travelnewmex.com New Mexico Vacation Directory by Matt Gantner

VACATION DIRECTORY

SUMMER | WINTER 2014

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While in Northern and Central New Mexico enjoy the same banking convenience as if you were in your hometown. Enjoy surcharge-free ATM access at over 30,000 ATMs, nationwide via our partnership with the CO-OP Network. Plus, bank-on-the-go at over 5,000 credit unions as if you were at your home branch thanks to our CO-OP Shared Branching membership.

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contents north central/ northeast

NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO CARLSBAD

central southwest

CENTRAL NEW MEXICO SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO

southeast

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northwest

6 8 10 13 14 17 18 27 28 30 32 36 38 39

ROSWELL HEART OF THE DESERT CLOUDCROFT THE NM MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY ABQ CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO EL RANCHO DE LAS GOLONDRINAS PARADE OF HOMES SANTA FE NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

HISTORIC SAN MIGUEL MISSION SOCORRO CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARIES BEST-KEPT SECRET NEW MEXICO TECH

publishers letter

logo coming MOON DOG PUBLISHING LLC PUBLISHERS MATT GANTNER WILLIAM HALSEY

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES SCOTT SIMMONS CARLEEN DURAN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ASHLEY CONNER

WRITER KATE MCGRAW

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.TRAVELNEWMEX.COM

1424 Montiano Loop SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124 (505) 259-7969 www.travelnewmex.com

The New Mexico Vacation Directory is published once a year in May by Moon Dog Publishing, Albuquerque, N.M. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented in this guide. The Publisher does not take responsibility for the accuracy or legitimacy of the advertiser’s message or that of the guest writer/columnists or any aspect of the business operation or conduct of the advertisers in the paper. For information and advertising rates, call (505) 350-8695 or (505) 259-7969.

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v isi t

SANTA FE

New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors Poetics of Light: Pinhole Photography on the Plaza • 505.476.5100 • nmhistorymuseum.org

Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning on Museum Hill • 505.476.1250 • indianartsandculture.org

New Mexico Museum 0f Art Local Color: Judy Chicago in New Mexico 1984-2014 on the Plaza • 505.476.5072 • nmartmuseum.org

Museum of International Folk Art Wooden Menagerie: Made in New Mexico on Museum Hill • 505.476.1200 • internationalfolkart.org

museumofnewmexico.org www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER • WINTER 2014

albuquerque

Central New Mexico: Albuquerque is at the Center of it All Albuquerque is sometimes referred to as the “Imperial City.” Although it’s not the state capital, Albuquerque is by far New Mexico’s largest metropolitan area, home to more than half the state’s population, and garners the biggest pile of state tax revenues. It would be hard to overstate the attractions of Albuquerque, more commonly known as the “Duke City” because it was named for the Spanish Duke of Alburquerque. (Hopeful early settlers misspelled his name, leaving out the first “r”, which may explain why the Duke never offered much patronage to his namesake settlement.) It began in the 18th century as a farming community on the banks of the Rio Grande, but exploded in size and importance with the arrival of the railroad in 1881 and the Air Force during World War II. Today Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico with its famous Pit basketball arena; Sandia National Laboratory; Kirtland Air Force Base; the sweetest Triple-A ballpark where the Isotopes, a Dodgers farm club, play; and the Sunport, New Mexico’s main airport. It has a 170-acre city biopark, which includes an aquarium, botanical garden and a very impressive zoo. The Albuquerque Museum and the nearby State Natural History Museum offer fascinating exhibits. Old Town Albuquerque contains whole streets-full of adobe shops and restaurants around its historic plaza. The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, an enormous hot-air extravaganza the first two weekends in October, has gained worldwide recognition as the number-one ballooning event. The annual Gathering of Nations Indian Pow Wow in April is the world’s largest. The National Hispanic Cultural Center and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, both in Albuquerque, offer continuing exhibits and demonstrations of their peoples’ cultural values. The yearly State Fair

• Hydrotherapy: *Benefits Arthritis, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia & Stress. • Economical: Used every day for less than $10/month • Convenient: Plugs into any 110v outlet • Comfortable: Soft and Plush Open Seating. Solid Construction. (NOT INFLATABLE) • Simple: Setup on a semi-level surface (grass, gravel, brick, etc.) • Stylish: 21 different color combinations with 3 different sizes to choose from!

is in September at the state fairgrounds, now dubbed New Mexico Expo, a venue that hosts other events and also houses the Albuquerque Downs, a racetrack and casino that operates all year. Bedroom communities surround Albuquerque, from Belen and Los Lunas to the south, Moriarty to the east, Bernalillo and Placitas to the north, and Corrales, an artsy community immediately northwest of the city that holds businesses such as Corrales Boutique. Then there’s Rio Rancho, at one time the fastest-growing community in the U.S., which sits on a northwest mesa and is the home of Intel Corp. and other high-tech industries. The real estate market is active in Albuquerque, with builders like Tiara Homes feeding the demand for new houses. Family activities can be found at Wildlife East in the east mountains, Hinkle Family Fun and Camping World. Another small business exhibiting Albuquerque’s can-do DIY entrepreneurship is Add It Up Screen Printing. A city-run area on the Rio Grande called Tingely Beach offers recreational fishing and picnicking opportunities. The city is ringed with Indian pueblos, most with casinos, luxury resorts and gift shops, like the Bien Mur jewelry outlet at Sandia Pueblo’s casino/resort. Santa Ana Pueblo operates the Santa Ana Star Casino at Bernalillo; Laguna and Acoma Pueblos have the Sky City Casino off I-40 west of the city; and Isleta Pueblo’s resort is just southeast of the city center off I-25. Further north, on and off I-25 as you drive toward Santa Fe, are San Felipe (with a casino), Santo Domingo (also called Kewa Pueblo), and Cochiti Pueblo, near a manmade dam and lake with recreation activities. All things considered, if you’re looking for the New Mexico experience, you can find it in and around Albuquerque.

2432 SAN MATEO PL, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 505-232-6726 Visit Our Showroom www.softubnm.com

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*please consult your physician for proper treatment of specific health issues.

