Flash Drive - Sun., Feb. 23

It's a good thing both of us like to drive. We were up at 5:30 a.m., hit the road at 7:00 a.m. and made it through El Paso by 10 a.m. Here's what our morning sky looked like.

West Texas morning sky

When we entered El Paso, there was a billboard advertising the Blue Beacon Truck Wash. We wanted to have our 5th wheel washed, so we exited at the exit on the billboard. Neither one of us could find the Blue Beacon! Disappointed, we continued on.

When we crossed the border into New Mexico, we stopped at a very convenient Visitor Center, picked up information on City of Rocks State Park and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. When we asked the lady working there how long it would take us to drive from Deming, NM to Gila Cliff Dwellings Nat'l. Monument, she said, "Three hours." Glad we asked!

New Mexico Visitor Center

History outside Visitor Center

Bob and I discussed driving the 93-mile-long Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway. However, we didn't have all day. We for sure wanted to see the open pit mine, Silver City and Pinos Altos. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will have to go on the bucket list for a future visit.

So we made up our own "Flash Drive." After lunch at Irma's Mexican Restaurant (thanks Catherine and JoBeth for the recommendation), we headed north on U.S. 180 to Hwy 61 which took us to City of Rocks State Park. After three miles on Hwy 61 we came to the turn for City of Rocks. There is a $5 per car day use fee which we happily paid.


City of Rocks State Park has a few water/electric pull-through sites; otherwise, the park is for boondocking. A small Visitor Center plays a movie about the huge volcano (1,000 times more powerful than Mt. St. Helens) that erupted millions of years ago. Over the ensuing years erosion has carved the rocks into different shapes and towers criss-crossed with natural paths.

Irma's Mexican Restaurant for lunch

Inside Irma's

A very cool state park!

Bob is on one of the naturally formed pathways.

I found my nicbe!

Overview of one part of City of Rocks

Bouldering Bob

Just another scenic view.

Grasses and rocks.

Bob is 6' tall. You can see how big some rocks are!

Sheltered tent site.

Pull-though site #28 (no amenities...boondocking)

From City of Rocks, we headed east to Hwy 152, turned left (west) on Hwy 152 and headed to the Santa Rita mine overlook, one of the world's largest open pit copper mines. Copper has been mined there since 1801.

Santa Rita open pit mine

Fascinating, impressive stop. But it was cold at almost 6,000' elevation!

We then drove through Fort Bayard National Historic Landmark. The fort was activated in 1867 to help fight off the Apaches who raided the area. After the fort was abandoned as a cavalry post in 1900, it was converted into an Army medical facility to treat tuberculosis.

Fort Bayard

Ft. Bayard's previous hospital.

Officers quarters.

Onward to Silver City. The city was started in 1870 because silver was discovered in "them thar hills." The town's founders decided Silver City would be "built to last." In 1880 an ordinance was passed requiring masonry construction for new buildings. While masonry stands up well against fire, it does not hold up to catastophic floods.

Between 1890 and 1910 floods washed away the original Main Street.  What used to be Main Street is now the Big Ditch Park. In recent years, many art galleries and eclectic restaurants and shops have opened in Silver City.

The Big Ditch Park

 

Mural on Silver City Food Co-op building.

Art can bee found throughout town.

 Lots of art!

Murals on building exteriors

Former windows are now beautifully re-created.

Close-up of one window.

Bob at 1870's log cabin, see sign below.

We even found Billy the Kid's homesite.

But wait! We're not done yet. Six miles north of Silver City is another historic town, Pinos Altos, where gold was first discovered in the area by Spanish and Mexican miners. Pinos Altos looks like it may have looked 150 years ago when it was inhabited by the likes of Judge Roy Bean. It is located along the Continental Divide on NM Hwy 15.

Hearst (?) Church, 1898

Opera House from the '60s, 1860s that is!

The Buckhorn Saloon

 Here's Bob with The Beast at 7,010 ft. on the Continental Divide.

From Pinos Altos we hightailed it back to Escapees Dream Catcher RV Park. The park doesn't have cable, but there is a clubhouse with a high definition TV with cable. We settled in there to watch "The Amazing Race." I didn't even fall asleep. Love that show!

Now I am falling asleep over the computer as I write this. Must get sleep. Good night.