Day 110 – Monday, October 14, 2013

We debated staying at the Oliver Lee Memorial State Park for one more day to let our legs recover from yesterday’s hike but the flies wouldn’t let us. They were thick and have even adapted to constant desert wind. We were swatting and swiping while we tried to have breakfast. That made our decision to move on an easy one. Julie notes “Ain’t no flies on us…well at least not anymore.”

We packed up and headed for the City of Rocks State Park but while I was filling up the truck in Las Cruces, Julie got out her big US map book and had us headed on a scenic side road. Before we got to the side road, we realized that Truth or Consequences, NM was just a few miles further so that is where we headed instead. Our Aunt Lynne had pointed out to us just how close we were and it might deserve a visit just to say we had been here. Julie notes “It is a very colourful artsy little town and must have the most hot spring spas per capita for the whole US of A. That is just an educated guess from someone who is very sore and was hoping for a hot spring pool to soak in. There were lots of hot springs advertised but they were all part of a hotel/spa ranging in degrees of interesting looking to kind of fancy.”

We drove through the funky little town and picked the White Coyote Café for lunch in downtown Truth or Consequences. It was a vegetarian restaurant labeled as a “healthy” restaurant on Trip Advisor. We both had the homemade lentil soup and the Santa Fe wrap. Very good but the service was quite slow. You don’t want to be in a hurry if you eat here and luckily we were not. Julie notes “It did give us a lot of time to hear a ‘healthy’ dose of local gossip from one patron in particular. She seemed to know everyone and everything and enjoyed ‘sharing her knowledge’ (a term Jordan’s grade 1 teacher used that we found meant he talked too much). The food was very good though. That is the first time I have had fresh jicama in a sandwich (Mexican yam or turnip). It was very tasty but possibly the delay in getting our food was because they needed to pop from New Mexico to Old Mexico to get some.”

A view of last night’s sunset that really doesn’t do it justice. Julie notes “This was the dying embers of the show. Pretty nice finale. The camera was in download mode for most of the sunset otherwise we’d have a hundred shots to share.”

Julie’s double windmill shot. I’m not the only windmill traveler on this trip. Julie notes “Double windmills is close to double rainbows in my books. Maybe I should do a Youtube video on it eh Jordan?”

The White Sands National Monument in the distance which is also the same area as the White Sands Missile Range. Julie notes “I remained ducked down with my head covered holding my breath for the 30 or so miles we drove through the missile range. Partly because of the possibility of a stray military missile and mostly because of the after effects of the smokies with onions from yesterday were having on Brad. Mother nature’s tear gas.”

Scenery along Highway 25 from Las Cruces to Truth or Consequences, NM. Julie notes “Nice drive. Thanks for the suggestion Aunt Lynne, even though I was leery about going to a place where it seemed obvious with my tendency of fibbing that I was going to have suffer some consequences.”

Julie notes “Those of us from timber country will recognize the tipi burner down there. Not sure where the trees are that go with that? Pretty barren, low scrub land. Maybe it’s another fancy forno oven?”

The White Coyote Café.

Our site at Elephant Butte State Park 6 miles outside Truth or Consequences, NM. Here is Julie sitting on her Elephant Butte enjoying some sun. Julie notes “Okay I was waiting for some reference to the name. Touché my friend, but don’t be trying to touché my elephant butte for some time to come!”

My artistic side showing my foot prints in the sand. Notice only one set of tracks? Julie was too sore to take a walk. Julie notes “My elephant butte muscles are awfully sore today. Legs and everything else seemed to be okay, surprisingly enough.”

The nearby reservoir which seems very low to me but all the lakes and reservoirs here seem low. I guess maybe that is normal for this time of year? Julie notes “Contemplated parking on the beach and then figured this would be the night they let the dams loose. And you know I don’t like getting my feet wet.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends back in Canada! We miss you all. Pretty low key but delicious supper of huevos rancheros with all the fixings in a tortilla made by my resident turkey. (I know Aunt Doreen, You can take the muleskinners out of Mexico but you can’t take the Mexico out of the muleskinners.) We gobble gobbled it all up and toasted with water and wine to all the many things we were thankful for. (The first and foremost was that we weren’t spending this day with a certain guide. Just kidding. We really don’t think of him much anymore. Now if the nightmares would just go away.) Seriously though we have been very blessed and have had the recent opportunity to compare on many levels what we are fortunate enough to have. And not just the material things. Companionship, trust, love, security and acceptance of family and friends and the ability to get up in the morning and look at ourselves in the mirror knowing we were reasonably decent people. Okay, and I didn’t even have any wine. Where did that soap box come from? Thank you to all of you for being who you are as well. Over and out. The elephant butte has left the building.”