Hello Everyone! It has been an amazing week here in New Mexico as I’ve been out hiking, exploring state and national parks, visiting small towns and soaking in some wonderful hot springs. The wind has been blowing tumbleweed across my path and the roadrunners make me smile. I even popped over to Mexico for a couple of beers this week. I’ve been feeling great and riding on a real high since arriving in New Mexico, and I’m hoping to keep cruising happily along for as long as I can. When I started this journey four years ago, I really wanted to take a deep dive into the Deep South and Appalachia and learn more about the history, culture, music and food of those regions. I had a fascinating time doing just that, but I also wanted to get west and visit old cowboy towns and hike through the desert. I didn’t know it was going to take quite so long to get here, but I’m sure glad I have finally made it. It’s so quiet out here and I’ve been so happy to get on the trail and explore a region so different from the places I’ve been for the last few years. I’ve spent some time out here on tour, but very little in New Mexico and mostly just cruising through. It’s been really great to be here and it’s been a fascinating week.
I know the world is struggling right now, and being partly of Ukrainian descent, I’m very aware of and unhappy with what Putin is doing in Eastern Europe. I don’t think there is much I can do about it, though, so I’m going to keep pushing onward and upward. The price of gas has skyrocketed in the last couple of weeks as a result of this invasion. I paid $2.98 a gallon just a couple of weeks ago in East Texas and today it was $4.49. I have travelled enough to know that that is still cheaper than in much of the world before all of this started, but when I have to fill up my tank every couple of days it hits hard. It means I have to plan things out more to avoid backtracking and make other adjustments accordingly, but I'm not going to let it stop me. It is actually an incredibly small price to pay to support the Ukrainian cause and while I wouldn’t say I’m happy to do it, I’m willing to do it. I’m very grateful to have work lined up for this summer though.
When I left you last week, I had just arrived in Las Cruces. After I finished writing this post, I decided to head down to Old Mesilla and have a look around and maybe grab some dinner. Mesilla is a town just south of Las Cruces which was created after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (which ceded New Mexico to the United States) as a town for those who wished to remain in Mexico. The border was later moved south and Mesilla officially became an American town. It’s a really cute little place, centered on an old central plaza with plenty of adobe buildings surrounding it. I loved that they had ristras of red chiles hanging from their light posts which brought a big smile to my face. I wandered around for a while and then took a seat in the plaza to listen to the Ash Wednesday sermon coming from the speakers attached to the central Basilica of San Albino, built in 1906. It was a quiet and pleasant sermon and I enjoyed listening to it in the quiet plaza as the sun was going down. When the sermon was over and the sun had set, I dropped into the Double Eagle for a margarita. The Double Eagle is apparently one of the fancier places in the area, and one that families tend to visit on special occasions. The bar area was absolutely stunning and the bar itself was constructed from the old high school basketball floorboards. They made a good margarita and there was a perfect single seat in the corner made just for me. When I finished my margarita, I made my way just down the block to La Posta de Mesilla, the other legendary venue in Mesilla and a restaurant recommended by more than one friend. I loved the piranhas and parrots in the waiting area and soon got a seat at the back bar. I had a hankering for a prickly pear margarita and was thrilled they could accommodate this request. The couple next to me were retired Border Patrol, and they were really wonderful to talk with. On my other side was a gentleman who grew up in L.A. but had moved to Phoenix many years ago. Both were such easy and gentle conversations, maintaining my first impression of the people of the region. My second drink was a chile margarita which definitely had a little spice and kick to it. The drinks and people were great but sadly the food wasn’t very good at all. It was quite ordinary actually and quite disappointing for such a large and historic spot. I had a great time in Old Mesilla despite my tasteless burrito, and decided to call it a very early night.
I was up and at ‘em early on Thursday, though, and on my way out to the Baylor Pass Trail in Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument. This is a beautiful natural area just north and east of Las Cruces, and I was happy to get out there while the sun was still behind the clouds. The hike up to the pass was steady and moderate, but gained a good bit of elevation over the 3.5 miles to its crest. It took me through prickly pear and yucca and even some sagebrush on my climb. The hike was great and the view from the top was extraordinary. I hung out on the pass for a while and watched the sky clear before making my way back to the parking lot. From there I headed just down the way to the Dripping Springs Natural Area, a really neat little park which contains an old resort from a hundred years ago. A nice and easy 3 mile hike brought me in and out of the canyon, and I really enjoyed poking around the old ruins that were back there. I couldn’t help but imagine what people who were there a hundred years ago would think of the ruins of their grand resort today. I guess everything in this world comes and goes in time. It is definitely a neat little hike and I would recommend checking it out if you are in Las Cruces. The ranger there was also a photographer and I really enjoyed chatting with him. When I got back to my van, I headed back to Las Cruces and decided to try a Green Chile Burger from Blake’s Lotaburger, a ubiquitous New Mexico fast-food joint. I must admit that the burger that I got was enormous and looked a lot like the photo on the wall, something that never happens in a fast food restaurant. It was better than many fast food joints I’ve tried, and I enjoyed my first Green Chile Burger of this trip. From there I stopped into High Desert Brewery for a couple of pints after my long day on the trail. The people there were really friendly and I enjoyed both of the beers I had before calling it another early night.
