Truth or Consequences, NM: Miss Photogenic

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

New Mexico has many photogenic towns, and Truth or Consequences is one of them.

You might not think so at first glance, but then as you walk or ride or drive around a bit, you see something that catches your eye, and then another, and another.

I was here before (this and this) and recently I returned.

An album from this year and past:



#30


I felt a little wistful when I was here in May, rethinking my decision to base myself in Alamogordo instead of Truth or Consequences. I like Alamogordo very much ...... but ..... there's a vibrancy in Truth or Consequences that I don't feel in Alamogordo.

This small regret passed.

Truth or Consquences, NM: Just Soaking

Hot springs by Rio  Grande, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

A few years back, I stopped in Truth or Consequences while on a road trip with my mother.

Hot springs by Rio  Grande, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Recently I returned and stayed at the same place, Riverbend Hot Springs.

Hot springs by Rio  Grande, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

There are a number of accommodations in Truth or Consequences that have hot spring baths (some with the hot baths in the hotel rooms), but only RHS has the springs right by the Rio Grande, where you can soak and watch the river go by.

Hot springs by Rio  Grande, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

I chose to return to T or C the weekend of its May Fiesta, but the pleasures of soaking in hot water by the river were so seductive, that's how I spent most of my time.

Hot springs by Rio  Grande, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Can you blame me?

Sounds of a Weekend

Flowering ocotillo, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs, New Mexico

From Leasburg Dam State Park and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, one weekend in May:

A flowering desert at Leasburg Dam State Park. 

  

A drumming minute in Truth or Consequences. 

  

A hot springs bath in Truth or Consequences, along the Rio Grande.  

Rootless Relocation, Part 1c: Where?

Tres Piedras, New Mexico. Old Pink Schoolhouse Gallery.

In Part 1a, I considered where in the world I'll live next. I narrowed the options down to New Mexico or Mexico..
In Part 1b, I looked at the pros and cons of the two, and decided on New Mexico.


But now --> Where in New Mexico will I live?


What are my decision drivers? 

• Access to family
• Access to other parts of New Mexico for exploration
• Climate
• Demographics - I want ethnic, cultural, language, and age diversity
• Interesting geography
• Income opportunities
• Recreation opportunities
• Cost of living, especially housing
• City size
• "Romance" factor - for example, do I want the Tony Hillerman New Mexico (Navajo and Hopi territory) or do I want Red Sky at Morning New Mexico (Sangre de Cristo Mountains area)? Or the borderlands factor, close to Mexico?

And do I want to choose my new base first and then look for work? Or look for work and let that determine where I'll settle in New Mexico?

Originally, I thought to look for work from Missouri and let the job hunt lead me to my new rootless base. But I changed direction and decided to look for my most desired base and then look for work. 


Where do I not want to live? 

I don't want to live in:

• Albuquerque - larger than what I want
• The bedroom communities surrounding Albuquerque - I don't like looking at the smog that ABQ produces
• Santa Fe - hate that congested, Anytown USA, main drag going into town, and just not a fan of the overall vibe  
• Deming - based on research, seemed a little depressed
• Las Cruces - a sea of beige and bland bounded by highway
• Mountain communities that attract snow in winter, such as Cloudcroft and Ruidoso 
• Carlsbad - too far from most of New Mexico
• Portales or Clovis - might as well live in Oklahoma if I'm going to live in these cities

Silver City, New Mexico

On the fence about: 

• Silver City - great climate, nice town, but like Carlsbad, a little too remote from the rest of NM, and perhaps too gentrified for my taste
• Taos - I've been here twice and there are things I like about it, but I'm not in love; also, too much snow 
• Farmington - Tony Hillerman country, which is attractive, but I just can't get a feel for the geography or the vibe. It'd be cold in the winter. I was cold all last winter in Rustavi. No. Thank. You.

Taos, New Mexico

Possibles:

• Gallup - Out West, cowboy, cattle drive, rodeo, seductive tumbleweed-desolation vibe
• Grants - Ditto
• Truth or Consequences - Hot springs along the Rio Grande, a gritty attitude I find compelling, mild winters, good central location in NM
• Las Vegas - the Sangre de Cristo Mountains factor, one-day drive from mid-Missouri, good city size, university in town, hot springs nearby
• Alamogordo - In desert area, but really close to mountain communities, mild winters, good town size, university in town, military base nearby that supports economy, close to Mexico
• Roswell - Nice size at 48,000 population, university in town, somewhat mild winters

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Some resources to help me rule communities in or out:

The city-data.com forums are a place to ask questions about places of interest. There's a rich archive to search previous questions and answers about a locale.

