Day 9
I didn’t sleep great & was awake before my 3am alarm went off. I’ve been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta more than 20 years ago, but much has changed since then. I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic, so I just left. I wasn’t sure if the parking lot would be open (it’s $20—cash only; more than the price of a ticket into the Fiesta), but they were happy to take my money early this morning. I parked my 4Runner…I was about #10 in the lot; made it into the front row. Then I crawled into the back & tried to go back to sleep for a couple of hours.
Today was the Shapes Rodeo…all the special shaped balloons were highlighted today.
Then I went onto the dark field, on this chilly morning. People were everywhere already, but you had to be careful where you stepped…people were laying out rolled up on blankets & difficult to see. But, this Fiesta is pretty magical & I so wished Emma & Claire had been able to be here with me!
The sky eventually grew light, & the winds didn’t seem around by then, but somewhere up above, the winds were too bad for the balloons to take off. This would turn out to be the only day the balloons couldn’t fly. But, on the upside, because it wasn’t windy down on the field, the balloons did a ‘static show’; which means they can inflate, but not lift off. It was still really cool to see all these super colorful, huge & fun shapes & be able to walk so near to them.
This was tagged as the largest balloon in the Fiesta this year!
The show was over & balloons deflated by around 9am. There is still much to do there, for some. A huge midway filled with food booths (I would say not the best of New Mexican food, but tons of people were chowing down), an Artists Tent, some vendor booths & of course, lots of souvenir shops. But, after the balloons were deflated, I left.
I was feeling much better & ready to hit the trails. I found one in the Sandia mountains & took off to find the trailhead for the Piedra Lisa trail. It’s a 4.5 mile trail with 1,300’ elevation.
It was another gorgeous day in New Mexico!
Near the top!
I felt good during the whole hike…almost normal. So very happy happy about that! Now it was time for lunch & I’d heard about the Owl Cafe along Route 66. It’s sort of an old fashioned diner, with Green Chile Cheeseburgers (what they are known for) & Shakes. The burger was OK…not as great as most that I’ve had, but they bring you a tiny dish of pinto beans with green chiles as a free taster…they were good.
Then I drove to the Plaza in Old Town to walk around & visit Noisy Water Winery. I had a free tasting card, so I sat outside on their porch & people watched. It was there I met Dave & Carolyn…a local couple about my age. We had such an interesting conversation. I love to meet people on my travels. We sat there for over an hour & my wine tasting, ended up with me buying a full glass of my favorite Green Chile white wine…the three of us weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere & we were all enjoying our visit.
As the day grew later, I went to my favorite bar in Old Town…the High Noon Saloon. Today I had the Green Chile Stew & a prickly pear margarita & the cherry on top was a 45 minute conversation with a guy named Bill who worked there. He spoke about the history, the culture & the people of NM. Just fascinating!
I went back to my dirt patch for the night, tucked in & read.
Day 10
The balloons would fly this morning, but I didn’t want to fight the traffic, buy another parking spot & Fiesta ticket. So I joined a whole lot of others that parked along the roads, in city parks, in large parking lots to watch the balloon fly! Not great for photography, but still super cool to watch the sky fill with these colorful balloons!
It was now time for me to move south towards Las Cruces. I made the 3+ hour drive with one special yummy stop before I found camp! Fantastic! A Green Chile & Salted Pecan sundae from Caliches! SO freaking good!
The Organ Mountains….pretty cool. This time I’m camping on the East side of these mountains.
I bought a campsite at a BLM campground in Aguirre Springs…it was $3.50 a night.
Then I drove back into Las Cruces for my late lunch to a place I’d been before. Really good Green Chile burger (they call it the Lava burger) & a Chile beer at the Pecan Grill & Brewery. I also bought a 6 pack of their famous Pecan beer to bring home.
My view from camp as I enjoyed the evening, finished my leftovers for dinner, & read. Again, feeling pretty good & happy to be in a beautiful place. I was planning on being here for a couple of nights.
Day 11
My alarm went off early this morning & I drove away from camp in the dark. This morning is the Annular Solar Eclipse & I was headed towards White Sands National Park…before the crowds & before the missile range was scheduled to close the main highway leading into the park. I was the third one in the park & drove towards the back of the park to the Alkali Flats trailhead. It wasn’t my intention to hike this trail today, but once I got there, I couldn’t resist. I was a bit lightheaded, but I’m learning to do things in spite of it. I loaded up my bigger pack, made sure I had lots of water & snacks & my eclipse glasses. It was a chilly morning, but you get warmed up fast hiking up those sand dunes!
It was a perfect place to watch the sunrise!
When the time for the eclipse got closer, I hiked a bit off the trail to a higher dune & set up to photograph & watch this happen. Unfortunately, none of the photos I took with my phone—with the glasses on the lens or no glasses- turned out. I tried a time lapse video which also did not turn out. Sitting there on the dune for over an hour, I got so cold I was shivering. My warmer layers were in my backpack which I’d used to prop up my time lapse. Finally, I stopped the video, layered up, & hiked back to the trail. Every once in awhile, I put on my e-glasses, stop & look up at the eclipse.
