Is It a Winter Wonderland or the White Sands National Monument?

From Truth or Consequences, we headed south to Las Cruces. We debated where we would stay. There is a state park outside of town but it was a drive in to sightsee. I have stayed at the Coachlight Inn and RV Park before but the reviews were not good. Other parks are rather expensive and didn't sound that inviting. Carolyn called and talked to the manager at Coachlight. We decided to check it out. The motel is rundown, the pool is closed, etc. however, the manager could not have been more helpful. The RV park was neat, quiet, and the utilities all worked. All of us have EMS systems so we were sure the electric was okay. There were some RVs that looked like they were there longer term but their sites were neat and we felt quite safe there.  We heard that the motel was bought out and renovations are starting. Not a super PA park but perfectly okay for our purposes.

Our first place to visit was White Sands. We saw this as we headed out.

There are some interesting painted water storage tanks and we were able to get pictures of a couple.

As we left Las Cruces heading east and north, we saw this.

And then we saw this...….the highway was temporarily closed due to missiles being tested in the area. This is not unusual. It is the only highway so you just wait patiently. It is nice to have an RV when this happens.

Carolyn found this while she was out checking progress. Have to say they were prepared for stops like this as there are bathrooms and the traffic is lined up in rows so it doesn't stretch so far back and block other areas.

Once we were back on the move, we ran into this. Again, not a big deal.....southern states are used to checkpoints.

Traffic moved through efficiently with a minimum of delay.

This is the entry to White Sands National Monument.

They have a decent museum inside that you don't want to miss.

It covers a lot of history.

The sand is very soft compared to most sand.

A look inside the walls of the museum.

Once you are on the road, you need to follow the rules carefully in terms of speed limits and where you can and cannot stop.

Aw, looks like snow but isn't cold. It is even whiter than it looks in these photos.

Nope, definitely not snow.

They have a nice boardwalk with lots of info about what you are seeing......and there is a lot more to see than you would expect.

Lots of plants inspite of the desert setting.

There are areas where you can park and go play in the sand.

Carolyn was worried about getting sand all over her feet and not having water to wash it off but I convinced her to feel it and it brushes right off so she had her time in the sand.

We could see a storm rolling in on one side.

Carolyn met a couple of new friends in the sand.

It was definitely a new experience for a girl from Louisiana.

Time to go before the rain hits us.

Geronimo Springs Museum Plus a Couple of Old Mining Towns

The next morning we went back downtown to the Geronimo Springs Museum. To say that this place has a little of everything would be an under exaggeration.

Even before you enter the museum, there is a lot to see out on the grounds.

Once you got inside it was almost overwhelming.

There were quite a few different rooms. Here we are walking into a room that is just like an old cabin would have been set up.

Actually, it held way more than an ordinary cabin would have.

Back outside the cabin room, we saw a collection of pottery.

And then the LaMay Collection.

And then we were back to a more current western area display.

Then back to an earlier century.

We finally made it to the room with Geronimo memorabilia.

And then we were back to prehistoric time with dinosaur bones.

Next room up had clothes from earlier years.

Be sure to allow plenty of time because there is so much to see. About this time I was getting hot and dizzy as it was warm inside. All three of us got separated so I went outside for some fresh air.

After some lunch and cooler air, I was feeling better so we decided to head out to see a couple of small towns that were supposed to be interesting.

First stop was Winston, a mining town established in 1881 because the miners felt nearby Chloride was too rowdy. It had a few really busy years but didn't last. The general store is still open for the locals in the area as well as though who come here for hunting season.

Harley and I waited in the car while Carolyn and Mary Jane checked it out.

This was a lucky photo of wildlife that Carolyn caught. Otherwise there were mostly old abandoned buildings.

And a few colorful residences.

Chloride came to life very quickly after a silver strike in 1880.

But it died just about as quickly about 15 years later. By 1900, there were only 100 people. It is now a quiet little village for retired residents and an interesting place to visit. There are about 30 of the 300 original buildings remaining from derelicts to restored beauties.

Wall Street is the main street. You will find the Pioneer Store which is now a museum of an authentic 1880's mercantile. The Monte Cristo Saloon & Dance Hall are now a gift shop and a gallery featuring local artist. There is a nice rest area with picnic tables and the Apache Kid RV Park with full hookups plus the Pye Cabin which has been restored as a vacation rental.

The Chloride Bank is now a café.

The restored buildings including the Pioneer Museum store and Monte Cristo Art Gallery were worth the trip. Plus we got to meet the retired couple who is pretty much responsible for this as well as the RV park. A family pulling a travel trailer pulled in before we left. We got a chance to talk to them and the woman told us she found the park on the Internet and they were just looking for a quiet place to get away from Las Cruces for the weekend.

Sometimes you see the strangest things.

These signs were back by the entrance to the town.

There were a few other places along the road in.

This is the old school or what is left of it.

Another adventure completed. You only have to look to find interesting things around you.