Vacation, Part Three. Leaving the UFO's behind.

Monday, June 29, 2015

 

We arrive in Ruidoso, New Mexico

As a married couple, we’d been to New Mexico many times but never to Ruidoso. As a mere child, my family drove from our home in Irving, Texas to Ruidoso one summer, and I loved the charming city. The quaint cabin tucked into the woods is a beloved memory. The thing had a screened, back porch and I remember gazing into the forest. I stood alone out there and found gratitude for God’s creation.

My dad introduced me to horseback riding—my one and only experience on a horse. The huge animal terrified me. My favorite part of that trip was the cooler temperatures and gorgeous scenery.

While planning the trip to the family reunion in Marshall, TX, hubby decided we should head to Ruidoso since we were so close to New Mexico. Beg your pardon? Have you looked at the maps lately? Marshall is about forty-five miles from Shreveport, Louisiana!

But the distance is about two hundred miles closer than from Houston.

If you’ve read the first parts of this travelogue, you know we drove some six hundred miles across Texas to get to the New Mexico border. We saw miles and miles of Texas. Whew! It was fun, and a lot of distance to cover. But it seemed a lot longer when I was a kid.

We enjoyed the brief visit at the UFO museum in Roswell. I’m wondering if the stuff we saw there is real. Hubby believes it isn’t. Oh well. It isn’t the first time we’ve disagreed. Probably won’t be the last, either.

After we left Roswell, we continued west to Lincoln, NM on 380 and then headed south on Hwy 70 to Ruidoso.

We arrived at the Inn of the Mountain Gods later in the day. This resort and casino is owned by the Mescalero Apache people. All the reports we’d heard about the beauty of the place are accurate. You can visit it here. http://innofthemountaingods.com/
 

Our Texas wristwatches read three o’clock, but it was two o’clock their time. We checked into number 735 on the seventh floor. The room has a beautiful view of the mountains, lake, and golf course.



The two queen beds came in handy. We used one as a table top for belongings. The room contained only one chair and one table. Here's hubby trying out the seating arrangement.  You can see the outside patio from where he sat.  Two chairs and a table are out there.

 

We later learned that they will bring extra furniture upon request. We didn’t know that bit of unusual news until we checked out. Hmmm. Strange, don’t you think? The hotel was renovated a few years ago, and I’m guessing the decorators wanted a minimal look. Maybe they don’t want you to stay in the rooms. There’s much to do on the premises, and guess what? They make money with all of them. Makes sense to me that they want you to explore.

After depositing our stuff, we shared a sandwich in Wendell’s Lounge on the 4^th floor. I liked it, but hubby didn’t care for it, so I ate his half as well. I can diet at home, right?

 We drove through the town, parked and strolled through the gift shops. I bought my sister a birthday present at one. I can't tell you what it is...she might read this before the gift arrives in the mail.

We bought a light meal to take back to the room to eat on the patio. We soaked in the view...even enjoyed sitting there during a brief shower.

I'll tell you more about the place and food later. Do you like arm chair traveling?
The info about the Mescalero Apache tribe is interesting too. come back and I'll share a bit about them.

 My dyslexic angel, Sarah, would love this place. So many people, some single, all ages are here and they come from all over the world.  I wonder if the Superiors will send her here to try a hand at matchmaking. Hmmm. I'm thinking they might. Sarah had one vacation on a cruise.  How about one in the mountains?

 

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