Silver City: Averting an Implosion

[2010 Out West Road Trip.  Travels with Carol.]

In March 2010, my mother, Carol, and I took a road trip from Missouri to New Mexico, in search of sun and warmth. Here is Day 11 of our road trip. 

Saturday, 13 march 10 

MZURI'S REPORT

Both of us really like Silver City. A lot of the locals we encounter are adventuresome relocators, emigrating here from New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, etc., usually by way of other relocation sites. The most common reasons cited are the excellent climate (not too cold or snowy in winter; not too hot in summer) and the laid-back, tolerant atmosphere. Though small, the town has frequent entertainment from the outside and seems to have a plethora of local cultural activities. The locals seem to have embraced their local cable TV access, so there's a great variety of home-grown television. 

 

There are about 2500 college students here, apparently a large number of them graduate students. The school is Western New Mexico State University. There is also a homeless population of rasta-haired young'ns with dogs. They sleep in the Big Ditch under bridges. A lot of boomers also here. Population is about 50/50 Anglo and Latino. However, I don't see much social or business mingling between the two. 

 

Santa Rita Copper Mine outside Silver City

Copper still mined near-abouts when prices good.

 

Yesterday was a very laid-back day ... eventually. At day 9 of our trip, I was in desperate need for cave time or I was going to implode. Thus, for several hours in the afternoon, I stretched out on the couch of our sitting room, watched brainless TV, took a nap beneath the fluffy comforter and enjoyed complete silence between me and my traveling companion. It was heaven. Afterward, I felt completely refreshed and ready for human interaction again.

 

We had dinner at Diane's. Afterward, Carol returned to the hotel and I lingered in the Javalina Coffeehouse with my mp3 player in my ear, reading magazines and drinking a gigantic cup of coffee. 

 

 

CAROL'S REPORT

We are getting ready to leave the Palace Hotel in Silver City now at about 9 AM and will be traveling to Truth & Consequences, NM.  I cringe when identifying that city by such an innocuous name which was influenced by Ralph Edwards and his show. The town decided to retire their original name which was a string of Spanish words ending in Paloma.  This report will be short as the altitude seems to be affecting me adversely.  This morning I discovered that while sitting in the little coffee room here that I had put my shoes on the wrong feet which I only realized when lifting my leg up onto a chair and noticing the toe of each shoe was slanted to the side.