It is a long drive from Santa Fe to Caballo Lake State Park, just south of Truth Or Consequences, NM. In February the unrelenting brown of the landscape and the high cross winds make the trip alternately boring and gripping.
Caballo Lake State Park offered respite. Our dog, Reno, isn't so sure.
We found a place along the Percha Creek amid salt cedar and mountains where we dry camped. Nobody else was there. Nice. The temperature was mild and since we had forgotten extra blankets we were sure we would make it through the night without having to turn the furnace on.
At 3:30 a.m. we were so chilled we turned the furnace on.
By sunrise the sky was pink and blue and gold and shone on the creek next to our campsite. Still quite cold but hot coffee and layers of clothes helped warm us up. Today we will take a side trip to Silver City and then check out other campgrounds in the area. Tomorrow Lyn and Ann come down from Santa Fe in their Airstream to join us for the week.
We decided to take a day trip to Silver City. The 75 mile ride through the Gila National Forest took two hours due to the 50 miles of hairpin turns that brought us down to 10 mph. We had no idea that we were entering into miles and miles of switchbacks but the long views were spectacular. We climbed 4000 feet to 8200 feet. Breaktaking!
We headed for the historic section of Silver City. Funky and sweet and a nice stop for us. We decided not to make the return trip through those hairpin turns and will head south towards Deming with an overnight stop at City of Rocks State Park.
2.18.2008
Caballo Lake State Park, New Mexico
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Oh yeah! Now you are in my neck of the woods. You apparently entered Silver City via Hillsboro, and that indeed is a spectacular little drive! From Deming you could take a quick trip to Palomas, but don't take Diana across the border. Park on our side and walk. If you do, go and eat at La Tienda Rosa (The Pink Store) and tell the owners and my good friends Sergio and Yvonne Romero that I sent ya. Verrry nice people and very decent Mexican food. And they have quite a gift shop there where you could easily kill an hour looking at things you just don't see most places. Definitely not high art like SAF but distinctive and different. Oh! Wait! You will need passports or picture ID + birth certificates to get back! Shoot, I forgot about that. If you don't have them don't go.
Have fun! BTW, the view from the Sunspot Observatory outside of Cloudcroft is awesome and they have a nice educational show they will put on for you. And eating at The Lodge in Cloudcroft is a nice experience (usually) and a very historic place. The grade up and down from HWY 54 is 6% and a challenge for some vehicles, but you will top out at over 9K ft in only about 20 miles from Alamogordo.
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