Southern, New Mexico - March 20 - 27, 2006
Columbus, NM - On March 21, we had a date to have a new and improved air suspension system (TrailAir) installed on our home at D-Square Industries in Columbus - very highly respected among RVers as an excellent installer of suspensions systems, hitches and other trailer/truck components. We parked the night at D-Square and toured Columbus (pop. <2,000) while the work was being done the next day. You wouldn't think it now, but Columbus became quite a famous place in 1916. On March 9th of that year, over 600 of Pancho Villa's men crossed the border and raided Columbus and the Army's Camp Furlong. A week later, General John "Blackjack" Pershing entered Mexico with several thousand troops in pursuit of Villa. They chased Villa around for eleven months before returning to the US. The biggest accomplishment of the Punitive Expedition, as it was called, was to prepare US troops for World War I. This was the first time trucks, automobiles and planes were used in combat.
We visited the very attractive Pancho Villa State Park and Museum, located about a stones throw from the border. The museum opened on March 9th to commemorate the 90 anniversary of the raid. We had an opportunity to talk with the New Mexico State Parks historian responsible for developing the exhibits and a couple of volunteers. They were all very proud of the new exhibits and shared with us many of the facts and folklore about the historical event. The day turned out to be one of those sparkling gems that promises so little and delivers so much.
Las Cruces, NM - We moved on to Las Cruces, testing our new suspension system and stopping at the numerous border patrol checkpoints. Because we were in Las Cruces for just a few days we didn't see much of the town. However, we did visit La Mesilla, billed as the "Land of Billy the Kid" and located across the Rio Grande from Las Cruces. In addition to the folkloric personalities of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, this village has an interesting history. It seems at the conclusion of the Mexican American War in 1848, many citizens moved south of the Rio Grande to maintain their Mexican citizenship, thus establishing the town of La Mesilla. In 1854, the Gadsden Purchase was executed making La Mesilla part of the US - and once again, Mesillans found themselves in the US. Today the town is a charming adobe village built around a town plaza. There are many restaurants, galleries and interesting shops along the narrow streets.
Carlsbad, NM - Our next destination was Carlsbad. We drove there via El Paso and the very impressive Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
If Kartchner Caverns were less than we expected, Carlsbad Caverns were so much more. Words cannot express how awed we were - mouth agape awed. We selected to do the self-guided tour of the Big Room through the Natural Entrance. At first we were saying things like, "Oh, isn't that lovely." Then all we could get out was wide-eyed "Ooohs and Ahhs". We'd seen pictures. We'd read descriptions. We'd listened to experienced visitors. We weren't prepared. All we can say is, if you haven't been to Carlsbad Caverns - go!
While at Carlsbad we hiked to Sitting Bull Falls and Lost Canyon Springs in the Lincoln National Forest in the Guadalupe Mountains. We were attempting to find a geocache when we came upon the Lost Canyon Springs. In spite of the canyon's name, we were so surprised to find this beautiful clear spring and cottonwood edged stream in the desert canyon. Alas, in spite of impaling ourselves on cactus and twisting our ankles on sliding rocks, we didn't find the cache, but we were very pleased to have found the spring.
