Las Cruces Trip

We just returned from a week in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We are in the process of building a retirement home there and plan to move in 3 or 4 years. In the meantime, most of our vacation time has been spent in New Mexico for the past seven or eight years. Each time we travel there we find new areas and activities to explore. We also return to favorite places as well. We usually fly into El Paso, Texas since it is only 45 minutes away. I was suprised when my husband informed me that El Paso is the 22nd largest city in the U.S. In addition, it is on the border of the U. S. and Juarez, Mexico. We have been to Juarez in the past but it is too dangerous to go there now. Despite this, El Paso evidently has a pretty good "safe city" record.

Las Cruces is in the Rio Grande River Valley, has a population of around 90,000, the second largest city in NM. It is the home of New Mexico State University and the stunning Organ Mountain range which can be seen everywhere you go in the city. Agriculture is very important. Chiles, corn, and pecans are grown in abundance. Hatch, NM, which is known for mass growing of chiles , is about 20 minutes away. There are also several vineyards around. The White Sands Missile Range is one of the major employers of the area. A new spaceport is being built within an hour or two drive of the area as well.

Las Cruces is hot and dry but has a fairly high elevation of between 4000 and 5000 feet so it cools off in the evenings in the hottest summer months and the fall, winter and spring seasons are wonderful. Mountain ranges of 7000-10,000 feet are within a couple of hours to the east, west, and north so it is very easy to escape the heat with a day trip.

I will post some of our experiences in New Mexico in the days, weeks, and months to come.