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Recipes Beverages USA Southwest
LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, USA – After fifty plus years of traveling the US, a good part of it spent actually living on the road while working as a circus performer, I’ve passed by and through Las Cruces, New Mexico more times than I can count. I suspect lots of road trip junkies do the same thing. But wait! It’s time to take the nearest Las Cruces exit and stop. There’s way more here than meets the eye when whizzing past on a long and particularly monotonous stretch of interstate.
An air of mystery surrounds the place starting with the town’s strange name, which translates to ”the Crosses.” A who’s who of wild west American history have lived in or left their marks on this area – Pancho Villa, Geronimo, Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, Judge Roy Bean and more. Towns along the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway, now but ghosts of their mining glory days, still look much as they did over a hundred years ago, albeit with far fewer residents. So does nearby historic Old Town Mesilla where interesting shops and restaurants are housed in historic structures that give visitors the feeling they stepped back into time.
Facing Future
As vibrant as Las Cruces’ historic heritage may be, this corner of New Mexico has its feet firmly planted in the future as it prepares to launch the nation’s first commercial spaceport with help from Virgin Galactic. You read that correctly, it’s not science fiction. Ordinary humans just like you and I will soon have the opportunity to travel into space, provided they can pony up the $200,000 fee. The future arrives in 2010 when hard hat tours of Spaceport America commence.
This region has always been on technology’s cutting edge. Nearby White Sands National Missile Range served as the birthplace of America’s missile and space activity and continues to provide the Army, Navy, Air Force, US Department of Defense, and other customers with high quality services for experimentation, test, research, assessment, development, and training.
Adjacent White Sands National Monument provides a great place to observe a missile launch. Even if none are scheduled the park’s 126,000 acre gypsum field – the largest in the world (pictured right) – supplies spectacular scenery, insightful nature hikes, and tons of fun for those who choose to go sledding on the ever shifting white gypsum sand dunes.
The landscape looks like snow, but you can enjoy this sledding experience even in the dead of summer. Unlike beach sand, the gypsum holds no heat and won’t burn your feet, but take plenty of water on your adventure has the summer desert sun can be brutal on the rest of your body.
Chiles and Pecans
Even the cuisine here holds surprises. We expected and found lots of chile dishes and terrific Southwestern fare, but who knew that New Mexico is also a major pecan producer?
The two foods marry beautifully at a local sports bar, The Game, where the specialty appetizer of the house known as the Corked Bat consists of pecan crusted roasted green chiles deep fried. The sweet spiciness of the chiles makes a perfect culinary foil for the rich pecans. It’s impossible to eat just one.
If any one of these attractions sounds appealing, be sure to take time to get off the interstate next time you’re traveling along that I-10 corridor. You’ll be well rewarded. The articles in the Related Travel section below will give more details on some of Las Cruces’ travel highlights..
For more information about visiting this area contact the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau at 211 N. Water St. in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call them at 575-541-2444 or visit their website at www.LasCrucesCVB.org.
Find out more about traveling the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway by calling 575-894-1968 or by visiting www.GeronimoTrail.com.
Find out more about the historic town of Mesilla by clicking to www.OldMesilla.org.
Explore the wonders that will be commercial space travel and Spaceport America at www.spaceportamerica.com.
Learn more about the White Sands Missile Range by visiting www.wsmr.army,mil/wsmr.asp.
Find out more about White Sands National Monument at www.nps.gov/whsa or by calling 575-679-2599.
The Game Sports Bar and Grill is located at 2605 S. Espina in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call 575-524-4263 or click to www.TheGameBarAndGrill.com.
Recipes Beverages USA Southwest
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LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, USA – After fifty plus years of traveling the US, a good part of it spent actually living on the road while working as a circus performer, I’ve passed by and through Las Cruces, New Mexico more times than I can count. I suspect lots of road trip junkies do the same thing. But wait! It’s time to take the nearest Las Cruces exit and stop. There’s way more here than meets the eye when whizzing past on a long and particularly monotonous stretch of interstate.
An air of mystery surrounds the place starting with the town’s strange name, which translates to ”the Crosses.” A who’s who of wild west American history have lived in or left their marks on this area – Pancho Villa, Geronimo, Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, Judge Roy Bean and more. Towns along the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway, now but ghosts of their mining glory days, still look much as they did over a hundred years ago, albeit with far fewer residents. So does nearby historic Old Town Mesilla where interesting shops and restaurants are housed in historic structures that give visitors the feeling they stepped back into time.
Facing Future
As vibrant as Las Cruces’ historic heritage may be, this corner of New Mexico has its feet firmly planted in the future as it prepares to launch the nation’s first commercial spaceport with help from Virgin Galactic. You read that correctly, it’s not science fiction. Ordinary humans just like you and I will soon have the opportunity to travel into space, provided they can pony up the $200,000 fee. The future arrives in 2010 when hard hat tours of Spaceport America commence.
This region has always been on technology’s cutting edge. Nearby White Sands National Missile Range served as the birthplace of America’s missile and space activity and continues to provide the Army, Navy, Air Force, US Department of Defense, and other customers with high quality services for experimentation, test, research, assessment, development, and training.
Adjacent White Sands National Monument provides a great place to observe a missile launch. Even if none are scheduled the park’s 126,000 acre gypsum field – the largest in the world (pictured right) – supplies spectacular scenery, insightful nature hikes, and tons of fun for those who choose to go sledding on the ever shifting white gypsum sand dunes.
The landscape looks like snow, but you can enjoy this sledding experience even in the dead of summer. Unlike beach sand, the gypsum holds no heat and won’t burn your feet, but take plenty of water on your adventure has the summer desert sun can be brutal on the rest of your body.
Chiles and Pecans
Even the cuisine here holds surprises. We expected and found lots of chile dishes and terrific Southwestern fare, but who knew that New Mexico is also a major pecan producer?
The two foods marry beautifully at a local sports bar, The Game, where the specialty appetizer of the house known as the Corked Bat consists of pecan crusted roasted green chiles deep fried. The sweet spiciness of the chiles makes a perfect culinary foil for the rich pecans. It’s impossible to eat just one.
If any one of these attractions sounds appealing, be sure to take time to get off the interstate next time you’re traveling along that I-10 corridor. You’ll be well rewarded. The articles in the Related Travel section below will give more details on some of Las Cruces’ travel highlights..
Practicalities
For more information about visiting this area contact the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau at 211 N. Water St. in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call them at 575-541-2444 or visit their website at www.LasCrucesCVB.org.
Find out more about traveling the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway by calling 575-894-1968 or by visiting www.GeronimoTrail.com.
Find out more about the historic town of Mesilla by clicking to www.OldMesilla.org.
Explore the wonders that will be commercial space travel and Spaceport America at www.spaceportamerica.com.
Learn more about the White Sands Missile Range by visiting www.wsmr.army,mil/wsmr.asp.
Find out more about White Sands National Monument at www.nps.gov/whsa or by calling 575-679-2599.
The Game Sports Bar and Grill is located at 2605 S. Espina in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call 575-524-4263 or click to www.TheGameBarAndGrill.com.
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