“High Wolf (Vision Quest)”

30" x 24"

Acrylic

JOHN NIETO Also Representing Painters:

Angus, John Axton, Frank Balaam, Paul-Henri Bourguignon, Debra Corbett, Jennifer Davenport, Doug Dawson, Albert Handell, Tamar Kander, Barry McCuan, Tom Noble, Tricia Cherrington-Ratliff, Jean Richardson, Robert T. Ritter, Mary Silverwood, Gregory Smith, Lynne Windsor Also Representing Sculptors and Jewelers:

Jim Agius, Malcolm Alexander, Jimmy Cook, Mark Davis, Darlis Lamb, Michael Masse, Joyce Robins, Carol Savid, Obie Simonis, Rebecca Tobey

VENTANA FINE ART 400 Canyon Road

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Santa Fe, NM 87501

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505-983-8815

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800-746-8815

•

www.ventanafineart.com

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Northwest New Mexico: Indian Country Full of History Northwest New Mexico is a fascinating quadrant of the state, full of paradoxical juxtapositions. It is known as the Four Corners area (see p. 40-41) where the corners of four states are neatly contiguous. It also is the heart of Indian country in New Mexico, checkerboarded with Navajo, Apache and Pueblo lands. It is the home of Gallup, the county seat of McKinley County and recently named the “most patriotic small town” in America by Rand McNally Corp. Gallup is where you’ll find the 34th-annual Red Rock Balloon Rally (Dec. 5-7, 2014), and the 93rd-annual Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial (Aug. 6-10). Near Gallup is Zuni Pueblo, an enterprising place with the only Native American Main Street business district program in the country. Gallup and Zuni are the center of Indian trading in the state. The northwest quadrant is also home of Farmington, a bustling oil-and-gas town and locale of San Juan College. The county

seat of San Juan County is nearby Aztec, site of the Aztec Ruins; nearby are the Salmon ruins and Bloomfield, one of the prettiest small towns in New Mexico. East of Bloomfield you’ll find the Bisti Badlands, an eerie place of strange rock and mineral formations. There’s a lot to see in the Northwest. Chaco Canyon National Historic Park is a World Heritage Site that has a nine-mile loop featuring five different Chacoan Indian ruins. Canyon de Chelly National Monument has ancient ruins of cliff dwellings. El Morro and Inscription Rock contain more than 2,000 historic petroglyphs and inscriptions carved by Spanish explorers. Another National Historic Site is the venerable Hubbell Trading Post that still sells new and old Indian arts and crafts and conducts two heavily attended auctions each year (nps.gov.hutr). Just across the Arizona border is Window Rock, the ceremonial center of the earth for the Navajo people and the capital of the Navajo Nation.

Southeast New Mexico: “Little Texas” New Mexico’s southeast quadrant is known as “Little Texas” - and not just because it’s geographically close to the Lone Star State. Demographics, social attitudes, and even topography reflect the relationship. Most of Southeast New Mexico started its territorial days and even statehood as ranching country, where cattle and railroads were the best currency. Since the late 1920s, Southeast New Mexico has been the Oil Patch, one of two in the state (the other is in the northwest quadrant). It’s where the “awl bidness” began in New Mexico, thanks to the hydrocarbon-rich deposits of the Permian Basin that sprawls across the border shared with that eastern neighbor. You’ll see plenty of drilling rigs and working pump jacks as you travel the highways of this corner of the state. The terrain in this quadrant ranges from the flat expanses of the staked plains on the Texas border to the Sacramento Mountains where mountain villages like the fabled Cloudcroft (see p. 14) are nestled. Hobbs is home to the Western Heritage Museum, where you can learn that the ranches and cowboys still exist, and

to a racetrack-casino where the cowboys spend their money. Carlsbad, an hour to the west, has the world-famous caverns and a beautiful river. North of Hobbs you land in Portales, county seat of Roosevelt County (named for Teddy) and the home of Eastern New Mexico University. Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, home of an important air base, and a border town with Texas. You can check out Roswell, the county seat of Chaves County. Or turn west at Artesia and travel through the mountains—stopping for a quick lunch at Cloudcroft—and on down the other side of the mountains to the Tularosa Basin, which holds Otero County seat Alamogordo and its nearby Holloman Air Force Base. East of Carrizozo are the older reaches of Lincoln County: Capitan, the “birthplace” (and grave) of the original Smokey Bear, and Lincoln, the tiny village where Billy the Kid notoriously shot his way out of jail. (He died in an ambush near Fort Sumner, in Torrance County, and is buried there.) To the south is another Texan-created mountain village, Ruidoso.

Carlsbad: A Wonderland for Vacationers Carlsbad, a warm and lively city in southeast New Mexico, is a wonderland for vacationers. There are, as the restive kids would say, things to do in and around Carlsbad. First, of course, there are the world-famous Carlsbad Caverns, the colorful, fantastic underground chambers that have been delighting tourists and locals for more than 80 years. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, created in 1930, is open every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Visitors can hike in via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. The park is surrounded by White City, named for Jim White, the discoverer and explorer of the caverns. It was White who gave the most famous chambers their names— he dubbed them the Big Room, New Mexico Room, King’s Palace, Queen’s Chamber, Papoose Room and Green Lake Room. He also named many of the cave’s more breathtaking formations: the Totem Pole, Witch’s Finger, Giant Dome, Bottomless Pit, Fairyland, Iceberg Rock, Temple of the Sun, and Rock of Ages. 8

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Star parties, with telescope access and programs about the night sky, are hosted by the park, often in conjunction with special astronomical events, such as a transit of Venus. And there are the bats—17 species of which swarm out of and back into the bat cave daily. A program is given in the early evening at the amphitheater near the main entrance prior to the start of the flight, which varies with the sunset time. These programs are an excellent chance to learn about these useful little critters. Flight programs run from Memorial Day weekend through the middle of October. Once a year, a predawn bat-flight breakfast is held where visitors can eat breakfast at the park prior to the morning return of bats. If regional flora and fauna delight you, schedule a visit to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park, a native wildlife zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that exhibits more than 40 species of animals and hundreds of species of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert. While on the 1.3-mile, (continued on Page 10)

roswell

LODGING

Belmont Motel 2100 W. Second St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-623-4522 Best Western El Rancho Palacio 2205 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-2721 Best Western Sally Port Plus 2000 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-6430 Budget Inn North 2101 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-6050 Budget Inn West 2200 W. Second Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-3811 Burnt Well Guest Ranch 399 Chesser Road Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-347-2668 Candlewood Suites 4 Military Heights Drive Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-4300 Comfort Inn 3595 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-4567 Comfort Suites of Roswell 3610 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-5501 Country Club Bed & Breakfast 400 E. Country Club Road Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-624-1794 Cozy Cowboy Cottage Rentals P.O. Box 727 Roswell, NM 88202 ........................................ 575-624-3258 Crane Motel 1212 W. Second St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-623-1293 Days Inn 1310 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-4021 Fairfield Inn & Suites 1201 North Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-624-1300

