Alto/Ruidoso, NM

SUN., JUNE 19, 2022 thru SAT., JULY 16, 2022

We traveled 100 miles west from Roswell on the most scenic roads imaginable to arrive in Alto, NM at Little Creek RV Park on Sunday, June 19th. Temps dropped 30 degrees. Why? Because our elevation is over 7,500 ft. We’re here for a month with (bro) Andy, (sis-in-law) Linda and adopted family Cheryl & Joe. We’ll be joined in a few weeks by my other brother Bob and lovely Deb. Family time! This happens to be Monsoon Season so we are having on and off rain in the afternoons. Not every day and not all day, but you need to be weather aware and have rain jackets handy. I didn’t know that there was such a thing as Monsoon Season in the U.S. I thought that was something that the Middle East and Asia had to deal with. Temps in the morning are frequently in the mid-50s and it warms up to low 80s. Delightful! Gorgeous ride thru the mountains to arrive here. At the moment the mountains are brown, but we’re told by L&A that they’ll turn green again with all the rain. They are called Sierra Blanca (White Mountains), which is ironic since we felt the ride here was reminiscent of driving along I-93 to the White Mountains in NH. We were meant to be here! 

We are feeling some effects from the high elevation… Gary had a headache the first few days, and we all get winded more easily when we’re walking. Every packaged item in the RV is puffed up with air. Not just a potato chip bag, but also yogurt containers. It’s pretty funny. 

Deer, elk, and wild horses abound in this area. You can see them wondering around near the campground, along the sides of the road, downtown, and even munching in peoples yards. It’s wild! I’ve never seen anything like it. One of our first nights at the campground we saw 4 mule deer near our site. One was right outside our window. Sweeeet!

Our first several days here we were getting caught up on chores. Also, since we were still testing positive from Covid (although our symptoms were gone), we were keeping our distance from L&A so as not to infect them. Finally on Friday, June 24th, Gary & I headed out for a 3-mile walk, which happened to be around a golf course. We were treated to seeing 5 female elk cows grazing. They were completely unafraid of us, and allowed us to get super close. A wonderful experience. Soooo cool! This was the first sighting by us of elk up close and personal in the Ruidoso area.

On Sunday we visited a farmer’s market in Alto, which was not well attended but still fun to visit, although no purchases were made. In the afternoon we played numerous Cornhole games and everyone had a chance to win. On Monday we enjoyed wine and cheese at the clubhouse followed by Mexican Train with our group. 

On Tuesday, June 28th, we headed into downtown Ruidoso with Cheryl & Joe for some shopping and a “mural walk.” Lovely downtown area. Gary likened it to a Western version of Bar Harbor, Maine. Rather than seeing views of the ocean in the downtown area, we were surrounded by mountains, quaint shops, and the occasional sighting of wildlife, which we saw on this day.  More female cow elks! There’s even access to the Lincoln National Forest downtown, which was initially closed when we arrived because of a wildfire threat. Sobering. 

Wednesday, June 29th, four of us (Cheryl, Joe, Linda and I) headed off to do some touring in the Ruidoso area. (Gary was going to use the good weather to get some maintenance done around our tiny home.) Our first stop was Windy Point Vista up a 10,000 ft high elevation just 2 miles shy of Ski Apache. Big thanks to Joe for researching this great spot! It’s a spectacular vantage point to see the entire Lincoln National Forest and Tularosa Basin. Although the road is paved, there were many switch backs. Cheryl was our fearless driver and did a great job! After that Linda navigated us over to see the recent April McBride fire in Ruidoso where 200 structures were burned and 2 people lost their lives. Utterly strange to see one home unscathed while the next was burned to the ground. So very sad. And some of these homes were magnificent with gorgeous views. Then Linda directed us to another community near our campground with beautiful homes and known for having wildlife wander thru. We saw both… beautiful homes and wildlife! I used Gary’s camera to get some closeups of the wild horses and a young bull elk that were grazing in someone’s yard. We ended up taking a bumpy dirt road out of there for a more “scenic” route back to the campground which wasn’t Cheryl’s favorite! But we lived to tell the tale and did not get stuck anywheres. A delightful day… thanks to Cheryl’s driving, Linda’s navigation, and Joe’s finding of the spectacular vantage point near Ski Apache… where we didn’t have to pay $40 per person for a gondola ride for the same view. I was just along for the ride! 

