STOCKING UP IN LAS CRUCES, NM

Las Cruces, NM, sounds wonderful on the Chamber of Commerce website. Money magazine lists it as one of the “best college towns to retire”, AARP as one of their “dream towns” to retire. Interesting history, interesting blend of cultures... so why don't I like it better?

We pass through here every year and spend a couple of days stocking up for the long, long drive across west Texas. We've visited the charming plaza in Mesilla, the original settlement in the area; taken walks along the Rio Grande; and hiked in the Organ Mountains. Still, I've never felt a real connection with the town.

We arrived yesterday afternoon and checked into our favorite of the Las Cruces RV parks, Sunny Acres (read our campground review here). They give Escapees a 50% discount off their daily rates, so we pay just $15/night with 50 amp FHU including cable TV. Sunny Acres used to be a 55+ mobile home park, so the sites are spacious, with grass and trees... very pleasant for an in-town RV park, a good base for us.

We spent today attending to chores: a lab visit for Odel, and trips to Target, to the natural foods coop, and to Albertson's. We gassed up the Jeep before prices climbed any higher.

When we first came to Las Cruces, in 2003, we encountered frozen custard, an incredibly delicous, creamy, rich, frozen dessert. At a stand named Mr. Scoopy, we had frozen custard sundaes made with hot fudge sauce and salted pecans, a local crop. Mr. Scoopy is now called Caliche's, but the frozen custard has not changed. We treated ourselves to hot fudge sundaes as our lunch. Yummmmmmmmm!

Then, after a day of running around, we ate dinner out, too. This photo is of Odel's dinner: Green enchiladas, New Mexico style (stacked, rather than rolled), with "The Works": chicken, beans, rice and an egg on top. He ate every last bite. The green salsa was the best I have ever had anywhere, made with the local green chilis. Delish!

Tomorrow we head east again, across the long expanse of west Texas. We plan to stop at Davis Mountain State Park, near the tiny town of Ft. Davis. We haven't been there since April of 2003, when I took this photo. Odel wasn't a hiker way back then, so I had gone off on a hike alone and took this shot looking down on our campsite.

This year, we plan to stay three days to explore the trails and the historic fort. The state park is way out in the boondocks and, as you can see, down in a valley - so I will be surprised if we have phone and aircard service... but ya' never know. If the blog gets a bit behind or emails go unanswered, you'll know why.