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| US70 red, covered in this article green |
As we pulled out of Roswell,
icicles hung off the trailer from the water hose leaking when it froze
during the night. But it was clear and bright, a good day for
traveling. Resuming our westward trek, we followed US 70 up a long
shallow grade through rolling desert hills.
The section of US 70 from Roswell to Las Cruces was originally part
of the Chisum Trail, one of several famous routes used by cowboys
cowboys driving cattle to markets north and west. It has other old west
connections as well. The road soon drops down into the pretty Rio Hondo
Valley, one time home of Billy the Kid. Along here US 70 is designated
as part of the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway. Cottonwoods define the river
bed as it flows among ranches and orchards.
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| Dining room at the Silver Dollar, by jkbrown |
Approaching Hondo, I decided to take a photo of
Timmy in the village of Tinnie nearby. I stopped at the Silver Dollar,
originally an 1870 mercantile, now a small general store and elegant
restaurant. I wondered how a fine dining establishment could survive
out in this sparsely populated ranch country. It turned out we were
just a few miles from the casino and horse track at Ruidoso, a
significant tourist attraction in season. I was given a brief tour of
the establishment, including its ornate bar and lovely dining rooms.
Beveled and stained glass doors and windows, fine paintings,
chandeliers –- an amazing place. There was a picture of the town's
namesake on the wall: an unfortunate, mentally ill young woman, bound
and gagged and peering out from behind her imposing mother in the old
mercantile. The community took her name when she died.
Back on the road, we soon passed Ruidoso Downs and then entered the
forested Sacramento Mountains of the Mescalero Apache. We gained a
couple of thousand feet before descending into the vast Tularosa Basin.
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| Tularosa Basin from Dog Canyon, by jkbrown |
Following the highway south, we camped at Oliver Lee Memorial State
Park, a little beyond Alamogordo and at the foot of Dog Canyon and the
Sacramentos. The park has a commanding view of the southern basin,
stretching away toward El Paso to the south and the San Andreas
Mountains to the west. At their base New Mexico's famous White Sands
shimmer like a mirage.
Oliver Lee, it turns out, was quite a colorful character. A cattle
baron of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at one time he
controlled a million acres in the basin and nearby mountains. His
reputation is mixed, to put it politely. In addition to suspected
rustling, he was once charged with murder. After a gun battle with the
same Pat Garret who took down Billy the Kid, he was arrested and tried.
Acquitted, he later went on to serve in the state legislature. The park
is on Lee's ranch lands.
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| International Space Hall of Fame & Museum, by jkbrown |
Alamogordo has 21st century connections too. At the end of the very
short New Mexico Highway 2001 you'll find the International Space Hall
of Fame and Museum. Exhibits there include many missiles, rocket
engines, satellite and orbiter replicas, lots of historical displays
and even a "land the shuttle" arcade-style challenge.
The space connection is long standing; nearby Holloman Air Force
Base and the White Sands Missile Range have been America's preeminent
testing site for rocket engines and other space technologies for over
60 years. Stealth fighters are routine sights in the skies overhead.
At the summit of Sacramento Peak, you can visit the National Solar
Observatory and watch astronomy in action – the sun is best observed in
daylight hours . The drive up US82 is on the steep side, gaining over
5000 feet as the terrain changes from Chihuahua desert to fir and aspen
forest in the space of 15 miles. At the top of the grade the small town
of Cloudcroft boasts the historic Lodge Resort and Spa, offering fine
dining and the highest golf course in the nation.
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| White Sands National Monument, by jkbrown |
For me the highlight of the area is White Sands National Monument.
Located entirely within the Missile Range, the park comprises 115
square miles of snow white drifts separated occasionally by exposed
desert floor. It's the largest pure gypsum dune field in the world. The
Big Dune Trail provides a fascinating introduction to the unique plant
and animal communities of the white desert. Timmy had a great time
romping in the dunes as will children of all ages.
The Tularosa Basin has other worthwhile attractions, but we were
ready to push on westward to see what else we could find on US 70.
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Travels With Charley
Join author John Steinbeck and his poodle Charley
on their 1960s "RV" trip across America. This is a delightful,
inspiring book that will both entertain and charm the RVer and would-be
RVer.
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2006
Mapquest RV & Campsites Guide & Atlas
Finally, a road atlas especially for
RVers. This 2006 Mapquest road atlas and campground directory is the first
publication of its kind. Complete with state and Canadian province road
maps, color photos and 3700 campground listings.
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Guide Book to Highway 66
(1946 reproduction)
Planning to get some RV kicks on Route
66? Learn about the highway as it was 50 years ago, and use it to trace
what remains of the road today.
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