Blowing Dust Storms

We left Albuquerque on Saturday morning just as the front of a major storm was blowing in. The drive south on the interstate was windy, but not as bad as it would become later in the day or on Sunday.  We made it safely to Las Cruces where we checked into a Drury Inn to wait out the severe weather.  Drury Inns have become our refuge from bad weather, and we have enjoyed these hotels.  The fact that they allow pets without a separate fee adds to their appeal.  We are taking advantage of our spacious king suite, which is a nice little break from the RV.  I’m not sure where we’ll take shelter after we leave New Mexico, however, as there are no Drury Inns on the west coast.  I guess the weather will just have to behave.

Yesterday morning was windy, but not bad, and we ventured out to Mesilla for lunch. Mesilla is a pretty historic town with a good assortment of New Mexican and Mexican restaurants (there is a difference).  As we were eating, we noticed the skies getting dark.  The wind storm had arrived, and with it came blowing dust.  The skies were brown, and it was a bit eerie.  We headed back to the hotel where we decided to stay put.  We don’t have to go anywhere right now.  Besides, Tucson, which is our next destination, is under a winter weather advisory.  Snow, in Tucson?

The blowing dust storm got progressively worse as the afternoon wore on, and the interstate highway was shut down for a time due to reduced visibility and hazardous driving conditions.  Our hotel was full with stranded motorists.  I watched a tall light pole swaying in the wind next to where our RV was parked and hoped for the best.  The weather was even worse in Albuquerque where flights were cancelled or delayed and power was out for many residents.

Please Don't Fall!

I'm Sure Glad We Weren't on the Highway

The weather today was windy and cold, but the patch of blue sky was a welcome sight.  We went back to Mesilla to walk around the town and have lunch.  Mesilla is one of the most-visited historic communities in southern New Mexico and contains a significant collection of adobe buildings around a central plaza.  Mesilla was established as a town around 1850, but it did not officially become a part of the United States until the Gadsden Purchase of 1854 resolved a boundary dispute with Mexico.  Mesilla soon became a major stop on both the Butterfield Stage Line and San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line.  It’s a quaint and charming town, with interesting shops and restaurants.

The Plaza at Mesilla

Around the Plaza

San Albino Church on the Plaza

We had eaten lunch the last two days on the edge of town, but today we found a restaurant on the plaza.  We discovered that Double Eagle has received many accolades, including “Most Romantic” and “Best Fine Dining” in the Las Cruces area.  We would have to agree.  We knew as soon as we walked in the door that this would be a special place.  The restaurant is housed in what was once a private residence, and we sat in the interior courtyard under a skylight.  Although I love good, down-home cooking, and often prefer eating at diners and dives, it’s nice to enjoy a fine-dining experience from time to time.  The funny thing is that we didn’t even know what kind of restaurant Double Eagle was when we selected it.

The menu at Double Eagle is a twist on traditional New Mexican favorites.  Tim and I shared the Green Chili Cheese Wontons with Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa, which was just amazing.  I then ordered the grilled salmon with an orange-chipotle chili sauce.  The salmon was served with a side of pasta with the same wonderful sauce.  Not your typical New Mexican side dish!  We just had to finish with a specialty dessert and chose the Banana Enchiladas, which turned out to be crepes filled with banana slices, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a maple-caramel-butter pecan sauce.  All I can say is “Wow!”  This was one of the best meals of the trip!

Green Chili Cheese Wontons with Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa

Grilled Salmon with an Orange-Chipotle Chili Sauce and a Side of Pasta

Banana Enchiladas

We stopped in a few shops after lunch and sampled an assortment of New Mexican pistachios.  We bought the ones flavored with green chilies, along with pistachio brittle.  We ended our visit to Mesilla with a stop in a hand-made chocolate shop.  You can be assured that we did not leave empty-handed.

New Mexican Pistachios

Our plan is to leave for Tucson tomorrow.  The earlier forecast for overnight snow showers in Las Cruces has been dropped, although freezing temperatures are still likely.  The storm should be history by tomorrow, however, and sunny skies and rising temperatures are predicted from here all the way to Tucson.

An Abbreviated Visit to Albuquerque

Our drive through New Mexico included a jog north to Albuquerque to visit Lou and Ruth, old friends of Tim.  Lou and Tim worked together many years ago, and Lou was Tim’s best man at our wedding.  We were lucky enough to see them last year, and I love spending time with them.

We arrived in Albuquerque last night and stayed at the Enchanted Trails RV Park on the west side of town.  Originally known as the Hill Top Trading Post, the property was a stop on historic Route 66 and has a lot of character.  The trading post now houses the office, and vintage travel trailers are on display and available for rent.

A Former Trading Post on Route 66

What a Cool Travel Trailer and Car!

