Las Cruces, NM
Las Cruces, NM was our first stop after leaving western Texas. We planned a short stay but wished we could have stayed much longer. After setting up, we took care of some basic chores like laundry and grocery shopping. When we had stopped at a rest area, we found that the bikes on the bike rack had tipped over. The root cause was a flat tire on Amy’s bike which made the restraining bar less effective, allowing the bike to fall to one side. So, we had to patch the bike tube. We speculate that the tube failed while bike riding in San Angelo State Park a couple of weeks ago but we haven’t touched the bikes since then. After completing our chores, we treated ourselves to a nice meal at the local Picacho Peak Brewery.
Since we only had one full day to spend in Las Cruces, we wanted to take advantage of the abundant hiking trails in the area so we took a short drive to Picacho Mountain. There are several paths up and around the mountain and nearby box and slot canyons, but we chose to hike up to the peak. Along the way from where we parked our truck and the base of the mountain, we met up with a guy who has lived in Las Cruces since retiring nearly 20 years ago. He and his wife spend the winter in Las Cruces and the summer near Spokane, WA. He had lots of great recommendations for hiking and clearly loves the area. He gave us a few tips for hiking Picacho and we parted ways before we reached the trailhead. The hike was moderately difficult and it was great to get back out and about after spending the last couple weeks stuck in the RV due to cold weather and lack of hiking trails. Shortly after reaching the top, another couple came along and greeted us with “You must be the couple from Rochester.” That took us by surprise! Turns out they know the first fellow we had met and he had told them about us. They also spend the winter months in Las Cruces and they pointed out several areas of interest that they enjoy. It was really nice to talk with these friendly people who are so enthusiastic about the area and what it has to offer. We definitely want to come back for a longer stay so we can explore more of what Las Cruces has to offer.
Glad you were able to get back to hiking and the great outdoors. The scenery and terrain is so “opposite” from NYS! How soon before you do your first “off grid” stay someplace?
Starting Monday, January 14 we will be spending 2 weeks off grid but we won’t be alone. We are going to be at an annual large gathering of RVs in Quartzsite, AZ. http://rvlife.com/whats-the-big-deal-about-quartzsite/
It’s great to hear you enjoyed Las Cruces! As for Amy’s bike tire…I wonder if the tire found a goat’s head (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat's_head). They are all over the west. Goat’s heads are nasty, especially if they get in your RV and your bare foot finds one. The hubby had one puncture his bike tire once.