Holiday Inn Express 2300 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-627-9900 La Quinta Inn & Suites 200 E. 19th St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-8000 Leisure Inn 2700 W. Second St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-622-2575 Mayo Lodge 1716 W. Second St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-622-0210 Motel 6 of Roswell 3307 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-625-6666 National 9 Inn 2001 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-0110 Rodeway Inn Roswell 2803 W 2nd St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-9440 Super 8 Motel 3575 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-8886 Western Inn 2331 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-9425

roswell

LODGING

Best Western Stevens Inn 1829 S. Canal Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-2851 CARC, Inc 902 West Cherry Lane Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-1570 Econolodge 3706 National Parks Highway Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-2861 Executive Suites & Hotel-Carlsbad 601 S Canal Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-885-8500 Fairfield Inn and Suites 2525 S. Canal St. Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-8000 Motel 6 3824 National Parks Highway Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-885-0011

Trinity Hotel 1892 201 South Canal Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-234-9891

carlsbad

RV AND CAMPING

Carlsbad KOA # 2 Manthei Road on US 285 Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-457-2000 Carlsbad RV Park & Campground 4301 National Parks Highway Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-885-6333 El Dorado Estates RV & Mobile Home Park 3022 National Parks Highway Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-3111 Pecos River RV Park/Store 320 E. Greene Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-9835

carlsbad

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park. Carlsbad, NM ....................................... 575-887-5516

Stagecoach Inn 1819 S. Canal Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-1148

Oasis State Park Carlsbad, NM ....................................... 575-356-5331

Super 8 3817 National Parks Hwy Carlsbad, NM 88220 ....................................... 575-887-8888

Alta Vista Chalet Motel A beautiful 8 room Hotel with a B & B feel. ....................................... 575-682-2221

cloudcroft

LODGING

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RV AND CAMPING

Bottomless Lakes RV 545 Bottomless Lakes Road Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-624-6058 Golden Rule Mobile Home and RV Park 1337 McCall Loop Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-624-2436 Red Barn RV Park 2806 E. Second St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-623-4897 Spring River Estates & RV Park 1000 E. College Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-8034 Town and Country RV Park 333 W. Brasher Road Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-624-1833

Frontier Motel 3010 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-622-1400

Trailer Village RV Park 1706 E. 2nd St. Roswell, NM 88203 ........................................ 575-623-6040

Hampton Inn & Suites 3607 N. Main Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-623-5151

roswell

Holiday Inn & Oasis Bar and Grill 3620 N. Main St. Roswell, NM 88201 ........................................ 575-637-3216

carlsbad

roswell • carlsbad • artesia

GOLF

EXPLORE & ENJOY ARTESIA: FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF LODGING OPTIONS, EVENTS & AREA ATTRACTIONS - PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE, THE VISITOR CENTER OR GIVE US A CALL!

1-800-658-6251

ArtesiaChamber.com

Lake Carlsbad Golf Course ....................................... 575-885-5444 Spring River Golf Course 18 holes, 6623 yards from the tips; 71 par course...1612 West 8th Street ........................................ 575-622-9506 www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER • WINTER 2014

carlsbad • cloudcroft • artesia Cloudcroft Hotel and Gift Shop ....................................... 575-682-3414 The Lodge Resort & Spa, a small blue motel with a red roof, 9,000 feet above stress level in the scenic and cool Sacramento Mountains. ........................................... 575-682-25

cloudcroft

RV AND CAMPING

Cool Pines RV Park ....................................... 575-687-3200 Gillespie Ranch RV Park/Cabin with Horse Pens ....................................... 575-687-3732 Lazy Day Cabins and RV Hideaway “Best Views on the Mountain” For more information call: ....................................... 575-687-3693 Scenic Canyon RV Park ........................877-687-2306 (toll free).

Silver Springs RV Campground and Trout Pond ....................................... 575-682-1148

cloudcroft

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

artesia

GOLF

Artesia Country Club ....................................... 575-746-6732

artesia

LODGING

Heritage Inn Bed & Breakfast 209 West Main............... 575-748-2552 Hotel Artesia 203 N 2nd...................... 888-746-2066

Golf Cloudcroft The Lodge Resort and Spa Golf Course 18 Holes of Scottish traditional golf in the beautiful Sacramento Mountains ....................................... 575-682-2566

Adobe Rose Bed & Breakfast 1614 N. 13th Street....... 575-748-3082 Toll Free...........................888.909.7673

Elephant Butte Lake State Park ....................................... 575-744-5923

Artesia Inn 1820 S. 1st Street........... 575-746-9801 Toll Free.......................... 800-682-4598

Artesia RV Park & Storage 201 W. Hermosa............. 575-746-6184 On site owner and manager

Best Western Pecos Inn 2209 W. Main................. 575-748-3324 Toll Free.......................... 800-676-7481

Flipkey Vacation Rentals Hundreds of locations in New Mexico ....................................... 857-366-6061 Toll Free.......................... 877-354-7539

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park ....................................... 575-437-8284 New Mexico Timeshare Enjoy the real pleasure of Mother Nature by camping out! for information and maps. ....................................... 575-682-2551

Budget Inn 922 S. 1st Street............. 575-748-3377 Burnt Well Guest Ranch 399 Chesser Rd Roswell, NM 88203 (45 miles from Artesia)... 575-347-2668 Toll Free.......................... 866-729-0974

Legacy Inn 2210 W. Main ....................................... 575-748-3904

artesia

RV AND CAMPING

Explore and enjoy Artesia! For a complete list of lodging options, events and area attractions please visit our website, the Visitor Center or call. ....................................... 800-658-6251 ArtesiaChamber.com

Roswell: Known for Aliens But Offers So Much More To many people around the world, Roswell is the place where allegedly a flying machine from elsewhere in the universe crashed in 1947, and dead aliens were found—and then, to the true believers, the whole event was hushed up and called a weather balloon crash landing. Certainly the notoriety has been beneficial to Roswell, an otherwise unassuming farm, manufacturing, ranch and oil community on the staked plains of southeastern New Mexico. But there is so much more to this town. It’s the county seat of Chaves County. Roswell was the city that hosted the recordbreaking skydive by Felix Baumgartner on Oct. 14, 2012. It’s flanked by Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge a few miles to the northwest along the Pecos River and a place to see many gorgeous IFOs—Identified Flying Objects—in the form of ducks and other waterfowl from throughout the West. Twelve miles east on US 380 are the Bottomless Lakes, a state park that is a joyful spot for campers, hikers, swimmers, boaters and, unexpectedly in the high plains, scuba divers. Families will love the Spring River Park and Zoo, New Mexico’s only free

admission zoo, which features a special fishing lake for children, exotic animals and an antique carousel. Roswell also is an art center for this side of New Mexico. It’s where the artist Peter Hurd grew up; later, he lived to the west in the Hondo Valley with his wife Henriette Wyeth Hurd. Their work is featured at the Roswell Museum and Art Center, increasingly known in the art world for support of emerging artists through a residency program. History buffs will like the Historical Center of Southeast New Mexico, a grand old house filled with area antiques, artifacts and a changing gallery of historical exhibits. Speaking of history, famed rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard conducted many of his rocket experiments at Roswell. Roswell has a year-round slate of special events, including a grand Electrical Lights Christmas Parade that starts in the neighboring town Carlsbad and winds up the highway into Roswell on Thanksgiving weekend. There’s the Labor Day Pops concert and the Dragonfly Festival at Bitter Lake Refuge. The annual Mike Satterfield Memorial Fireworks Extravaganza on the Fourth of July is what you’d expect in a town that has the only fireworks factory in the state.