City-data.com itself offers demographic, employment, crime, climate data about locales in the U.S.
There's also good info from the U.S. Census here, from whence you can drill down to small communities.

Craigslist gives researchers a ballpark idea of housing costs and job possibilities.

Meetup gives you an idea of social groups that are active in a potential new base. If there aren't any meetup groups, that's good information, too.

If I had never been to New Mexico before, I'd take a reconnaissance trip out there to personally eyeball the various possibilities. But I have been there - not to all of the cities on my in/out list - but a number of them, so I'm relying on my past visits and the online resources to make my decision.

My process of elimination


I know I don't want to deal with snow, so although I looked at my fence-sitting possibilities such as Farmington, considered Taos in a lukewarm way, and took quite a close look at Las Vegas because of its Sangre de Cristo Mountain proximity, I wasn't excited about any of them. In fact, I wasn't too enthusiastic about living anywhere in NM north of Interstate 40, which I perceive as the snow line.

Silver City may have the closest to the ideal climate in New Mexico with mild winters and summers. But as important as climate is to me, Silver City's remoteness, small size, and gentrified vibe ruled it out for me. Actually, my experience visiting Silver City a couple of years ago suggest to me that there's a lot of social goings-on and recreation activities despite its small size. But the job situation there, based on my research, is rather grim.

Eliminated: Taos, Farmington, and Silver City.


Gallup and Grants have some pull for me, primarily because of the Hillerman Effect. There's also a perception of being Out West in those two towns. Rodeos. Cowboys. Cattle drives. An edgy tumbleweed-desolation kind of vibe that is seductive.

But they're right on the snow belt (I-40 in my mind. And I just can't get enough information on them to tempt me to take a risk. Especially the surrounding scenery. How the town centers look. 

About 18 hours' drive from mid-Missouri, this isn't any longer drive time than competitors in southern NM, so I can't use access to family as an eliminating factor for Gallup or Grants. I also can't say they're too remote from other locations in NM I want to explore than more southern NM competitors. Being smack on Interstate 40, they're on a fast track to most places in NM.

At the end of the day, Gallup and Grants just sort of fell off the possibles list because, I don't know, their voices were too quiet. I'll definitely go visit them, though.

Eliminated: Gallup and Grants


The eliminations left in the running: 

• Truth or Consequences
• Alamogordo
• Las Vegas
• Roswell

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Both Las Vegas and Roswell are weak candidates for different reasons, but they have these attributes going for them:


Access to family. Las Vegas is within one, long day's drive from mid-Missouri at around 15 hours. Roswell is pushing 16 hours.
"Romance" factor. Las Vegas is near Red Sky at Morning territory, being close to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It's Taos Lite and Santa Fe Ultra Lite, without the pretension you come across sometimes in the latter two communities. It has a nice plaza, and the art and jewelry scene. Hot springs nearby.
City size. Roswell has a population of about 48,000. A decent size; similar to my home town.

But:

I just couldn't get too excited about Roswell. My research only pulled up negative comments about the city or, just as damning, not many comments at all. Like Gallup and Grants, I'll go visit Roswell, but I'm not going to live there.

Las Vegas felt like a place I "should" go to. Cold, snowy winters maybe. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains notwithstanding, not in love.

It all boils down to:

Truth or Consequences or Alamogordo.

Truth or Consequences (TC) has a bit of an attitude that I like. The people there seem to have been around the block a few times, lived perhaps a little too hard at times, but now doing OK. Central location that makes it really convenient to explore other parts of NM. Close to larger cities such as Albuquerque, Las Cruces and El Paso, TX. If I want to see what the hell is going on down in the borderlands, I can do that, too. 

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Love that it's right on the Rio Grande. Hot springs. Close to some recreation areas. The Spaceport is close, which is kind of cool.

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

But the population is less than 7000 and the median age is 52.

Very hot summers.

Alamogordo also has hot summers, but it's within half an hour of mountain communities such as Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, with cooler air. It's right next to the immense Lincoln Forest. Close to White Sands Monument. Close to Las Cruces and El Paso.  About an hour closer than TC to mid-Missouri. A population of more than 30,000, with a median age of 37.

But it's more than three hours from Albuquerque and it's not as convenient to lots of NM destinations as TC is.   

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Alamogordo is more diverse than TC in regard to ethnicity, language, and age. The nearby Holloman Air Force Base presumably maintains some stability in the Alamogordo economy.

