Hello. This has been such a wonderful weekend! We have seen such wonderful things and done
some awesome things as well. We decided
to get away for a couple of days so we headed south to Las Cruces, which is
about 70 miles from Truth or Consequences.
Friday: As we were entering Las Cruces, we saw the
sign to White Sands Monument so we headed in that direction. We had friends who visited that place last
week and highly suggested we see it. It
was a nice ride, seeing the mountains all around us. As we looked ahead we saw we needed to go
OVER the mountain and I got nervous.
However, as we drove, the mountains separated and we drove between
them! Then there was a sign that said
Entering White Sands Missile Range. That
was cool! So all we saw was DESERT and
more DESERT. Nothing… Not even
animals! But about 20 miles down the
road there was a sign that said White Sands Museum. WE love museums, so we headed off in that
direction. The more we drove, the more I
wondered if we were going somewhere where we shouldn’t be going… but finally,
it said we needed an ID to enter the White Sands Military Base! That excited both of us. We love Commissary’s and were hoping they had
one. Sure enough.. they did and we
wandered around it for about 45 minutes.
Then when we came out, we saw the Missile Museum. Now THAT was fascinating! We walked all through it seeing different
types of missiles, rockets, Howitzers and bombs. The atomic bomb that dropped on
Nagasaki! It was so interesting and I
took pictures, of course!
When we finally left there, we headed
to the White Sands Monument. We drove
and drove for 30 miles when we saw the entrance to the National Park. I was waiting to see a “monument” until I
realized the White Sand was the monument!
It is so beautiful! The longer we
drove the more White Sand we saw. It
actually looks like SNOW! We got out and
took a 1 mile hike through the White Sands.
It was fascinating. Pictures and
more pictures!
When we left the White Sands, we went
to the Visitor Center. We saw a video of
how the White Sands was many, many years ago.
It was so interesting, I bought the DVD!! Its hard to believe there was a time when
there was so much water over the White Sands during the Monsoon period. Now, they are in such a drought. It truly is sad.
When we left there we headed out to
eat at Furrs Buffet. If you ever see
one, stop and eat there. Fabulous
food! Oh, along the way, we stopped at Kohl’s
and Burl was very generous buying me an outfit for church. He is so sweet!
Saturday: We got up, went to the Farmers Market and
then headed to Mesilla, pronounced Mesea (2 LL’s make a y). Here is some
history.
After
1800, the vicinity of Mesilla was a camping and foraging spot for both
Spaniards and Mexicans. It wasn't until after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
in 1848 that the first permanent settlers came to Mesilla to make it their
home. By 1850, Mesilla was a firmly established colony. In 1854, the village, being closer to the
fort than either Las Cruces or Dona Ana, became the supply center for the
garrisoned troops, providing entertainment, food, hay and building materials.
The Mexican inhabitants of Mesilla also provided the knowledge needed to build
a fort of adobe. The colony of Mesilla flourished. It was a major stop on the
crossroads of the Chihuahua Trail, and now the fort demanded items Easterners
were accustomed to having. Business prospered and Anglo merchants such as
Fountain, Reynolds, Griggs, and Bean, many of whom had come with the first
armies were among those who reaped the profits of commerce. In 1854, The
Gadsden Purchase declared Mesilla officially part of the United States. As
Mesilla was the most important community in this parcel, the treaty was
consummated by the raising of the American flag on the town plaza with much
ceremony on November 16, 1854.
We
walked all around and I found some of the most darling shops. Of course, I shopped! I bought some long skirts that will fit
perfectly around this Mexican area. I
love it! We saw a beautiful church, but
I guess either a wedding or service had just taken place, so I didn’t feel good
about going inside. We walked around and saw lots of neat things. I’ll have pictures to show you. Then we went to Applebee’s and more
shopping. Nothing of interest. We finally headed home about 4:30. We had such a great time. 