Carlsbad: A Wonderland for Vacationers (continued from Page 8)

self-guided tour, you can explore Birds to Bison, a walk-through aviary; Never Cry Wolf, the habitat for endangered Mexican gray wolves; and the greenhouse where hundreds of succulents and cacti thrive. Go early—on the hottest afternoons, the animals tend to seek cool spots that make them harder to see. Carlsbad, named for the Czech spa, is a river town. The Pecos

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runs through and in fact is the only river that “crosses itself,” thanks to the flume created by water managers a century ago. Riverside villas are prized and decorated beautifully during the winter holidays for the river cruising extravaganza called “Christmas on the Pecos.” It’s a homegrown event that brings out all the hospitable wit and charm of Carlsbad.

Roswell Events

Roswell Museum and Art Center

Fiesta Del Rio Party on the River Thunder on the River Motorcycle Show, Valley Vintage Motor Car Club Show, the Fiesta Tug, live entertainment and much more. • May 3rd-4th

Hike It & Spike Flag Football Tournament World’s largest annual 4-on-4 charity flag football tournament. Fun for all ages! Memorial Day Weekend. • May 23rd-25th

Fiddle and Griddle Festival Unique festival including the Country’s best fiddle players entertaining and competing. Plus, a BBQ Contest with BBQ chefs competing and sharing their secrets and techniques for your sensational summer backyard BBQ’ing. • June 6th-7th

Filmfest and Cosmicon

You can discover works of art and be surrounded by summer fun.

The only filmmaking festival dedicated to bring independent Sci-Fi/Fantasy filmmakers visions from “script to screen” in one week. Also includes comic convention, costume parties and celebrity guests. • Filmfest: June 28-30th • Cosmicon: July 4th-5th

UFO Festival An out of this world event. Featuring guest speakers, live entertainment, a costume contest, parade and more. • July 5th-6th

Roswell is www.SeeRoswell.com www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER • WINTER 2014

Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad, New Mexico

Carlsbad Events Salt Basin Dunes Come experience the new entrance to the second largest gypsum dune fields in the nation .

Peak Fitness Challenge Record your hike and mileage in Guadalupe Mountain National Park and qualify for prizes for meeting certain milestones.

Night Sky Watching Come to Carlsbad Caverns National Park for a night of stargazing and fun at dusk on June 21st, July 19th, Aug. 23rd, Sept. 20th and Oct. 18th.

56th Annual Bat Flight Breakfast

Here conditions are right for adventure

Come to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park early on July 19th for breakfast and watch the bats return to the cave!

National Park Service Birthday On Aug. 25th general entry fee is waived at all National Park properties to celebrate our Birthday!

National Public Lands Day On Sept. 27th general entry is free at Carlsbad Caverns, this applies to the Natural Entrance and Big Room.

Carlsbad is www.AdventureCarlsbadNM.com 12

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Heart of the Desert Produces Pistachios and Wine George and Marianne Schweers wanted to return to their agriculture roots after a career in the Air Force that finished at Holloman AFB near Alamogordo. A perfect opportunity presented itself when 400 seedling pistachio trees (the first planted in New Mexico) came up for sale. Neighbors thought the Schweers were nuts! Pistachios are fun to pop open and a heart-healthy snack, sure, but in New Mexico? Pistachios are from Iran, aren’t they - or Turkey, or maybe California? The Schweers were just ahead of the trend, that’s all. They’d done their homework and knew that Pistachia Vera is a desert plant, a member of the cashew family and highly tolerant of saline soil. It thrives when irrigated with water having 3,000 to 4,000 ppm of soluble salts. Sounds like Otero County, all right. Forty years later, Eagle Ranch is New Mexico’s oldest and largest (more than 12,000 trees) producing pistachio grove, and the only farm in the state that totally processes its own pistachios. The farm is a fully integrated agribusiness: growing, processing, packaging and selling products on the premises. All of the pistachio products from Eagle Ranch are sold under their familiar Heart of the Desert trade name. The Schweers’ son, Gordon, developed the original chile-flavored pistachios.

The farm now boasts nine different flavors of pistachios, all packaged with the popular Heart of the Desert logo adorning the bags. The family added Heart of the Desert wine to their product line in 2002. Their vineyard has more than 24,000 grapevines, with seven different varieties of grapes harvested each year. Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Riesling, Malvasia Bianca and Gewürztraminer make the production of a wide range of wines possible. Heart of the Desert Pistachios & Wines ships farm-fresh products worldwide, selling them by mail order and online. Plus, there are three store locations: the primary store right on the farm on U.S. 54/70, north of Alamogordo; a store on the plaza in Old Mesilla, west of Las Cruces; and the gift shop at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. Tours of the farm are fun and wine tasting is delightful at all three locations.

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The Burro Street Exchange in Cloudcroft A unique “must-stop” shopping experience with a mix of retail shops, eateries, professional offices and a local radio station reflecting the “Old West” ambiance of the Village of Cloudcroft. http://www.facebook. com/BurroStreetExchange BURRO STREET BAKERY Indulge your sweet tooth with fresh baked pies, pastries, specialty coffees and MUCH more! Located in The Burro Street Exchange, 505 Burro Avenue, Suite 106, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, 575-682-2777, http://Facebook.com/ BurroStreetBakery MOUNTAIN MONSTER- GIFTS & DECOR, APPAREL & MORE! Your friends won’t believe you when you tell them what you saw! Located in the Burro Street Exchange. Call 575-682-5457 or visit www. mountainmonster.net CLOUDCROFT TRADING POST We have beads, rocks, fossils, vintage signs, crosses, Cloudcroft magnets, salt lamp, shirts & caps, as well as Native American Jewelry. Located in The Burro Street Exchange. Call

575-682-8280, http://www.etsy.com/ shop/CloudcroftTrading CRICKLEWOOD CANDLE COMPANY natural handmade soaps, candles, lotions and MUCH more! Located in Located in The Burro Street Exchange, 505 Burro Ave., Suite 104, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, 575-682-5219, http://www. cricklewoodcandleco.com REDWALL JEWELRY A must-see shop specializing in unique handcrafted pieces featuring real Australian Opal, gemstones, and Murano glass set in sterling silver and gold. 505 Burro Avenue, Studio 107 Cloudcroft, NM 575.682.4414 www.redwalljewelry.com CLOUD1610 AM “High Mountain Community Radio”email:cloud1610am@gmail. com 575-446-1209 or 682-5478 Serving Cloudcroft, NM and local area with news, events and streaming live on : www.cloud1610am.com. Enjoy our unique blend of Western, Country Gospel, Traditional Country and Bluegrass music.