And I like Alamogordo. Though not edgy like TC, it is pleasant. I like its zoo and the small, picturesque villages nearby such as La Luz and Tularosa.

Not a linear process

As I looked at my options in New Mexico, I went back and forth on various cities. I went back and forth on how much I weighed my decision drivers, such as climate, diversity, community size, etc.

I looked at housing costs on craigslist. Read all of the threads on city-data about the possible relocation locales in New Mexico. Checked distances on google maps between this and that and the other.

I reviewed what I wanted to get out of New Mexico. Interculturally, there is so much that New Mexico has going on. I'm feeling drawn to look firsthand at the historic goings-on with how the U.S. is dealing with people crossing the border illegally from Mexico. In addition to climate preferences, this informs my decision to stick to southern New Mexico for my base.

I had to weigh a great central location for good access to most of NM (Truth or Consequences) against my desire for a larger community and proximity to mountains (Alamogordo). Demographically, Alamogordo also beat out TC for its diversity.  

Alamogordo. My future new home ... for awhile.

Pecan orchard, near Alamogordo, New Mexico

White Sands Monument, near Alamogordo, New Mexico

Next up: Rootless relocation, Part 2: What Will I Take With Me?

Socorro: Camino Real and the Unreal Fort Craig

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

[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 15 of our road trip. 

Wednesday, 17 march 10

  

MZURI'S REPORT

We're both pretty tired out this evening. And alas, we're in a kind of ... disappointing ... hotel room. We could have moved, but we just didn't have it in us to pick everything up and carry it to another room.  

 

Craftsman at Camino Real Center

We left T or C about 9:30 after a good breakfast at the Happy Belly Deli. Drove up I-25 toward Socorro, when we saw signs for the Camino Real Center, and we stopped. Wow, what a surprise! This place is pretty much in the middle of nowhere - and it is intended to be such, to give people an idea of what it was like to travel on the Camino Real (the royal road) during the 400 years in which it was active between Mexico and New Mexico. Beautifully designed, the exhibits are presented in interesting ways, and you are led in a natural progression through the exhibit rooms. 

Camino Real Center

There is a pretty outdoor area that includes a desert garden. The property abuts Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch. In re: the location -- a historian who helped get the center off the ground walked 30 miles in the area to find just the right spot.  as our destination.

 

We subsequently went to another unplanned stop: Fort Craig. I'll let Carol share that story. 

 

From Fort Craig, we proceeded to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Fascinating place, even when the bird population is not as huge as it is other times of the year. In addition to lots of ducks and geese, we saw white egrets, HUGE herons - a HERD of heron - plus roadrunners, pelicans, and a sort of brown egret or heron we were unable to identify. Additionally, Carol saw an animal on her wish list - mule deer. Evidently, bobcats have been seen frequently lately. We were advised as well that mountain lions had been sighted and that we should not walk alone. 

 

Along the way from some point A to point B today, we saw a longhorn chew on something plastic. 

 

 

CAROL'S REPORT 

The motel is a Howard Johnson and apparently we got the last available room in Socorro as there is some sort of Christian Revival or Meeting in town.  Just because the showerhead (one of those kind that have tubes leading from the faucets to the working end) is tied with string, microwave but no refrig, a phone that doesn't seem to work right, no working light over sink and very early we got someone else's wake up call (M's side of the bed), the place doesn't seem too bad to me.  The situation on Fort Craig in a few words -- didn't exist except for placards at intervals describing what we were not seeing i.e. one indicating "this was the parade ground located behind the enlisted mens' quarters".  The brochure showed what I expected to be seeing...the fort.  The parking area was distant and high flora prevented the eye from seeing the nothing it was.  St Patrick's Day yesterday.  We ate at a K-Bar and I ordered a baked potato with all kindsof good stuff on it and when it came I saw the biggest potato ever seen - about 10 inches long spilling forth butter, sour cream, scallions, bacon bits and broccoli.  Ate most of it to my shame and can only say it was in honor of the special day and the fact I was tired of rice.  Today we will tour the active Church San Miguel featured in Bishop Lamy's sojourn in the 1600s, as New Mexico was his diocese.  The main character in Willa Cather's Death Comes For the Archbishop is patterned after his remarkable history. 

Very little of the original interior remains of course.  Am hearing some ominous clunks from the transmission and the nice proprietor at this motel checked the fluid for me which was full.  M not as concerned but I would hate to breakdown in the desolate mountain roads.

READER RESPONSES:

FROM HOLSTEIN BOY:
...am hearing some ominous clunks from the hallway, will send Mzuri to take a look...oh noooo it's Georgia O'Keefe and she wants to show us some awful paintings.

