Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Silver City, NM: Picked up Floyd and Terry this morning at 10:00 and headed to the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. Was a long drive but really scenic. We stopped at the property they bought in Membres, NM, which is about 30 miles north of Silver City. They have 10 acres and are going to put a house on the property next year. Really pretty area. Had lunch at a really cute restaurant on the way and then continued on. The hike up to the cliff dwellings was not as strenuous as the Cat Walk and it was a really pretty day for a hike. We saw a few forest fires on the way up there. And the gusty winds today didn’t help anything. After hiking around the cliff dwellings we headed back to Silver City and had some drinks at a restaurant in the old historic part of Silver City. Then back to our place and played Hearts until about 9:00. Tomorrow we leave for Tucson. Today is the 65'th anniversary of D-Day.

Emory Pass

Little Cafe in Hillsboro

Former Conoco Station

Lake City Ghost Town

Fri, 6/5/09

Silver City, NM: Did the laundry this morning right here in the RV park, since the laundry is just across from our site. They have a really nice laundry here and the restrooms are fantastic. Each one is a separate room with a toilet, vanity and sink, and huge walk-in shower. Pretty nice. After finishing the laundry we headed over to the Black Range Scenic Byway (Rt. 152). A beautiful drive. At first we were driving through lower mountains covered with buffalo grass and some stunted cedar trees (more like bushes). Then we climbed steadily into a beautiful area heavily forested with pines and cedars. Really beautiful with some amazing rocky buttes and fantastic views. Crossed Emory Pass (8200 ft.) and then steadily down hill. Back into the foothills covered with buffalo grass, cactus, and mesquite and into the cute, historic town of Hillsboro, NM. We stopped at a little café there and had a wonderful lunch. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with cucumbers and Mike had a burger called El Gordo—burger with mushrooms, bacon, peppers, and cheese. This café was a stage stop, a general mercantile, and a drug store. There’s a bunch of historic memorabilia displayed inside. After lunch we walked around this cute little town and checked out some of the shops. They have a very large artist community here and their artwork is for sale in the various shops in town. Very talented people. After browsing we headed back via Rt. 27 and stopped at a ghost town which used to be Lake City. Walked around that for a while. We were wishing we had more time. Had to be careful walking because there were signs around that there were snakes in the area and the nearest medical facility is over 50 miles away. At one time this was a thriving community of 4000 because of the silver mine there. Then the government went to the gold standard and the town started its decline. The wind was really blowing and whistling through the abandoned buildings giving it a really eerie feeling. Left there and drove back to the RV park. Terry and Floyd came over and we played spades for a while.

Floyd on the trail

Terry coming off the suspension bridge

Silver City, NM: This morning we picked Floyd and Terry up and drove up to a place called “The Cat Walk”—about an hour’s drive from Silver City. This is a neat hike through a canyon formed by the San Francisco creek. The trail followed the original pipeline built in the late 1800s which provided power for the copper smelter and drinking water for the town. After our hike we had dinner at the Red Barn in Silver City and then Floyd and Terry came over for jokers and spades. Think I will sleep good tonight. 88 today and partly cloudy.

Will Greenshield and Cisco

Truth or Consequences, NM, to Silver City, NM: We had a short drive today so not in any hurry to get going. A guy from the motor home two sites over from us was out walking his dog and stopped to chat. He’s a decorated Vietnam vet—Green Beret Black Ops. Was awarded 6 purple hearts before he received a head injury from a RPG which put him out of commission for a while. He’s also a full-blooded Lakota Sioux and his wife is Blackfoot and Seminole. He’s an artist and in fact won a scholarship to attend art school. We meet the most interesting people in our travels. Would love to see some of his art work. His name is Will Greenshield. Left on our way to Silver City at a little after 11:00. Took Rt. 25 south—again following the Rio Grande. Left Rt. 25 at Hatch and headed west on Rt. 26. After leaving the Rio Grande, it really got more and more dry. We are really in the desert southwest now. Arrived in Silver City about 2:00 and got set up. This RV park is a really nice one. Large sites with lots of privacy. Wonderful smelling cedar trees all over. We got together with Floyd and Terry who we know from our winters in the Keys. They’re staying here also. After spending some time at their place, we switched to our place and played jokers for a while and then Spades. Fun time. Tomorrow we’re going to explore a little. Silver City sits at about 6,000 feet. 86 today. Nights down into the 50s. Great!.

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.

Roger and Josephine

full-timers since 2005

She makes amazing jewelry among other things and he does wonders with gem stones and makes these amazing bowls out of larriots

The Blue Hole

Cactus in bloom

Santa Rosa, NM: Another beautiful day. Sat outside reading for a while and then we decided to go into Santa Rosa proper and check out the Blue Hole and the part of Rt. 66 that was pre-1937. This part of Rt. 66 is a gravel road in a rugged area and the “billboards” were cement slabs that were attached to boulders. They have graffiti on them now but wow—pretty historic! The Blue Hole is a natural spring that is 81 feet deep and they allow scuba diving and swimming. The temperature is 61 degrees year round. Way too cold. We asked our neighbors, Roger and Josephine Ewing, if they wanted to join us. Their truck is in a service shop in Santa Rosa for repairs, so they’re stuck without wheels. So they came along and we also stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants on Rt. 66. Sat around talking with them for a while and then had left-overs for dinner. Leaving tomorrow morning for Truth or Consequences, NM.