From February 2022
Our time was up in the Las Cruces area, and it was time hit the road west.
Bisbee was a big mining town and still has the scars to prove it.
Our airbnb just outside of Bisbee was the best we have ever stayed in and deserves its own post. This is the view from the front door at sunset after check-in.
From February, 2022.
One day, we took a drive from Las Cruces north to Hatch, New Mexico.
Hatch is a bit of a tourist trap. We walked up and down the main two streets with Callie. The small town is the self-proclaimed chile capital of the world.
Then we went to Sparky's for a chili cheeseburger and chili fries. I also had a chili chocolate malt.
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| Weirdest malt ever |
Other sights that make a fellow go hmm.
Hatch falls into that category of places where I'm glad I visited but probably won't feel compelled to return anytime soon.
From February 2022
When I camped at Aguire Springs in 2018, I saw the loop trail that went up behind the campground. Due to the warm weather, I didn't feel like I could leave Elvis,the old service dog, behind in the Scamp and also didn't think he was up for the rigorous hike.
This time, with Julia and Callie, the same concerns were not present. At much higher elevations than our other hikes in the Las Cruces area, the challenge turned out to be intermittent snow and ice.
Pine Tree Loop is about a five mile hike. It took us over two hours with a total ascent of 1247 feet, finishing at 6778 feet.
This is a beautiful hike, and our favorite in the Las Cruces area.
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| Alligator Juniper |
The air smelled so clean and fresh. I leave some trails, thinking "done this, don't have to come back." As we left that day, I was thinking, "I want to hike this again and again."
Today, Julia and I got up early and went to the Madison Farmers' Market, which was temporarily moved to Breese Stevens Field today. This market is usually held on the capital square every Saturday morning from spring to fall.
However, today, the 64th Annual Art Fair on the Square was taking place and that was our second stop. The streets around the square were closed off for pedestrian use, and artists from around the country show off their stuff for sale. I like looking at art, but there were hordes of people, and they were all moving so slow. Claustrophobia definitely set in. I couldn't breathe in the crowd.
Julia took mercy on me, bought me a beer, and sat me down next to a Colombian band. There was an audience, but it was well-spaced.
I can breathe again. Julia enjoyed talking to her fellow weavers at the Madison Weavers Guild booth.
From February 2022
We went to a number of brewpubs in the Las Cruces area: Bosque, Pecan Grill and Brewery, Ice House, and Little Toad Creek Brewery. All of these had above average beer with good selection. We didn't love some of the locations. It's hard for me to enjoy a beer when there's excessive road noise on the patio, when the view is of the highway, or when the server doesn't know anything about the beers being served ("I don't even like beer").
Our favorite brewpub was Truth or Consequences Brewing on East Lohman Avenue, which I would describe as a small hippie dive brewpub. It was quiet and unassuming. The outdoor space was relaxing. The server was very knowledgeable about the beers. And the vibe suited us.
I had an IPA, optionally rimmed with Tajin. I freely admit to being open about unusual beer additives. Some I like; others, not so much. This beer was amazing. The contrast between the chile-lime based spice and the bitter hops was amazing!
Julia had an IPA with an orange slice. Perfect on a warm February day after hiking.
From February 2022
This was a hike in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which was about 20 minutes west of Las Cruces.
Exiting Hwy 70, we drove into a very exclusive subdivision. Just beyond the fancy houses, there was a multi-purpose dirt road called Picacho Mountain Loop. Soon after entering that heavily rutted road, we parked Julia's Subaru and walked the rest of the way to the trailhead.
We hiked just over six miles, including the road walk in. The views on top were amazing. After reaching the bottom, we walked around part of the Box Canyon Loop and then back again.
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| From the bottom |
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| From the top |
This interesting rig was in our campground last night. The trailer appears to be a prototype from a California start-up company.