FROM SHILO GIRL:

...am hearing some ominous clunks and squeaks at home, coming from the basement....too scared to go look.  will stay close to the unlocked back door while watch the stairs.  ready to run out of the house at the first sight of the top of someone's head!  will run with or without Shiloh!  I will leave the door open for her.  its every man for himself! 

 

I watch way too many scary things on tv!

 

heard a little rumble from the kitchen.  Shiloh and I just looked at each other then settled back down. 

Truth or Consequences: True Grit

[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 14 of our road trip. 

Tuesday, 16 march 10 

MZURI'S REPORT

Another sunny day in the hot springs in T or C. As I write this, Carol and I just returned from a night-time soak under the stars in a private pool. We both feel tres relaxed. The two glasses of New Mexico wine I had at dinner probably helped in that regard, too. 

 

Speaking of dinner, we had same at Pacific Grill, an Asian and seafood restaurant. Carol had the shrimp scampi; I had a Thai peanut chicken dish. Didn't live up to the glowing reviews, but it was fine.

  

Earlier in the day, we drove out to Elephant Butte, home of a state park, a dam, and a big rock that looks like an elephant. We then, for the heck of it, turned a direction on a road to see where it would take us. A sign said Engle, so that's where we headed. The road ended at so-called Engle, which seemed to be a very small cluster of buildings. We could choose to go back the way we came, turn left onto a gravel road, or turn right onto a road that ran parallel to the RR tracks to ... somewhere.  

We turned right. We passed many cattle ranches. We saw a number of big trucks go by us in the opposite direction. We kept on til the road ended. To our immediate left was .....  ah, the Spaceport. We turned left into the spaceport entrance, pulling up to the guard shack with a big STOP sign on its front. There was a color photo of a newborn on the window. A guy without any teeth slid open the window and allowed as how we couldn't go any further. It was all very X Files.

 

So we turned around and went back whence we came, and we were rewarded with cattle crossing the road. Carol was agog with excitement. At one point she wanted to get out of the car, but the three cows who'd stopped to stare at her looked like they were contemplating something vicious, so I said no way, Jose.  

 

We returned to T or C and drove around some neighborhoods. We took a nap upon arriving home.  

T or C has a different vibe than Silver City. Where SC has a large complement of boomers, all seemingly fit and youthful and either creating art or hiking something (did we mention we breakfasted with archaeologists from the Center for Desert Archeology in Silver City?), and concentrating on being laid-back, the T or C inhabitants appear more life-worn. While they, too, have a laid-back air, it seems to have been hard-won through difficult life paths. We see more families here than in Silver City. Here is a telling excerpt about T or C from "pantylion," a restaurant reviewer:

 Epicureans intent on shaved truffles over rennet-free eggs Florentine stay home; T or C is a place where locals go slit-eyed with hostility at the mere mention of calamari.

OK, this may be a little over the top, but you get the idea. T or C is a small town with a large potential for tourism and as a place to live. Maybe it's always been on the brink of its potential. Whatever, I feel attracted to its grittiness.  

CAROL'S REPORT

It feels as if we have been here a week and as the days go by I become more irritated by the name Truth or Consequences.  The story is that Ralph Edwards offered any town in the country willing to change their name to his show would qualify for some monetary gain or something.  Every year the people here voted on whether to continue the name or not and each of the fifty years thereafter they voted to do so.  They don't bother to vote any more and Mzuri said she heard some pilgrim ask a native why they kept it and something of a snub was elicited.  The high school has the original name cut in stone over the door - Hot Springs High School.

We are closing the door on this fine and friendly place, stopping first for breakfast at the Happy Belly Deli then off to Socorro. 

Truth or Consequences: More Craven Loitering

[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 13 of our road trip. 

Monday, 15 march 2010 

 

  

MZURI'S REPORT

Today went pretty much as planned: We did a whole lot of nuthin'.

 

The morning broke cold and blustery, with swollen, snowy clouds over the nearby mountains. The idea of being in the hot springs was delicious; the thought of having to get out of said hot water and into the cold air was too much to bear. So Carol and I spent most of the morning under warm covers, drinking hot coffee, and simply lazing about and feeling good about it. 

 

The sun did eventually come out. We emerged for lunch, then poked around town a bit, checking out the local museum and the used book store. Returned "home" for more hard-earned relaxation.  

I took a walk around town, listening to Spirit of the Forest and other Baka Beyond songs on my mp3 player. It almost makes you want to dance down the street.

