Almorgordo’s Museum of Space History was a little ragged around the edges, and is in need of an update. Dusty Boot’s Café in Cloudcroft had great reviews in Yelp, the BLT was good enough, but was the overall ambience was overrated. Smokey Bear Historical Park near Capitan is a waste of time.
“Do you have any other memories of the trip you would like to share with us Dave?”
Two factors spring to mind. I was impressed by the sheer size of New Mexico. The desert rolls on for hundreds of miles until they hit mountain ranges. On our way to Cloudcroft the desert scenery gently merged into green forest and orchards. The transformation from grey and spartan scenery to cultivated pastures and pine trees was breathtaking. It’s the fifth largest state in America but sparsely populated. Total population is only half the size of Los Angeles.
The roads that run through the heart of Southern new Mexico are long and straight with very light traffic, and were a welcome relief from the congested highways and byways where I live and work in Atlanta.
“Thanks again Dave for sharing your travel experiences with your loyal readers.”