On Friday, I was up early and headed north to Hatch, the Chile Capital of the World. I got there in time for lunch and decided to try the much lauded Valley Café. The lady who waited on me recommended the green chile enchiladas with onions and an egg on top, and it was truly one of the best meals I’ve had thus far in the state. Full and satisfied, I stopped into the Hatch History Museum for a quick look around. There was hardly any mention of chiles, but there was a nice assortment of bric-a-brac from the town’s history. When I left, I found a great little tourist shop called Hatch Chile Express, where the lady working actually took the time to explain the chiles to me. She told me about the planting of the chiles and how the green ones are harvested in August and September, when they are then stewed, pickled, canned and frozen. The red ones are simply the green ones that have fully ripened and provide a slightly sweeter taste. I bought a few jars of green chiles from her and then hit the road out towards Deming. The ride was interesting as the wind picked up, first as a light breeze and then growing into a full-on gale. There were some impressive solar arrays and windfarms on the way through and I finally got to Deming in the early afternoon. I found a few really beautiful and wonderful art pieces around town, wandered down to the huge county courthouse for a few photos and then made my way out of town and south towards Pancho Villa State Park.
The wind was so powerful on the ride that the sheriffs were sitting with their lights on by the agricultural fields because when the dust came off the fields you could really only see a car length or two ahead of you. Pancho Villa State Park interprets the 1916 raid by Pancho Villa and his men on the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico and the subsequent campaign led by General Pershing to chase him down. It was the last time the U.S. Cavalry actually used horses on a grand scale and I found the whole site very interesting. The park ranger convinced me to take a little trip across the border to Puerto Palomas in Mexico and I enjoyed a margarita at the Pink Store and beer at Bar Lucky 7 around the corner. I wandered around for a little bit, but it was still windy out so I didn’t get too far. It looked like they were setting up for a little carnival which I hope was a lot of fun. I hadn’t been out of the country in a long time and it was nice to slip across the border for a couple of drinks. I headed back to camp as the sun was setting and enjoyed a quiet night in the state park under a million stars.
On Saturday morning there was an event at the park commemorating the Buffalo Soldiers which I watched for a bit before heading up the road. I stopped off for a nice long hike around the City of Rocks State Park, a fascinating outcrop of monoliths formed by volcanic ash 30 million years ago. It was a cool place to wander and I enjoyed both a stroll through the rocks themselves and a longer hike in the surrounding desert. It enjoyed the few hours I was there and headed out about an hour before sunset. I went just down the road to Faywood Hot Springs, a small resort and campground which surrounded several natural hot springs. I grabbed a quick shower and then enjoyed a soak as the sun was going down. Then I headed back to my camp for a bit and had some dinner and then went for another soak under a sky full of stars. It was a great way to end my day.
It was also a great way to begin my Sunday and I went for an early morning soak before hitting the road to Silver City. After a quick grocery stop, I hopped on NM 15 North into the Gila Wilderness. This road is also the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway and it certainly is a beautiful road. It winds its way deep into the wilderness up and over some pretty serious mountains and then finally down into the town of Gila Hot Springs and ends at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. It’s only 44 miles from Silver City, but it takes at least an hour and a half to make the drive. The last downhill part is a bit of a doozy, but I kept in a low gear and took it nice and easy. When I arrived, I stopped into the visitor center and then hit the trail. I wanted to hike Little Bear Canyon on the recommendation of a good friend of mine, a plan which received the full support of the park staff. The trail started as an exposed uphill climb through the desert, with wonderful views out at the Gila Mountains. After about 2 miles, it began to drop into the canyon, which gets narrower and narrower the further in you go. It reminded me a lot of the Narrows in Zion, but without the water to slog through. At the trail’s end, it opens up into the Middle Fork of the Gila River and some absolutely breathtaking scenery. There was a nice little campsite there and I kind of wished I’d brought my tent (although nighttime lows in the teens made me glad I hadn’t). I spent a little while at the river soaking up the sun and scenery and then headed back up the trail. As it was later in the day and I was looking up the canyon, I found the return hike even more beautiful than the hike down. The best thing about my hike was that I didn’t see a single person during the entire four hours I was on the trail. I got back to my van with a little bit of time before the sun went down, and popped up the road to my campground at Gila Hot Springs, a more rustic campground than Faywood had been, and far less busy. I had a great spot by the river for $10, which included unlimited access to the three hot pools. I hopped right into the first one I saw and enjoyed a great conversation with the other people there, including a park ranger and the food and beverage director for an Alaska hotel chain. We talked until dark and then I headed back to my van for some dinner before another late night, star gazing soak. The stars are so bright and the constellations are so clear out there. It was one of the best days I’ve had in a very long time.