The above video isn't Spirit of the Forest (you can listen to that here), but it gives an idea of Baka Beyond's vibe.

Around 6:00 p.m., Carol and I went for a private soak. It really is something special to "take in" the waters right alongside the Rio Grande. You see ducks floating -- rapidly -- downstream, as if on a conveyor belt. I think of the proverb, "you can never step in the same river twice."  We can see Turtleback Mountain from our private pool.

 

  

CAROL'S REPORT

After we left the Happy Belly Deli where we lunched (especially good food - Mzuri had found rave reviews on it from the laptop) we checked out the Geronimo Springs Museum, also especially good - exhibits of artifacts and history from prehistoric times to the 1800s.  Then we checked out a book store where I once more added to my stash, as did Mzuri.  Still not sated with shopping, we went to a store called Second Hand Rose and we both bought silky looking East Indian caftan tops.

Today's activity equal about a month's normal adventure for me.  By the way, the restaurant really was called The Happy Belly Deli.

Truth or Consequences: Soak, Snack, Nap. Repeat.

Rio Grande

[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 12 of our road trip. 

Sunday, 14 march 10 

 

MZURI'S REPORT

The word for today is ...... ahhhhhhhh. The instructions for the day, as delivered by our hotelier are: "Soak, snack, nap. Repeat." 

 

We are in Truth or Consequences (hereafter referred to as T and C) at the Riverbend Hot Springs Lodge.  Look at the photos on the Riverbend home page. We soaked in warm mineral springs water alongside the Rio Grande River. We intend to do this for the next couple of days.

 

We got here from Silver City via Highway 152, which took us through a section of the Gila National Forest. Many switchback roads. Two wilder-pee stops behind bushes, one of which included an encounter with a dead white dog, disintegrating slowly into the earth, with bared teeth prominent. Quite a bit of snow alongside the road. Some beautiful scenery, especially Emory Pass.

Highway 152 near Emory Pass

 

Carol popped for a private soak this afternoon (once we checked into our T and C digs), then I soaked again in the public pools this evening while the sun went down. From the warmth of the pool, I watched a heron dine on the river. We have a two-bedroom accommodation, which takes up approx. half of a converted mobile home. 

 

 

CAROL'S REPORT

Turtleback Mountain across the Rio Grande

The accommodations take me back thru many almost forgotten years to a place called Admiral King Drive in Pascagoula, Mississippi when I was a mere sprite of fifteen years.  I kept asking Mzuri why there was no smell of sulphur coming from the rejuvenating baths as there was in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Mount Clemons, Michigan, not to mention Okawville, Illinois, when it finally occurred to me they were called mineral water and the only way the waters differentiated from what we might drink is the very hot temperature.  The Rio Grande is wide and swift - lovely actually and not at all like the rocky thin trickle I had expected.  The baths are as Mzuri wrote - public and disconcerting to consider sliding in to join a group splashing around.  While I consider myself democratic as the Saint, said "not just yet".  Until I become acclimated I will spend a few dollars and use the private ones.

READER RESPONSES:


FROM STORMY:
I am still very envious of your adventures. Enjoying the comments from family members, printing up most for Pop to enjoy. As far as the Walmart connection is concerned, probably keeps one from getting homesick. It's like Motel 6, they always keep the light on. Will you be home in time for Phil and Mindy's wedding on April 30th? or have you both decided not to come back at all. If so, I have first dibs on Carol's house. I promise I will take good care of it and she can visit anytime she wants.


FROM MZURI:

We're glad you're enjoying the trip reports.

 

For the first time on our trip, we're experiencing non-sunny, cold weather. Ooooh, it is cold, cloudy, and blustery out! Snow clouds hovering over the nearby mountains. Currently, Carol and I are wickedly ensconced in our beds, staying snugly warm, with our respective TVs turned on. We're looking out the windows, glad we're inside. Brrrr. 

 

Nevertheless, later I'll take a dip in the hot springs. It will be like heaven ... until I get out.

FROM CAROL:
Well, finally hearing from Stormy...wish you were here to enjoy the baths.  Even tho I am having a fine time I still have had time to gobble up a few books.  Yesterday Mzuri and I went grocery shopping which we do independently of each other.  She, like Shilo Girl, you, and Sissy, keep an eye on me when it comes to my sugar mania.  I sneaked a Pepperidge Farm German Chocolate Cake and a Mrs.Somebody Peach Pie into my cart and was punished when getting back "home" to find it was frozen and had to be baked.  The cake is delicious however and I am doing enough walking to keep the glucose level down (I think).