Lou took us to Barelas Coffee House where we had a fabulous breakfast.  Barelas is one of Lou’s favorite places, and it serves traditional New Mexican fare where chilies are the defining ingredient.  I had the carne adovada with eggs smothered with green (not red) chili, which was divine.  Tim has made me a fan of New Mexican chilies, both red and green, although I usually prefer green.

Carne Adovada

Tim and I had planned to spend the weekend in Albuquerque, but a severe weather forecast once again foiled our plans.  A strong storm was predicted to bring plunging temperatures and high winds, gusting to fifty miles an hour, to much of New Mexico.  A high wind warning had been issued starting tomorrow, and we figured that it would be wise to head south before the strongest winds arrived.  We were concerned not only with the wind itself, but with the blowing dust that could drastically reduce visibility.  So, we decided that we would leave Albuquerque in the morning before the worst of the wind began and drive to Las Cruces, where the forecast was not as bad.

Although our visit was shorter than planned, we enjoyed our day with Lou and Ruth and caught up with the goings-on of the past year.  Tim and I also took a little time to drive around Albuquerque, where he showed me a few of his favorite places that we had missed on our visit last year.  My favorite place was the Fruit Basket, a local market that is a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach.  I’ve never seen so many types of chilies.  Albuquerque is an interesting city, and I’m looking forward to coming back.

Displays at the Fruit Basket

Bins of Hot Red Chili Pods
  



Bags of Red Chili Powder

Fruit and Chili Ristras



On the Trail of Outlaws, and a Bear

Our stay in Texas drew to a close yesterday in the small town of Pecos.  Tim had wanted to visit the town because he worked at Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos, New Mexico, prior to his current stint at Rocky Mountain National Park.  He thought it would be fun to see the “other” Pecos.

Tim in Pecos, Texas

Pecos, Texas, developed a reputation for violence in the 1890s after several gunfights occurred here.  Judge Roy Bean traveled to Pecos every few months to hold court.  Although Pecos also claims to be the home of the world’s first rodeo in 1893, and is known for its sweet cantaloupes, we found its western history more intriguing.

A stop at the West of the Pecos Museum therefore seemed in order, and we saw the saloon where one of the gunfights took place, as well as the grave of Clay Allison, a notorious gunfighter who “never killed a man that didn’t need killing.”  The museum is chock full of all types of memorabilia, and we wandered from room to room trying to take it all in.  

West of the Pecos Museum

They're Friendly Here

Displays of Cowboy Hats and Barbed Wire

We wrapped up our stay in Pecos and headed north to New Mexico.  I can’t believe that I was in Texas for almost three weeks and never once had the opportunity to eat barbeque or chili.  How could that happen?  Isn’t that a crime?  Oh well.  We did have several great Tex-Mex meals, but that’s just not the same.  We now have one more reason to return to Texas.

We arrived in New Mexico on the trail of Billy the Kid.  Yes, it was to be a day for outlaws. Although Tim had lived in New Mexico for many years, he had never visited the mountains and valleys west of Roswell.  It’s a beautiful part of New Mexico, with peaceful valleys and snow-capped mountain peaks.  Small towns like Lincoln and Capitan have preserved much of their heritage.

Beautiful Valleys with Mountains in the Distance

The town of Lincoln is located along the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway.  The town became nationally-known during the bloody Lincoln County War of the late 1870s, and Billy the Kid was one of the central participants.  Many of the buildings in the town are now a part of the Lincoln State Monument.  It has often been said that Lincoln is one of the most authentic and best-preserved old west towns in the United States.  After walking though the town today and visiting the museums in the historic buildings, I would have to agree. Lincoln is still a real town, and has only a few simple commercial establishments to cater to tourists.  It’s the antithesis of Tombstone, which I consider to be the ultimate “tourist trap.”  Lincoln is charming and a very low-key place, and I really enjoyed our visit.

The Courthouse in Lincoln Where Billy the Kid Killed Two Guards
and Escaped in 1881

Montano Store Is Now a Museum

San Juan Mission

Interior of the San Juan Mission

The Torreon on the Right

We followed our visit to Lincoln with a stop at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan. It was nearby in the Capitan Mountains that an orphaned bear cub was rescued during a forest fire in 1950.  This little bear went on to become the most famous bear of all times, and the living symbol of fire prevention efforts.  The park has a small museum with photographs and memorabilia about Smokey.  Smokey lived at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, until his death in 1976, but is buried here in the park.  It was so nostalgic to view all of the exhibits about Smokey.  To commemorate our visit, Tim and I simply had to purchase a little “Smokey Bear.”  He’s the same size as Ranger Lowell, our National Park ranger bear, and both are now sitting on our dashboard.  They have garnered quite a bit of attention.

Smokey Bear Was Found in Capitan Gap in the Background as a Badly Burned Bear Cub
(I Can't Believe that Someone Would Shoot Smokey!)

Smokey's Message Is Still Being Told

Smokey's Gravesite

Smokey Bear and Ranger Lowell