Twin Sisters Creek and Dragonfly Loop

This trail was very close to our RV park in Silver City, so we hiked it several times.  It's a 5.8 loop trail east of town.  Very little elevation gain, but a great spot for Callie to burn off some energy.  There were also petroglyphs to find.

The signature petroglyph is the dragonfly but we didn’t find it on the first go-around. We did find others.  We weren't sure if more recent humans may have contributed in some of the cases.

Finally, on our third time through, just about when we were ready to give up, there it was off the trail on a little side trail.

Of course, Callie had no interest in what we were looking for.  Most of the trail was dry and hot, and she thought we were wasting our time.  Most of the creek was dry, but just past the petroglyphs there was a section that had some water in it, which was her favorite part of the trail.

New Mexico: Heading Home

 From Feb/March 2022:

We had high but unrealistic expectations for Las Cruces.  It checked off a lot of boxes for us on paper.  In my travels, I've often found that hidden gems are frequently discovered without any expectations.

Boston Hill Open Space

 

That was the case for Silver City, New Mexico.  It wasn't exactly on the way home to Wisconsin.  It was out of the way, but something about this place in the high country called out to us, and we listened.  

We arrived too early to check into our hotel, so we spent some time hiking the Boston Hill Open Space, which overlooks the town.  It was the last day of February, but temperatures were moderate, especially compared to back home.  

Like Bisbee, Silver City is a historic mining town, as evidenced by all of the holes in the ground at the Boston Hill Open Space.  A little after noon, we were able to get into our pet-friendly hotel room.

 

During the afternoon, we checked out the downtown streets, having a tasty beer at the Little Toad Creek Brewery.  Later, we walked Big Ditch Park.  This area used to be Main Street before the floods of 1895 and 1903.

 

 

Eventually, walking northwest from downtown, we found ourselves at the small Western New Mexico University.  Unlike New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, this university seemed well-integrated into its host city.

 

The hotel desk clerk recommended the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House in Pinos Altos for dinner.  Opened in the 1860's and at 7000' elevation, we had a leisurely meal at the Buckhorn, sitting in front of the wood-burning fireplace and soaking in the atmosphere.

 

Silver City was a very interesting town, and we would like to come back for a longer visit someday soon.