Clumps of these pretty flowers were all along the road

blossoms were about 3-4" wide

Mike with Elephant Butte Lake in the background

Geronimo Springs Museum

Tue, 6/2/09:

Truth or Consequences, NM: After sitting outside enjoying a beautiful morning, we decided to go explore a little. We drove over to Elephant Butte Lake and checked out the state park there also. The lake was formed when the Rio Grande was dammed in 1912. It provides some great recreation opportunities for people in the area. Then we drove through a pretty rural area over to Engle where the road dead ends. We drove across desert sage “flats” with mountains all around in the distance. We saw a couple of road runners. This road also follows the old El Camino Real and from the air you can actually see the old road. They had “camps” about every 10 miles along this road. One of them was Jornada del Muerto—journey of the dead. Doesn’t sound good. At the end of the road was the little town of Engle—which was comprised of only about 7 buildings. If you kept going over the mountains, you’d run into the White Sands Missile Range—which of course if off limits. We found out later that Jane Fonda and Ted Turner own all the land surrounding Engle. They raise bison. We only saw a few. Of course they’re divorced now so I guess Ted owns the land. After driving back to town and having lunch we checked out the Geronimo Springs Museum. The town used to be known for its hot springs and, in fact, was called Hot Springs, NM. Then they changed the name to Truth or Consequences after the radio and television show of the same name. Ralph Edwards is a big name in this town. After stopping at Wal Mart for a few groceries, we went back to the campground and sat outside reading and enjoying this beautiful afternoon. Sandwiches for dinner. Still stuffed from lunch. Tomorrow we leave for Silver City, NM.

View of the mountains from our campsite

Truth or Consequences, NM

Diner on Rt. 66 in Albuquerque

Santa Rosa, NM to Truth or Consequences, NM: This morning dawned clear and sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. We got set up, bid adieu to Roger and Josephine, and were on the way by 9:15. I started driving and thought we’d change shortly after Albuquerque, but we didn’t find a place to stop until about 12:30. Going through Albuquerque wasn’t bad at all. I really like the city. Route 66 goes right through the city and there are a plethora of historic motor courts, restaurants, and diners in well preserved condition. We dropped south on Route 25 out of Albuquerque which follows the Rio Grande and the route of the old Camino Real which was built by the Spanish and went from Mexico City, Mexico, to Santa Fe, NM (1598 to 1882). Translated, it means “the royal road”. The Rio Grande river meanders between two mountain ranges in a high desert area. Very pretty. After stopping at a Phillips 66 travel center and fueling and eating, we continued on our way with Mike driving. They even have a campground at this travel center. It’s not too bad for just an overnight. I was starving by the time we stopped. I had steak and eggs and Mike had a roast beef/pepper sandwich. And, the “check engine” light didn’t come on at all today. Life is good. There’s a really pretty lake just outside of town and an interesting looking Indian museum we’re going to check out tomorrow. 85 today. Oh, and we saw a coyote crossing Rt. 25.