BLUE WATER REAL ESTATE Judy Jones, Qualifying Broker. We will help you fullfill your Dreams for a home or Cabin. Come to Cloudcroft where your stress falls away as you drive up the mountain. If you are looking for a 2nd home or to live here year round, we can help. Call 575 682 3566 or visit www.bluewaterrealestatenm.com THE BIRD HOUSE Love Birds? Our store is for you! We carry a wide selection of bird feeders, houses & bird seed along with garden decor and great gift ideas. Cloudcroft, NM Call 575-682-6902 or email: thebirdhousecloudcroft@yahoo.com NOISY WATER WINERY AwardWinning New Mexico wines, handmade artisan-crafted cheeses, a gourmet olive oil and vinegar tasting bar and much more! Located in The Burro Street Exchange. 575-682-6610 www.NoisyWaterWinery.com CLOUDCROFT CONNECTION ANTIQUES EMPORIUM Discover unique antiques and collectibles in this mountain treasure shop! Located in The Burro Street Exchange, 505

Burro Avenue, Suite 110, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, 575-682-3950 MOUNTAIN MONTHLY Mountain news and mountain views since 1988. Get a fresh perspective at 9,000 feet! Located upstairs in The Burro Street Exchange, Call 575682-2208 to subscribe, email info@ mountainmonthly.com IMAGINARY BOOKS & COLLECTIBLES Get lost exploring imaginary books and collectibles. Over 6,000 titles and 100’s of movie and comic collectibles. Upstairs in The Burro Street Exchange, 505 Burro Ave. Ste 114 Cloudcroft, NM 88317, 575-601-2012 CLOUD CAFE expresso, desserts and unique lunches all made from scratch. Located in the Burro Street Exchange, 575-682-5843 SAM’S SILVER LINING Native American jewelry and pottery with a touch of western flare. Located in the Burro Street Exchange. Call 575-601-2527 facebook/Sam’s SilverLining e-mail samsilverlining. com.

Cloudcroft Offers Quiet Charm From the west, U.S. 82 winds up and up into the Sacramento Mountains of southern New Mexico, the tail end of the mighty Rockies. Just at a peak, it curves past a curious wooden structure that looks like a fragment of a bridge. That is The Trestle, an honored landmark of the Village of Cloudcroft.

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Cloudcroft - the name meant “field of clouds” in the slang of the Scottish railroad engineers who begat the place - is the resort built by the abundant Douglas firs and Ponderosa pines found at “9,000 feet above stress level,” as the locals put it. It was built by the logs and of the logs, as the many cabins, cottages and even larger residences scattered through the rocky hillsides demonstrate. Logging opportunities first attracted the late-19th-century entrepreneurs who created Cloudcroft. The best way of getting the logs out of the mountains and down 5,000 feet to the main railroad at Alamogordo was by train. Would-be logging moguls built a single-gauge rail line that wound up from the valley at La Luz and into Mexican Canyon south of what would become Cloudcroft. Making a virtue of necessity, in 1899 they ballyhooed the line as a “resort train,” bringing gasping, heat-logged flatlanders into the cool summertime temps of high altitude. A pavilion hotel was built, and lots were sold for summer lodges. Before long, an exclusive hotel, the Lodge at Cloudcroft, was established on a peak above the burgeoning village. For the first 40 years of its existence, Cloudcroft was only reached by the train. The pause for a long look at the vista opening from the trestle was a highlight of the trip up the mountain. The cool summer breezes were a sure antidote to the “summer complaint” (heat fever) that annually worried mothers from The Flatlands (Alamogordo, El Paso and Las Cruces). Many a mother spent the summer in Cloudcroft with her children while her harried husband commuted from the flats on weekends. During World War II, a highway was built to give visitors and residents quicker access to Alamogordo and its air base, ammunition dump and other military facilities. The Cloudcroft railroad was abandoned and then dismantled in 1948. But the village is still there, with its distinctly Western-style charm. The population hovers around 800 most of the year but swells to 3,500 or more when the summer visitors arrive. There’s a town-thattime-forgot air to the village; it’s that village it takes to raise a child. Cloudcroft is where grade-school children still play leapfrog at recess, to the bemusement of teachers who’ve emigrated from more stressful, urban districts. Stroll down its main street, Burro Street, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d wandered onto a movie (continued on Page 42)

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Kids Love Alamogordo’s Space History Museum The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo is a delight year-round, but especially so during its summer camp sessions. “All kids, big ones and little ones, love to go to space because it’s just fun,” says museum spokesperson Cathy Harper. You don’t actually get shot into space—we don’t want to oversell this—but you get an experience that’s about as close as you can get and remain on Earth. 2014 summer camps include: • One Giant Leap: Space 101 (June 2-6 and July 7-11), where you can learn about zero gravity, build a satellite model and solar weather station, go under water to learn the basics of building and repairing in orbit, and find out why rockets are just flying tea kettles. • Alien Hunter: Mission to Europa (June 9-13 and July 14-18), when you can dive into icy Europa and drive a remotely operated mini-sub searching for life. Bring it to the Antaeus orbiting quarantine lab and conduct an alien autopsy in your biohazard glovebox. Discover the basics of hunting for extraterrestrial life, from extracting DNA from cells to decoding messages from space. • Rex Rocket’s Asteroid Roundup (June 16-20 and July 21-25), when you get rich and save Earth by prospecting

in space and keeping asteroids from sending us the way of the dinosaur. Do your own meteorite simulations. Meet Coelophysis, a genuinely nasty fellow that became the state fossil. • Homesteading Mars II: Red Planet, Green House (June 23-27 and July 28-Aug. 1), learning about settling on Mars. Learn the basics of cleaning water for Mars, or Earth, and how to design and build a greenhouse to grow your own food. The New Mexico Museum of Space History features a wide variety of space-related exhibits, inside and out, including an interactive space shuttle simulator, a Moon rock brought back on Apollo 17 by New Mexico Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, special tributes to Dr. John Paul Stapp and Dr. Robert Goddard, and a giant screen dome theater. The museum is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or visit www.nmspacemuseum.org.