Thursday, June 30th, the four of us visited Fort Stanton. (Linda & Andy had already been since this is their 5th time in this area.) We drove over via “Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway.” Amazing scenery around here! Fort Stanton is situated on 240 acres with 88 buildings, it’s huge! Many of the buildings are not open to the public, but enough are that it was an interesting self-guided tour. Established in 1855, it has quite the history… it was initially built to protect settlers from the Mescalero Apache attacks. It played a part in the civil war. It was the first Military Tuberculosis Hospital in NM (1899 – 1953) and had a high patient success ratio. During the Great Depression, it was home to a CCC work camp. And during WWII, the fort even became a German internment camp for over four years for 410 German men who were working on a luxury German cruise ship just before Germany invaded Poland. After Germany invaded, other neighboring countries wouldn’t let the ship pass. The men ended up in San Francisco then got sent to Fort Stanton. Don’t feel too sorry for them, they had a cushy life. They built a swimming pool, saw movies, could go hiking, had gardens, etc. We loved our time spent at this great fort. We capped it off with a stop at the Merchant Marine Military Cemetery a half mile down the road. 

On Friday morning July 1st, Cheryl, Joe, Gary & I had a great time doing the Annual Art Loop Tour in Alto NM, which took us thru the homes and studios of several Alto artists. So much fun! Some of the homes were absolutely gorgeous up on hillsides with amazing views. Cheryl volunteered to drive. Something she may have regretted, but she did great! The roads were a trip… narrow, up mountains, and no guard rails. Signs were posted that the town doesn’t plow some of these roads in the winter. Oh my. 

Among other artists, we saw the work of an abstract artist Lisa Frosch who works in acrylic, cold wax (same as George W. Bush), encaustic and oil. She gave a demonstration of the encaustic process which is a layering technique using hot bees wax. I loved her abstract work! We also all loved the work of an extremely fine detailed self-taught watercolor artist named John Schooley. He focused on western subjects. Deb Wight created beautiful pieces using crushed glass. Finally we were amazed to meet a woman who is the premier miner in all of North America. Her rock and mineral collection were incredible. She sells internationally. Her husband is a retired engineer and has helped her to work “smarter.” Still it’s back-breaking work. She’s had two shoulder replacements. Neat lady! 

(Brother) Bob & Deb arrived in the afternoon. So great to have everyone together! In the evening, thanks to Linda’s planning, all 8 of us headed out for an evening of dinner, music and dancing for those who dance. Hubby is not one, but still a very fun time!

Saturday we played cornhole in the afternoon followed by a fun burger/homemade beans dinner hosted by Linda & Andy then game playing in the evening. Linda was the big winner!

On Sunday, July 3rd, we celebrated Brother Bob’s birthday! A rarity that we could all be together to celebrate. Part of the crew golfed in the morning. Then we convened later in the day at our house for Happy Hour, dinner (Gary’s lasagna and Cheryl’s wedge salad), birthday cake, campfire and game playing (Blank Slate). A wonderful time with family and adopted family! 

On July 4th the campground had a “parade” scheduled. Adorable! Linda & Bob represented our clan by riding their bikes in the parade. Afterwards in the afternoon there was a cookout that the campground sponsored with burgers and hotdogs followed by music. Cheryl & Joe danced to a couple of tunes in the driveway. They are such good dancers! 

On Tuesday, July 5th, we visited Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, NM. Originally Smokey Bear was an ad campaign character conceived in 1944 during WWII. In 1950 in the aftermath of a devastating fire in Capitan, a badly burned bear cub was found, nursed back to health and lived out his life at the National Zoo in Washington DC. He was named “Smokey Bear.” His final resting place is here at the historic park. We also learned that the Smokey Bear ad campaign was one of the most successful in history with over 95% of children and adults recognizing Smokey and what he stands for. There were more than 4,000 Smokey works of art produced. The park also had some native plants to see and a very informative display on wildfires. We saw what we thought was the smallest hummingbird imaginable on a plant. But after talking to the park staff, we realized that it was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. Never saw one before! 

Afterwards we had lunch at Smokey Bear Restaurant. (Where else?!) Then stopped at the the burn site of the Little Bear Fire of 2012 where over 44,000 acres were burned and 240 homes destroyed. Wildfires are a scary thing around here. 

Then it was time to head back to the campground to participate in a Cornhole tournament with about 40 people. We all did pretty well with Joe going the furthest getting 2nd place with his partner. He was finally beat out by a 9 year old! Hee hee. 

