Las Cruces, via Tubac

The dogs and I left Tucson a day early and detoured to the south on our way back to Las Cruces. Went down I-19 to a little town called Tubac, which I call Arizona's answer to Taos. Charming little town in a shallow valley with a river going through it. Can't remember the name of the river, but one of their shopkeepers said Tubac boasts the longest stretch of cottonwood trees in the world. It was pretty, I'll admit that. The cottonwoods that far south have all sprouted green.

I found a couple pieces of jewelry and the dogs and I were headed back by 10:AM. Their shops open early just for folks like me who want to look, get what we want, and get back on the road early enough in the day to arrive wherever we're going at a decent hour.

The trip on I-10 headed east to Las Cruces was a journey through "All the Cacti You'll Ever Want to See, and Then Some". I'll bet I've seen more different varieties of cacti than I ever knew existed. Particularly pretty, in a sort of stunning way, are the saguaros. Some of them are twenty feet tall. I saw ocotillo, barrel, prickly pear, cholla, and others I can't name. A lot of them are blooming.

We arrived back in Sunny Acres RV Park in Las Cruces around 5:30 PM, just after their office had closed. Pulled into a pull-through space, looked at a few email and went to bed around 10:30. This morning bright and early I visited the office and got reassigned to a non-pull-through space (less expensive) and paid for a month's stay. I figure that's enough time for the cold weather to ease in Albuquerque and I can make my way north. There's a native American gathering I'd like to visit at University of New Mexico on April 26th, plus Marc and family and friend Deb are there. I figure I might stay as long as a month there as well.

The tulips and irises are blooming here in Las Cruces; it's those sunny days and cold nights that encourage them. Lots of the fruit trees here in the Las Cruces farming community are blooming, but I notice the pecan trees, of which there are groves and groves, and which are the latest greening of all the nut trees, never in danger of frost, are still barren, so maybe we're in for one last cold spell, even though daytime temps here in Las Cruces are approaching the high 70s.

Took out my maps and worked on my weak navigating skills last night and decided to go this morning to Mesilla, NM, just down the road from Las Cruces. It is, quite literally, just down the road from the RV park, come to find out. Mesilla has quite a history. After the Gadsden Purchase in the mid-1800s, Mesilla was the capital of the Confederate Arizona Territory, which included New Mexico and I think went all the way to California. It was destined to be the only territory of the Confederacy.

Mesilla Plaza, in the old town square, has become another Santa Fe, Taos, and Tubac. It being a holiday weekend, it was very crowded, and there were a good number of cars bearing license plates from all over. I found some goodies to send to family and a couple more pieces of jewelry and lunch at the Double Eagle restaurant, which used to be the largest house in Mesilla. Its construction was begun in the late 1840s and has since been put on the National Register of Historic Places. Judge Roy Bean got his start in Mesilla. Billy the Kid used to go there and raise hell once in a while and even stood trial there once. There is much original, very old art in the restaurant, from all over the world. The food's very good, but even if it weren't, the place is worth visiting just from an historic viewpoint.

After walking a good two miles at the Plaza, I'm back in the motorhome, and need to walk the dogs. I plan to try and get out and see as much of the area as I can and will report later.


Las Cruces, NM Elev: 2900' to 4200'