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albuquerque calendar ALBUQUERQUE FILM & MEDIA EXPERIENCE AT NOB HILL • June 2, 2014 - June 8, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: Nob Hill • Central Ave, between San Mateo and Girard, Albuquerque, 87106 • Phone: 505-350-8572 • Admission: TBD The Xeric Garden Club of Albuquerque will give a guided tour of its certified Wildlife Habitat Garden. The garden uses native, xeric plants to support indigenous wildlife as well as migratory birds. PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINE TASTING • June 3, 2014 • Location: Slate Street Café

• 515 Slate Ave. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102 • Phone: 505-243-2210 • Admission: $20 Come in to the Wine Loft and enjoy our monthly wine tasting featuring Pacific Northwest Wines. Each guest receives 3 generous tastes as well as an appetizer prepared especially for this event. PERFORMANCE: MEMPHIS • June 5, 2014 - June 8, 2014 • Recurrence: Every Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday • Location: Popejoy Hall • 203 Cornell Dr. N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87131 • Phone: 505-277-3824

Tinkertown Museum New Mexico’s Premier Folk Art Environment

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Tinkertown is open daily

9:00am - 6:00pm April 1 to November 1

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• Admission: $131.75-$294 From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and fortune. FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBURQUERQUE • June 9, 2014 - June 14, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: National Hispanic Cultural Center • 1701 Fourth St. S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102 • Phone: 505-246-2261 • Admission: Admission prices vary, please visit the website. The National Institute of Flamenco is proud to present Festival Flamenco International de Alburquerque. Distinguished as the most important and longest standing flamenco event outside of Spain. HEIGHTS SUMMERFEST • June 14, 2014 • Location: North Domingo Baca Park • 8100 Wyoming NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122 • Phone: 505-768-3556 • Admission: Free Mayor Richard J. Berry invites you to a blazin’ Summerfest in the Albuquerque Heights, with hot, live entertainment from several bands including the national headliner, The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.

CONCERT: ALBUQUERQUE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CHAMBER MUSIC • June 1, 2014 • Location: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church • 5301 Ponderosa Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 • Phone: 505-433-7445 • Admission: Free The Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of David Felberg, presents a variety of intimate chamber music works. Program announced at the concert. SHAKESPEARE ON THE PLAZA: ROMEO AND JULIET • July 3, 2014 • Location: Civic Plaza • One Civic Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87102 • Phone: 505-247-8600 • Admission: $10-$15 The Vortex Theatre and the City of Albuquerque-Cultural Services Division presents Romeo and Juliet outdoors. Romeo and Juliet is the famed tragedy of two “star-crossed” teenagers. NEW MEXICO WINE FESTIVAL • August 30, 2014- September 1, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: North Camino del Pueblo • 243 S Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 87004 • Admission: $5-$31 New Mexico’s oldest wine festival offers wine tastings from several

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albuquerque calendar

Pure New Mexico

Building Albuquerque’s finest neighborhoods for 32 years. Rich Gantner, President 505-797-6655 • richgantner@lobo.net

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old town albuquerque shopping The Candy Lady Has Moved! The Candy Lady has moved to a new location at 424 San Felipe. Albuquerque’s popular sweet shop is still in Old Town, just east of its former location that dates back to 1980. The Candy Lady is famous for its more than 500 varieties of sweets. Chocolate dipped strawberries and raspberries, coconut creams, dipped pretzels, marzipan, jellies, and mints fill every nook and cranny in the store. Clusters of pecans, piñons, peanuts, cashews or almonds sit lusciously for nut lovers. Nearly everything comes (or can be) dipped in milk, dark, or white chocolate. There are more than 70 kinds of black licorice. One display is entirely devoted to the more than 19 varieties of fudge, everything from traditional chocolate to local specialties like chocolate red chile, vanilla jalapeño and chocolate piñon. Custom cakes can be made for any occasion, including weddings. Most recently, The Candy Lady has gained fame as a one-stop shop for “Breaking Bad” items, including crushed blue crystal candy, T-shirts, coffee cups, the Heisenburg hat, custom PEZ O L D T O W N dispensers, lapel pins and more. And as always, The Candy Lady retains its X-rated confections that earned the shop widespread media coverage in its early years. (Remember when North Valley churchgoers expressed their objections by picketing in front of the store in 1982?) An entire separate room, for those 18 years and older, is devoted to X-rated creations. www.rattlesnakes.com Chocolates or cakes can be made to resemble parts of the male or female anatomy. Debbie Ball is still owner of The Candy Lady and is usually working at the store while giving customers her special perspectives on life and chocolate. Stop and say “hi” when you get a chance!

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Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Make the O’Keeffe part of your Santa Fe experience. Open every day 10-5, Fridays 10-7. Closed only on major holidays. Seasonal tours of the Home and Studio, Abiquiu, by reservation,

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SWEET DREAMS PEST CONTROL Affordable prices and No contracts. Locally owned & operated. Serving Albuquerque and surrounding areas with over 25 yrs. exp. Fully licensed & insured. Environmentally safe. Residential and Commercial services. Specializing in roaches, ants, fleas, ticks, rodents or any general pests. “Remember there’s never a nightmare with Sweet Dreams Pest Control”

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albuquerque calendar of New Mexico’s wineries plus live entertainment, food, high-quality arts and crafts in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque. REBEL DONUT DASH • August 30, 2014 • Location: Balloon Fiesta Park - Multi Use Sport Facility • 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy., Albuquerque, NM 87113 • Phone: 505-768-5366 • Admission: $35 A “Rebel Donut” themed 5K Fun Run! Dash your way through donut themed obstacles stopping at sweet spots along the way with donut competitions & challenges! Prizes awarded in competition. NEW MEXICO WINE FESTIVAL • August 30, 2014- September 1, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: North Camino del Pueblo • 243 S Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 87004 • Admission: $5-$31 New Mexico’s oldest wine festival offers wine tastings from several of New Mexico’s wineries plus live entertainment, food, high-quality arts and crafts in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque. 76TH ANNUAL NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR • September 10, 2014 - September 21, 2014

• Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: EXPO New Mexico: Home of the State Fair • 300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, 87108 • Phone: 505-265-3976 • Admission: $10 Adults (12-64), $7 (Seniors (65 and up), $7 Kids (11 and under), FREE for Kids 5 and under! Located in the heart of Albuquerque, the New Mexico State Fair is one of the largest fairs in the nation with PRCA rodeo and nationally known country recording stars, plus and Indian and Spanish villa. 10TH ANNUAL OLD TOWN SALSA FIESTA • September 13, 2014 • Location: Historic Old Town • Rio Grande Blvd. N.W. & Central Ave. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104 • Admission: Free ($5 to taste and vote in salsa contest) Join in on this celebration of all things salsa. The annual Old Town Salsa Fiesta features salsa bands and dancers on the gazebo and throughout Old Town, kids’ activities and crafts. ¡GLOBALQUERQUE! WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL • September 19, 2014 - September 20, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: National Hispanic Cultural Center