On Wednesday we did a 3.25 mile bike ride with the troops. It doesn’t sound like a lot but at a 7,000 ft elevation and a few uphill climbs we were all pooped by the end, except maybe for Deb & Bob who had e-bikes. In the evening Cheryl & Joe hosted us all for a delicious Chinese dinner complete with fortune cookies! Afterwards we all watched the movie “Young Guns” in preparation for a visit to the historic town of Lincoln and learning about Billy the Kid.

Thursday, July 7th, all 8 of us visited Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, which is owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache on their 463,000 acre reservation. Unlike other Apache who caused terror, these were nomadic hunters and warriors. Their logo or symbol is a warrior dancing to the Mountain Gods to drive away sickness and evil and bring good health and good fortune to their people.

The resort is beautiful and the casino tasteful with artwork throughout by Mescalero Apache artists. It’s also set in a backdrop of the Sierra Blanca Mountains and Lake Mescalero. Some of the troops (Linda, Andy, Deb & Bob) played 9 holes of golf here in the morning. Then we all met up in the afternoon for some gambling fun. Gary played blackjack. The rest of us who wanted to gamble played the slots. No big winners unfortunately, but a fun day. I was playing with house money as we were given $10 for signing up for the casino’s card. Joe and I did a short walk by the resort’s lake before raindrops brought us in. 

The mini-pod (Cheryl, Joe, Gary & I) stopped for a “linner” at Anaheim Jacks on the way back to Ruidoso. They had quite the beer offerings. Joe had a Fat Tire. Cheryl’s beer was Love Street. I had “Locked & Loaded” and Gary opted for a Cabernet with the lovely name of “Freak Show.” The food wasn’t bad either. 

Friday six of us (C&J, Deb & Bob and Gary & I) visited the historic town of Lincoln made famous by Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War (1878 -1881). We drove over via Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. We never get tired of these mountain views!

Lincoln is the most widely visited state monument in New Mexico and is part of a community frozen in time—the 1870’s and 1880’s. The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions. The feud became famous because of the participation of William H. Bonney (“Billy the Kid”). Billy the Kid’s employer, John Tunstall was killed and that set into motion the Lincoln County War that caused as much as a quarter of the population of Lincoln to be murdered over the next 5 months. This conflict came to a head over four days, when the two warring factions barricaded themselves in local houses and stores and shot it out. Bizarre that this really happened and isn’t some Hollywood movie. Gives you goose bumps. 

The walking tour includes 17 historic buildings. Even the buildings that aren’t part of the walking tour are still historic and private residences or inns. Amazing. Most of the buildings are adobe architecture. A fascinating period of Wild West history, and one I’m grateful I didn’t have to live thru! 

After exploring for several hours, we returned home. Deb made a delicious taco dinner for everyone then we enjoyed some evening Cornhole until it got too dark to play!

Sunday, July 10th, we did a 1.75 mile hike in Lincoln National Forest with Cheryl & Joe. It was called Lower Cedar Creek Loop… but between Gary thinking it was Cedar Creek Ridge Trail and Cheryl checking us in on Facebook at the Fitness Trail, it’s a wonder we stayed on the right trail. Because if we got lost, no one would know where to look for us!

We added two new birds to our life list (Stellar’s Jay and Cassin’s Kingbird), saw a new tree and saw vertebrae (that was a bit weird). Unfortunately no deer or elk but a delightful hike with friends. It felt longer than 1.75 miles though… that elevation thing. At night the whole gang played the Phase 10 card game in the clubhouse. But not good for 8 people. Lots of complaints… from everybody! Comical. Oy. Won’t do that again. 

Monday “the mini pod” visited Valley of Fires Rec Area in Carrizozo, NM which is home to a lava flow that’s 5,000 years old making it one of the youngest and best preserved lava flows in the continental U.S. Rather than flowing from a volcano, the lava flowed from volcanic vents in the valley floor. It covers an area that is 44 miles long and 2 to 5 miles wide. The depth averages 45 ft. Wild! The rec area has a boardwalk that goes for about a mile over the lava, but you can walk for miles on to the actual lava at will, although there are rattle snakes and cracks and holes in the lava. We opted to stick to the boardwalk!  It was a hot (90 degree) day with pesky biting flies at this location. Thank goodness the Hannafords had bug spray in their truck, or we would have been in trouble. Totally worth putting up with the flies to experience being so close to the lava. Gorgeous drive over there with amazing mountain views.