I took a soak in the morning, too, before heading back into the park to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings. This small set of cliff dwellings is the only National Park Site which preserves the history of the Mogollon people. They built their villages at a similar time and in a similar fashion as the Ancestral Puebloans to the north, but slight differences in their architecture and in the design of their pottery caused the anthropologists to give them a different name. These dwellings were built in 1276 (determined through tree-ring dating), so it was actually during the great drought which led to the scattering of so many people in the region. It is believed that a year-round, spring fed stream may have been the reason they moved to the area. They only stayed for around 25 years, departing for good sometime around 1300. It was a short climb up to the dwellings, and it was very cool to go inside and have a good look around. The ranger there pointed out some cool pictographs (cave paintings), and showed me some corn cobs which have apparently been there for 800 years. About 80% of the structures are original and they’ve only been worked on to make them stable for visitors and for their own preservation. I found this site quite fascinating and went through the whole thing twice. Then I headed down the road to see one small dwelling up in a canyon and some cool pictographs on several different panels. Before leaving the park I stopped back at the visitors center and had a nice long chat with the ranger there about the differences between the Mogollon and the Ancestral Puebloans and some of the different theories surrounding both groups and their migrations through the region. She was very well informed and I enjoyed our conversation quite a bit.
From there, it was back up the Scenic Byway, over the mountains towards Silver City. I made a short stop in the tiny town of Pinos Altos for a beer at the legendary Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House. What a place this turned out to be! It looks like an old run down saloon from the outside, but the interior is beautifully decorated and the staff was super friendly. Since I was the first customer of the day, the bartender showed me around and took me into the attached opera house which hosts live music events every week (there was a local school practicing for an upcoming play in the opera house, so I could only go in and have a peak). They got a fire going in the bar and people started coming in in droves (on a Monday night). It’s apparently quite a popular place, and it sure seemed to be. I had a beer there and then dropped on into Silver City. My friend, Estilla, and her husband Joby were in town as she is interviewing for a professor’s positon at the local university. I have now seen Estilla and Joby in D.C., New Orleans and Silver City in the last 2.5 months which I think is pretty cool. We had a nice dinner at the Little Toad Creek Brewery and a nice conversation about their potential move to the area. When they took off, I noticed a lady who I had seen out at the cliff dwellings in an Alaska van so I stopped over to say hello. It turned out she was a teacher from a very small town in Alaska which I’ve been to a few times. Her and her boyfriend are raising six children together, so she is taking a little trip over Spring Break to get away for a few days. We had a nice conversation and I was glad I talked with her.
Tuesday I went for a nice long walk around downtown Silver City. It’s an interesting university town with some mining history and a vibrant art scene. I saw some cool buildings and galleries and then had a nice lunch at La Cocina which had the spiciest salsa I’ve had in a long time, and I’m good with spicy food. Then I tucked into the library to try and catch up on some things since I’ve been out and about quite a bit this week. I was there for several hours and left right around sunset as they were closing up for the night. I drove around a bit and then took one more stroll around downtown. I was actually feeling pretty depressed yesterday which was even worse since I’ve been having such a great couple of weeks. I’m grateful to know and understand that this has to do with the chemicals in my brain and to not get too worked up about it. I decided to practice a little self-care in the evening, grab a pizza and watch TV in my van and go to bed nice and early and get a long night’s sleep. Sometimes you just have to take it easy on yourself.
I woke up this morning feeling much better. I scarfed down the rest of my pizza for breakfast and then hit the road nice and early. I picked up NM 152, the Geronimo Scenic Byway, just outside of town which took me up and over the mountains, but much more gradually than over the weekend. The road peaked on Emory Pass at 8,166 feet and then descended to the town of Hillsboro, a cute little town with one paved street and a few dirt roads, a couple of businesses and two churches. I got out and wandered around for a few minutes and then headed down the road to the old gold mining town of Lake Valley. Lake Valley was once a fairly prosperous town until the gold dried up and with it the buildings dried up as well. One stray match on a windy day and the entire business district was nothing but ash in a little under 30 minutes. There were a handful of residents who hung on, the last of whom left in 1994, making it a true ghost town. The Bureau of Land Management now offers interpretive tours of the town, but sadly not on a Wednesday and their gate was closed to entry. Thankfully I could at least see much of the town from the road and even get a few photos of it. I really wish that places like this, on public land, were just open to the public but I know that vandalism etc. is the reason they keep a tight eye on things. From there I made my way on to the neat little town of Truth or Consequences just off of Interstate 25. This town was once called Hot Springs, but when the old game show offered sponsorship to any town which would change its name to match the show’s, they jumped at it. I only had a cursory glance around on my way to the library to finish this post, but it looks like a cool town which I will explore this afternoon.
I’m going to stay here tonight and then hopefully go learn more about Geronimo, El Camino Real, the bird migration through Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument on my way to Albuquerque where I hope to be by the weekend. There are a ton of things I want to see in Albuquerque, so I’ll probably be there for a few days before heading on to Santa Fe. From there, I’m off on a loop through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with a handful of things I want to see in the northeast of the state, but I’m not sure how far I will get before this time next week. I hope you’ll come back next week and see what I’ve been getting into. Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you all back here next week. Take care and have fun out there.
-Mike
Outside of the Buckhorn Saloon in Pinos Altos
The Trail to Brady Pass