Las Cruces, New Mexico

We headed for Las Cruces, New Mexico on Wed., March 21. We had planned to head north to Alamogordo and then down to Las Cruces, but we noted that we had to go over a pass of over 8600 feet. We did not encounter any mountains on our travels on the east coast or in the south, so it’s been awhile since we’ve had to consult our Mountain Directory West. We gave a call to the closest AAA office and they also advised us to go the southern route.

Route 180 south of Carlsbad was a straight, easy drive through rolling cattle ranches. We passed back into Texas and went over Guadalupe Pass (elevation 5,300 feet) in the Guadalupe Mountains, but it was a slow, easy climb. We continued on our route to El Paso, seeing antelope, javelinas (wild pig ?), and lots of cattle.

We picked up I 10 in El Paso. It surprised us that we could see Mexico just a short distance on the other side of the freeway. This was the community of Juarez, Mexico.

We arrived in Las Cruces and decided to stay at a private RV resort. We must admit that it was very nice. It was a new resort and had lots of amenities that we hadn’t seen before, including phone service available at each site, free morning newspapers, free breakfast, margarita parties, hot tub, etc. We have paid as low as $5 a site, but it usually ranges from $20-$35, but this resort was $43. I guess you pay for all the amenities.

The reason for our stop in Las Cruces was to meet a former colleague of Pris’s, Ed S and Jay. Ed and Pris taught high school biology together for years. We had a wonderful tour of the area and in particular the old town of Mesilla.

Mesilla was founded in the 1850’s and was the largest town in the southern part of New Mexico. It was a major stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail and Stage Line. It is also the place where Billy the Kid was captured and sentenced for the murder of a local sheriff. (He later escaped.) See the picture that shows the courthouse where this occurred.

It’s a walk back in time to see the original buildings, the town square, and the small adobe houses.

We ate dinner at the Double Eagle Restaurant, which is located on the town square. The restaurant is on the national register of historic places and is a former home that had been restored with period antiques. Not only were the surroundings beautiful, but the food was outstanding. We are enjoying the mild (and hot) chilies here.