In the evening we saw 2 mule deer just outside the campground. 

Tuesday, July 12th, we visited “Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway Visitors Center” with Cheryl & Joe. I was happy to see that we had covered quite a bit of the Byway just with our various jaunts out sightseeing. The Byway covers an area that’s 84 miles. We also saw a parade of nine larger-than-life horse sculptures, seemingly in full motion located in the town of Ruidoso Downs, which also happens to be where a horse track is located. The horses were in a small park-like setting in front of a closed western museum. So worth a stop! 

Then we traveled to Cloudcroft at 8,675 ft elevation. Gorgeous drive up seeing mountainous forested terrain. It looked almost sculpted. We met the other family pod members (Andy & Linda and Bob & Deb) after their golf game for lunch at Cloudcroft Brewing Company for craft beer, wood-fired pizza and lots of laughter. Afterwards, we parted ways. The 4-person non-golfing pod headed off to see the Mexican Canyon Trestle Vista Point. By now it had started raining. Darn! This trestle was along the 26-mile long logging and passenger train route in the early 1900’s that climbed 4,000 ft in elevation from Almagordo to Cloudcroft. The train traveled over 58 timber frame trestles and over 330 curves. Oh my! The railway closed in 1947. This route was called the “Cloud Climbing Route” because it passed thru the clouds at this elevation. The Mexican Canyon Trestle is 323 ft. long and 60 ft high, and is the only trestle remaining of the original 58. The trestle is closed so we couldn’t walk on it. Thankfully! I would have been scared to death! There was a 2+ mile hiking trail that may have gotten us closer but we passed on that since rain was expected for the next hour or two. Plus at these elevations you really feel it walking hills! We headed home instead!

Thursday, July 14th, the mini pod (Cheryl, Joe, Gary & I) visited Spencer Theater in Alto, NM for a tour. It’s considered a world class performing arts center with unique architecture (the exterior is limestone quarried from Spain), crystal lobby, outstanding acoustics (ranked 7th in the nation) and intimate seating with just 514 seats. It’s set amongst a backdrop of the Sacramento and Capitan Mountains and rises up out of the countryside 7 1/2 stories. It’s quite eye-catching! It’s a non-profit and opened in 1997 thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Spencer who had a vision of building a theater in an area where it would be appreciated. The stage is 5,000 sq ft. and because of the almost 7,000 ft in altitude, they pipe in oxygen to the stage. Also the theater owns two baby grand Steinways that they have to “water” because New Mexico is so dry. Don’t know what that means!  Mrs. Spencer was a personal friend of Dale Chihuly so there are four of his amazing glass installations on display. Besides the Chihuly glass, my favorite were the walls that were covered in signatures and comments from the artists who performed there over the years! A treasure!

Before we leave Alto and the Ruidoso area on Sunday, we had one last fun outing to the Ruidoso Downs Race Track on Saturday, July 16th with the “family” pod… Andy & Linda, Bob & Deb, Cheryl & Joe, and Gary & I. We all won a little bit. It’s hard to win a lot of money when you’re only betting $2! I won $2.60 on the first race and $11 on the last race. The horse’s name for the final race was “Wheels Up” which seemed entirely fitting since we’re all breaking camp Sunday morning. Deb & Bob are headed home and the six of us are headed to Cochiti Rec Area on Cochiti Lake in NM. 

We’ve had an awesome month in Ruidoso. Wonderful temps, great time spent with family including sight seeing, lots of game playing, eating good food, and yes a few adult beverages. Plus the chance to see so much wildlife! We would definitely come back to this area!

As an aside, I have never seen as many hummingbirds as in the state of New Mexico. I did a short video at a fellow camper’s feeder…

One final thought… I had fun figuring out some stats on our travels while parked here! Since picking up our tiny home in 2017, we’ve visited 37 states and stayed in 150 campgrounds (32 were repeats of our favorites). Gary’s towed 31,000 miles, and we’ve traveled many more miles on sightseeing adventures. I’ve written 105 blog posts of our travels on our website. And we’ve been full-time RVing for a little over 2 1/2 years. We wouldn’t change a thing! The memories, the amazing sights we’ve seen, and time spent with family and friends are all priceless. 

Onward to Cochiti Lake, New Mexico!