• 1701 Fourth St. S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102 • Phone: 505-246-2261 • Admission: Variable prices, from free to $35 a night ¡Globalquerque! takes over the entire NHCC campus, bringing the best international talent to perform along side the regions top performers on three separate stages. ALBUQUERQUE GRECIAN FESTIVAL • October 3, 2014 - October 5, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: Downtown • 308 High Street SE, Albuquerque, 87102 • Admission: $5 As you enter the Albuquerque Grecian Festival, it’s easy to imagine you’ve just stepped into the Old World charm of southern Europe. We invite you to be Greek for a day (or two). RIO GRANDE ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL: BALLOON FIESTA SHOW • October 3, 2014 - October 12, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: EXPO New Mexico: Home of the State Fair • 300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 • Phone: 505-222-9700 • Admission: See description. Now in its 26th year, this juried show is ranked 6th in the nation and features the works of 280 fine artists and

craftspeople from throughout the U.S.! The Festival’s landmark “Big White Tent”. 2ND ANNUAL ALBUQUERQUE AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS FESTIVAL • October 4, 2014 - October 5, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: Historic Old Town • Rio Grande Blvd. N.W. & Central Ave. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104 • Admission: $6 adults, $5.50 seniors, $3 students & kids Please join us in October during the first weekend of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for a big kick-off of the 2014 Albuquerque American Indian Art Festival! ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA • October 4, 2014 - October 12, 2014 • Recurrence: Recurring daily • Location: Balloon Fiesta Park - Multi Use Sport Facility • 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy., Albuquerque, NM 87113 • Phone: 505-768-5366 • Admission: $8 The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a world-renowned attraction and destination for kids of all ages. For more than three decades, the first week in October brings the smell of roasting chile, colorful balloons and friendly people.

Wildlife West Events

Wildlife West Nature Park

122 acre preserve where you can meet wolves, bear, cougars, elk and birds. Plus during events wonderful food, live music and free overnight camping.

You can discover “The Best Little Zoo in New Mexico”

Chuckwagon BBQ Supper & Shows BBQ feast, live music, wagon rides, tours, and peregrine falcon shows. • Saturdays June 14th – August 30th

12th Annual Wildlife Music Festival

Wildlife West is

Nationally acclaimed bluegrass, jazz, Western swing and acoustic music from The Hot Club of Cowtown, The Henhouse Prowlers, Katie Glassman and Snapshot, The Greg Daigle Band and JeeZ LaWeeZ. All our music festivals allow plenty of time to fully enjoy the zoo and other Park features. Bob Gray of Hot Club of Santa Fe calls Wildlife West “the best outdoor venue for bluegrass in New Mexico.” Come see for yourself! • July 25th – 27th www.WildlifeWest.org www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER • WINTER 2014

State Parks Preserve the Area’s Natural Beauty New Mexicans are fortunate people. Almost every corner of the state has some element of natural beauty—mountains, lakes, mesas, tall trees, broad horizons and endless skies greet the visitor and resident alike as they step out the door. And the New Mexico Legislature is cognizant of that beauty and the need to preserve it for the state’s existence. In the darkest days of the Great Depression, the lawmakers made the conscious decision to take official notice of the state’s wonders and to move to conserve them. The first State Park, Bottomless Lakes state park near Roswell, was established in 1933. Today, there are 35 state parks managed by the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. It has been estimated that 70 percent of New Mexico’s population lives within a 40-mile drive of a state park. Many of New Mexico’s parks (Kit Carson Memorial State Park in Taos; Living Desert State Park near Carlsbad; Elephant Butte Lake State Park near Truth or Consequences; or City of Rocks State Park near Deming) are famous throughout the world for their historical value, fascinating animal life, recreational beauty or interesting geologic features. Others are less well-known. They are little secrets among New Mexicans, and each of those little secrets has its own secret. For instance, there’s Bottomless Lakes State Park outside Roswell. Bottomless Lakes, so-called because they are very deep, actually is composed of seven small lakes surrounded by high red-clay bluffs. Primitive car-camping is allowed. Every Saturday night park rangers give cultural/historical talks (little mention of UFOs or aliens, alas) that visitors find educational and enjoyable. The Bottomless Lakes secret? Because they are so deep, they are a perfect place to practice scuba-diving. Scuba-diving on the High Plains! Or wander to the top North-Central New Mexico to Heron Lake State Park near the small community of Los Ojos, west of Taos. Heron is a very picturesque lake, surrounded by tall pines. It is a designated “quiet lake,” where boats operate at no-wake speeds only. In fact, it is a favored spot for sailing aficionados. A boat launch ramp is available. Fishing is encouraged, with the proper state license, and scenic camping ranges from primitive to more developed sites. (Many visitors have praised the Blanco Campground as the best.) The trails in the forest around the park are beloved by hikers in the summer and cross-country skiers in winter. And the best secret of Heron? Like many of New Mexico’s cold waters, Heron has kokanee salmon, the land-locked version of sockeye, with an indescribably delicate taste. You can snag kokanee in the fall-winter months, October-December, after the spawn is over. Exactly when the season begins may vary with the lake. At Heron, snagging season usually starts around Nov. 1. Down south, near Radium Springs and not far from Las Cruces, is Leasburg Dam State Park, with year-round primitive camping, picnicking and bird watching. The eponymous dam channels water from the Rio Grande for irrigation in the Mesilla Valley. From about mid-March through mid-October, this park on and around the dam also offers fishing, canoeing and kayaking in the Rio Grande. And there’s nearby Fort Selden State Monument, which has a museum and trails at the site of a 19th-century Army outpost. 24