But, in truth, I enjoyed the hike more than the eclipse…it was just so great to be back on the trail. This was my second time to hike this trail….the first time I did it I was pretty nervous. There’s no map, you just have to find the next post to hike to. But, it’s so surreal out here & easy to get lost. But this second time hiking this 4.5 mile trail, it was pure joy. So much had happened in between the last time & this time…I was so happy to be here!
Once you get away from the trailhead, there’s not too many other people are out here.
Nature is so amazing…how does this tree grow in the middle of all this sand?
Heading down one of the big dunes! So much more fun going down than up!
After my very physical hike on the dunes, I drove into Las Cruces to my favorite brewery for lunch….Bosque brewery. I usually buy a case of their Scotia Scotch Ale to bring back home. Today I had the Green Chile Falafel & their home made hummus with Green Chiles on top. It was great!
I gassed up, bought ice & water before heading back to camp.
So, when I got back from my day out, there was a truck backed tightly into my site. The bed was filled with camping stuff, but there was no one around. I walked across the road to my neighbors & asked if they knew who the truck belonged to. They said no, a couple of cars had been in & out of my site all day. The campground was filled with very large groups, so I thought maybe the truck belonged to one of them & soon they’d be back to move it (although it was backed up right to my picnic table). I eventually backed in 4Runner—the truck wouldn’t be able to get out until I moved—but I wanted to use the back & set up for the evening. The camp host rode by eventually & I told him about it. He offered to drive me around & see if there was another site open; otherwise there was little he could do. I said thanks but no, I’d stay in this site & deal with it.
A couple of hours went by, I was sitting in my chair with my feet propped up on the picnic table drinking a beer & reading my book, when a couple walked up. The man had hit his key fob several times alerting me to their approach. He looked surprised to see me in my spot. I stood up & said politely, “I’ll just move my 4Runner so you can get your truck out”. To which he said, “why?”
Now more perturbed, I said that I was camping there. See my pink ticket on the post? No he said he never looked at those. I knew a bullshit answer. So, we just stared at each other for a minute or so, then I repeated I’d move my SUV then he needed to leave. He said OK. What a rude jerk; but I wasn’t going to let some guy run me out of my site.
Happy to be in my campsite alone!
Day 12
There was a hiking trail that wound up into the Organ mountains right near my campsite. I drove out of my site & to the trailhead this morning, feeling good again…yay!
A sweet friend of mine who used to live in Las Cruces said I should really come to this tiny in the middle of nowhere bar…& I love it when people I know give me recommendations. And, that’s how I found myself eating an early lunch at Chopes Bar. PS: Michele, is one of the many who have been so wonderful during this shitty summer. She’s come to the house, met me for coffee on good days & kept in touch…it means so much!
The waitress suggested the Chili & the Chile Rellenos. I loved the chili, but not their version of their Rellenos. But I had a wonderful discussion with the current family owner…the great great grandson of the original owner. He was very interested of what people in the midwest thought of New Mexico. I said most of my non traveling friends & neighbors never even bring up the state in conversation. The opinionated ones I know, hate California (although they never really go there & it’s one of the most diverse states—in every way— in our country. Impossible to judge the whole state as the same…but I hear it over & over. I LOVE California!) But I told him my traveling friends love New Mexico. This is my 5th trip in two years & 6 months of that time I wasn’t traveling anywhere.
It was opening time for the Rio Grande Winery & I needed to know if I could stay tonight or not. I told the girl at the bar what I’d been told & she said no problem. She told me they were having live music & a food truck starting this evening & to make myself at home….no matter I didn’t have the right membership.
So, I made Plan B…again. I was planning on staying around the area tomorrow for a bit so I could visit Mesilla…a little town that’s very old & fun to wander in & eat the Double Eagle restaurant. But, it seemed I had time to do it all today (eat more food!) & move my trip up by a day & still be back in time to enjoy the goings on at the winery. So, I drove to Mesilla.
New Mexico grows a huge amount of pecans….in this area you drive through so many pecan groves…really beautiful!
Cotton fields along my drive too.
The bar inside the Double Eagle restaurant in Mesilla. I had a spicy cucumber & jalapeño margarita & the Green Chile Cheese wontons. This is a very interesting place…the bar is from Billy the Kid’s bar somewhere else in New Mexico; there is a restaurant inside this one…sort of a courtyard spot called Peppers; there are several small dining rooms around the courtyard decorated very formally & much more expensive food & a ghost sometimes appears here.
I was stuffed, tired (one of the several things that haven’t returned to normal in my body is my energy level. It drives me crazy that such small things make me tired. But I am of the mindset my body is still healing. The energy will return!) So, I went back to the winery & parked at very farthest edge of the parking lot. There was one giant 5th wheel already parked on the opposite far side of the parking lot. Nice view of the Organ mountains!
The rig next to mine. They got out a couple of times & walked around necks straining to see what I was doing. They might have felt I didn’t belong there. In truth, the place I normally disperse camp here in Las Cruces is right at the base of the west side of the Organ mountains. There’s no city or highways in between. It was nice the winery allowed me to camp here, but next time I’ll just go back to the spot that I think is way better!
I bought a glass of wine, passed on the BBQ food truck (that smelled so good, but if I ate one more morsel today, I’d explode!) & listen to the music.
It always makes me happy to see women out there enjoying life by dancing….& they’re not waiting for a man to join them.
After my wine, I went back to my little 4Runner to tuck in. By nights end there were a total of 3 RV’s in the lot.