December 31, 2022 – Las Cruces
It was very windy last night with big gusts of wind shaking the car and the sides of the tent flapping like mad !
Left the camp and drove to Las Cruses where there is a Farmers’ Market today. It is held on North Main Street which is closed to traffic to allow stalls to set up on the road.It goes on for a couple of blocks with lots of different handy crafts, health food etc. One stall selling hot popcorn is very popular !
We managed to book a Motel room for tonight but it is still too early to check in so we drive on to La Mesilla, only 5mn away.
Mesilla is a small town by today’s standards but 150 years ago it was the major stop for those traveling between San Antonio and San Diego. Mesilla hasn’t changed much over the years, allowing visitors to see what an 1800’s border town looked like. Western Legend Billy the Kid once stood trial for murder in a Mesilla courtroom, and the Mesilla Plaza was once a major stop for the Butterfield Stagecoach. Originally, Mesilla was part of Mexico, but with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, the village became part of the United States. Mesilla is anchored by the Basilica of San Albino. The church, originally built of adobe in 1855, still offers masses today, both in English and Spanish. The main Plaza where the Basilica stands is lined with boutiques, galleries and restaurants. A touristy destination but on a small scale.
Glad we have a room for tonight as it is still cold !
January 1st, 2023 – DEMING
Breakfast at Day’s Inn was included and surprisingly good with a wide selection and even fresh waffles!
We leave for Deming where there is a small lake (Trees Lake) near the town with supposedly good fishing. ( Paul bought a fishing rod and wants to try it…) We stay there for about an hour. We have a picnic but the wind is still cold.
We make our way towards City of Rocks. We pass a rest area with some sort of historic building with sheltered picnic area. It is being renovated and closed but we decide to stay there for the night.It is raining on and off and very windy.
January 2, 2023 – City of Rocks State Park – Silver City
Freezing cold this morning and we stay in the tent until 9 am to keep warm.
We make our way to City of Rocks State Park and cars coming in the opposite direction are covered in snow…
The name of the Park comes from incredible rock formations formed of volcanic ash 30 million years ago and sculpted by wind and water into rows of monolithic blocks. We wander round the large boulders but it is exposed to the wind and despite some timid apparition of the sun it is too cold to really stay too long.
Silver City
We continue on the road to Silver City, as we get closer snow appears by the side of the road,the city stands at 1,830 m and it is winter after all ! Founded in 1878 and boasting historical ties with Billy the Kid, the Gila Cliff Dwellings, and Geronimo the historic centre is pretty deserted today as it is a holiday and everything is closed apart from a pub/restaurant where we gratefully take shelter and have lunch.
We have to revise our initial plan to visit northern New Mexico as the weather is just not warm enough to camp and cook outside, so we are now aiming for Tucson , Arizona where the weather forecast is better.
We leave town and drive to a Dispersed Campground near Half Moon Ranch in the Cochise Stronghold area.(The Stronghold provided water, shade, and shelter for the Chiricahua native indians deep in its hidden valleys for more than six decades of armed conflict between Apache bands and the US Army).
We leave in the morning for Tucson
