Dec 10, 2012 - Lunch atop Turtleback Mountain

If I’m in an area long enough, it’s just a matter of time before I start looking for places to explore. When we arrived here in T or C, NM… one of the pictures I took included a mountain range visible from our campsite. It wasn’t until I began reading about the area that I realized the tallest mountain was called Turtleback, and once a “local” mentioned it was a popular hiking destination… well, it was on my list of things to do. (Whether you call it Turtleback, or Squirrel Back Mountain, depends on which side of the peak you consider the...

Dec 5, 2012 - Truth or Consequences, NM

The countryside is dotted with towns that don’t look like much on the surface, but have interesting back stories upon further study. Truth or Consequences, NM is such a town. Half the town is more contemporary, with a Main street lined with familiar names: McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, etc… but drive further, and another town exists. Originally named Hot Springs, the town got its start in 1910 when the first homestead was filed, but people have come here for the natural hot springs since before Spanish settlers showed up in 1598. Upon...

Nov 16, 2012 - Exploring our possibilities and our warm and lovely southwest

We spent a week with Ron and Genny and the spoiled us rotten! She is a wonderful baker and cook and it was nice eating someone else's cooking. We feel like we have known each other our whole lives and they opened up their home to us, making us feel so welcome! When we were packing up to leave, she told us that they had a mattress that would fit our bed. It is nearly new and such good quality! Ours was so hard and the wire wasn't padded anymore. It was almost like sleeping on the floor! We are so blessed!! We had a wonderful night's sleep...

Oct 2, 2012 - Elephant Bluffs Lake State Park

We are at the most beautiful location. We are on a bluff overlooking Elephant Bluffs Lake in the state park. It is a back in site so we look over the lake out the windshield. The lake is down right now as the dam has been opened. The river is the Rio Grande. We followed the west side of the valley all this morning (124 miles) and enjoyed looking at the green, GREEN crops where they pull water from the river. We will be here for 3 nights - just relaxing - no plans - no schedules - no nothing. We even passed some good looking restaurants so I...

May 17, 2012 - Elephant Butte State Camp

Did not get up until 7:30 (!) to a clear but cool morning. I think we are averaging about 9 hours of “good” sleep a night despite potty breaks. (We don’t get this in Sonoma). Had some breakfast, broke down camp and drove to take showers. This is an “administrative” day. We are headed to Las Cruces but want to break up the 375 mile drive. Headed down Hwy 84 through lovely forested mesas. As we neared Santa Fe we found much more of a desert like terrain. Trader Joe’s was right off Route 25 where we had shopped when we visited with the...

Mar 1, 2012 - Truth or Consequences

Only in New Mexico. Truth or Consequences (T or C) was renamed for some silly TV show in the 1950's and the name stayed. There is nothing much here except a big dam. Every school or public holiday the town grows in size with people fishing and boating on the dam. Except at the moment because there has been a drought for years and there is bugger all water. The towns original name was 'Hot Springs' because they have quite a few and are supposed to be great for whatever ails you. Just out of T or C is a nice little village called Chloride....

Feb 10, 2012 - Truth or Consequences NM and the Bosque NWR

We wanted to visit the Bosque de Apache NWR midway between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. We have heard about the birds at Bosque from a couple of different biologists in our travels. We missed going there 2 years ago when we were in southern New Mexico. The closest RV Park for our stay was in Truth and Consequences (T&C). The Monday trip from Tucson was 300 miles but it did not seem that long since it was all Interstate Highway with little traffic. We arrived about dark at the RJ RV Park in T&C. It was an older park and all gravel. We were...

Oct 13, 2010 - Truth or Consequences

October There were so many pictures of the Balloon Fiesta that we decided to include a few more in this update. While in Albuquerque, we did take time to go down to Old Town for lunch and a bit of shopping before heading back for the last night of the Fiesta. Sunday we headed over to Santa Fe for our last two days with Linda and Bob. We could have spent 10 days there and not visited half the galleries or stores. When we saw the prices of things, both Bob and I went into panic mode and felt lucky to have gotten out of there with only a $4...

May 3, 2010 - Days 28-30

Stopped at Truth & Consequences. Heard about mineral spring baths from a RV neighbor. They were very enjoyable with both public and private tile tubs. Mary chose the private as Bob would not wear a suit. stayed two nites and indulged both nites. Great for the aging traveling backs. so far, this was the highlite of our trip! T or C had a parade celebrating 40 yrs of the name T or C. As the story goes, Bob Barker of the radio Game show Truth or Consequences offered to advertise any town that would change their name to T or C. The town's...

Mar 6, 2010 - Truth or Consequences

From Sunny Acres RV Park, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, fifty miles NW from El Paso. You may (or may not) have heard of the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Whether you have or not, here is the trivia question…… What connection, if any, does the town have with the radio and later TV game show of the same name?? Or is it merely coincidental that the two share the same name?? Well, since it is only 75 miles north of Las Cruces alongside I-25, I now have the answer to those questions. And since knowledge-gained is wasted unless it is...

Feb 26, 2010 - BURN MORE RUBBER

Headed for Truth or Consequences today. We are especially excited because we get MAIL. Hope I get my backpacker magazine. Arrived at T or C and had two camps to choose from. Decided to stay at Percha Dam State Park. Nice camp,all the sites are pull thru's. Ran into T or C and Bev made reservations for a private mineral spa for tomorrow at 3 o clock. Drove up and around Elephant Butte Lake. This place is enormous and is the most visited park in New Mexico. Lots of different camps. The Dam there is unreal with a camp just at the bottom along...

Jun 11, 2008 - day 60 to truth or consequences camp

day 60 was hot and very windy - we left taos, nm drove through the new mexico desert camping in truth or consequences - temps were in the high 90s with 50/60mph wind gusts and many sand storms... photos today are odd-n-ends of things in the desert passing santa fe and albuquerque...it was harder driving through the heat and wind then hiking the dunes or arches... DAY 60 TO TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES PHOTOS ron/barbara