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Here’s the secret of Leasburg Dam State Park: In a cooperative effort, the Astronomical Society of Las Cruces and the state of New Mexico have built a public astronomical observatory here. Check with the park (505-5244068) for the hours when the observatory is open to the public. On March 9, 1916, nearly 500 Mexican revolutionary soldiers of Gen. Francisco “Pancho” Villa attacked the small border town and military camp at Columbus, south of Deming in the “bootheel” country of New Mexico. Pancho Villa State Park contains extensive historical exhibits which depict this raid, the first armed invasion of the continental United States since the War of 1812, and also the last one. At President Woodrow Photography by New Mexico Wilson’s order, Gen. John “Black Tourism Department Jack” Pershing, who would later command the Allied forces of World War I, pursued Pancho Villa into Mexico. Several buildings dating from the time of Villa’s raid still stand in Columbus, and the U.S. Customs House, built in 1902, serves as the visitor center. There are associated hiking trails, swimming and primitive camping sites. The Pancho Villa State Park has a grand mixture of history and local desert flora examples in its gardens. Its secret? Continuing controversy. Seventeen American citizens were killed in that raid. Why José Doroteo Arango Arámbula (aka Francisco Villa aka Pancho Villa) ordered the raid has never been known. Many people have suggested that the park would be better named for Pershing, but as one visitor with perspective noted, “Having the name Pancho Villa is no more offensive than having a park that is named for Billy the Kid or any character of questionable character.” Back up to the northeast corner of the state now: To get to Sugarite Canyon State Park, take I-25 exit 452 at Raton, follow NM 72 east for 3.5 miles, and then go north on NM 526 for about two miles to the visitor center. Sugarite Canyon is where the old mining town of Sugarite is located. Wandering through its environs makes you imagine what it must have been like when it was bustling with people in the 19th century. There’s fishing here for day-trippers, hiking trails, swimming from the natural beaches on the river, a launch ramp for boats and cross-country skiing on the trails in winter. Sugarite’s secret? It is possibly the most physically beautiful place on earth, especially in the fall when the trees lining the canyon turn. But then, that could be said of many of New Mexico’s small and large state parks. New Mexico is a state blessed with natural wonder, intriguing cultural mixes and fascinating history. In her state parks, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

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las cruces Southwest New Mexico: Varied Terrain and Rich History The Southwest New Mexico is often called “the boot heel” of the state, an allusion that is clear with a look at the map. It is as varied and interesting as any part of the Land of Enchantment, with terrain that ranges from the Chihuahuan Desert to the ponderosa and fir forests of the Gila Mountains. Las Cruces is the anchor for the southwest quadrant. Other cities include Silver City, county seat of Grant County and home of Western New Mexico University. Silver City is nestled in the mountains near the Gila Wilderness, an outstanding outdoorsrecreation area. Starting in Silver City, the Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Byway winds through the historic homelands of the rugged Apache leader Geronimo, from Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument back and forth across the Gila and Mimbres Rivers and the Continental Divide, past mission churches and an open pit mine and Fort Bayard Historic District and National Cemetery. You can learn about the revered Buffalo Soldiers who were headquartered at Fort Bayard and protected settlers from Indian raids.

Further south are the boot heel towns: Deming, the seat of Luna County, and Lordsburg, the seat of Hidalgo County. Just south of Deming is Columbus, where Pancho Villa staged a murderous raid in 1916. Just north and east of Deming is City of Rocks State Park, an absolute piece of heaven for rock hounds. Near Lordsburg is the ghost town of Shakespeare, where reenactments of frontier life take place. North of Silver City are ranch towns: Reserve, the seat of Catron County, Glenwood and the ghost town of Mogollon. This is Elfego Baca country, where the larger-than-life legends of this frontier lawman still live. In 1884, Baca endured a 33-hour shootout against overwhelming odds. His exploits became a Disney television series, “The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca,” and later a movie, “Elfego Baca: Six Gun Law.” A bronze statue in Reserve commemorates Baca and his reputation. Three national forests, with mountain hiking trails, lakes and campsites, join their borders in this region. Snow Lake and Quemado Lake are fine trout waters where only electric boat motors are allowed.

Find Festivities Year-Round on Las Cruces’ “Main Street” There is always something happening in Las Cruces, the touchstone city of southwest New Mexico. This year’s Country Music Fest, starring the fabled Charlie Daniels and emerging artist Cassidy Pope, was a resounding success in April. Next April’s fest should be even bigger. In the meantime, there are other events to catch your attention. • The Southern New Mexico Wine Festival on Memorial Day weekend exclusively features New Mexico wines, local foods, and live music, as well as the University of Wine, short educational sessions which teach patrons about proper food and wine pairings. • Salsa Fest, Aug. 23-24, features competitions in every kind of “salsa”: the dipping sauce, the music and the dance. Lots of free entertainment and local foods also. • The Harvest Wine Festival, held over Labor Day weekend, offers wines from New Mexico wineries; a grape-stomping contest; several concerts throughout the weekend; and food from local vendors. • The Whole Enchilada Fiesta, the last weekend in September, attracts roughly 50,000 attendees each year. The centerpiece is the making of a large flat enchilada. The fiesta started in 1980 with a 6-foot-diameter enchilada, and in 2000 the fiesta’s 10 1⁄2-foot-diameter enchilada was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest. After the enchilada is assembled, it is cut into many pieces and distributed free of charge to the fiesta attendees. • The local Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), a commemoration that originated in Mexico, is a celebration of the lives of those who have walked on. It is held Nov. 1–2 by The Calavera Coalition, a nonprofit organization. The event is held at the plaza in nearby Mesilla and the Branigan Cultural Center in downtown Las Cruces.

las cruces

STATE PARKS

Bottomless Lakes State Park ....................................... 575-624-6058

All of these festive events, and more, are held in a six-block downtown pedestrian mall called “Main Street.” Las Cruces is unusual for a Spanish Colonial town in that it never had the typical plaza square. That plaza can be found in old Mesilla, the original settlement in the area, which was founded in the early 19th century as a part of New Spain, later a part of the republic of Mexico, the Republic of Texas (briefly), the New Mexico Territory and then of the State of New Mexico. Las Cruces, which grew up to the northeast of Mesilla as a railroad/farming/military/university town, means “The Crosses.” The seat of Doña Ana County, it is the second-largest city in New Mexico (after Albuquerque) and the home of the sprawling New Mexico State University, the state’s land-grant university and the locus of the College of Agriculture and the State Agriculture Department. That’s appropriate, because Las Cruces sits in the heart of the fertile Mesilla Valley, the flood plain of the Rio Grande. Most of New Mexico’s trademark green chile is grown in nearby Hatch, and pecan orchards and peanuts also are favored crops. “Cruces,” as it is familiarly called, sits like a jewel among mountains to the east and south. The recreational Elephant Butte and Caballo Lakes are just north of the city and a happy choice for campers, boaters and fishers. Government jobs, university work and a desert climate that has attracted many retirees and second-homers have pushed the population of Las Cruces beyond the 100,000 mark. Local attractions include the restored historical beauties of the village of Mesilla; Spaceport America, 44 miles north of Las Cruces, where manned orbital flights are being readied; and the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Brantley Lake State Park ....................................... 575-457-2384

Leasburg Dam State Park ....................................... 575-524-4068

Caballo Lake State Park ....................................... 575-743-3942

Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park ....................................... 575-523-4398

City of Rocks State Park ....................................... 575-536-2800

Pancho Villa State Park ....................................... 575-531-2711

Percha Dam State Park ....................................... 575-743-3942 Rockhound State Park ....................................... 575-546-6182