 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
Las Cruces' overall vibe is a little, well, bland. There are pockets of attitude, though, and West Picacho is one of those.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
You'd think the lane below was in the country, but no, it's on W. Picacho.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
You can tell Picacho has had its ups and its downs over the decades, most recently downs. I'm thinking an uptick is around the corner.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
As escapees from Phoenix and Los Angeles search for fresh fields to plunder, West Picacho with its Route 66 cred, is ripe for a rebirth.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
There are a lot of walkers along this part of the road. They appear to be less out for a stroll and more about walking to a destination because they have no wheels.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
Along this stretch, there's a mix of retro motels, a couple of restaurants, auto repair or machine shops, and some low-cost housing.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
I was attracted to this decrepit window unit, as you can see.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
The well-kept and pretty, small-town yard below is attached to a seen-better-days motel.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
With the surfeit of motels along this Motel Way, one wonders if there were ever a time when they all prospered. Could there have been that much road traffic through Las Cruces back in the day?
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
I forgot to mention the used car lot.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
A couple of guys gave us a friendly wave as I snapped the photo, but then one got a little grumpy, so we made a prudent retreat. What's the story of this place? A motel undergoing a face lift? I don't know.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
A transmission place has a playful side.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
There was a bus stop shelter.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
All that coiled cable drew my attention.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |
Some day, buildings like the one below will probably get torn down. It's nice to capture it here for the record.
 |
W. Picacho, Las Cruces, New Mexico |