Sept 30th to Oct 4th - Carlsbad, Alamogordo,Las Cruces

Sept 30th - Wed - Carlsbad
We decided to stay here another day and take advantage of a low green fee ($12.50) at the municipal course. We need the exercise so set out to walk the course about 9:30. It was already quite warm but there was a breeze so it was perfect. The course was hilly and we enjoyed the first 8 holes. On 9, the green was flooded by sprinkler overuse so we could not finish the hole. We caught up to 3 nice young men on the 10th tee box as they had to wait for the group in front of them. They said we might as well join them as they had been waiting on most holes. When one young man threw his club after a couple of bad shots, we picked up our balls and went on to hole 11 which we played. We teed off on 12 but the approach to the green and the green were being watered by 4 big sprinklers. By this time our enjoyment of the game was totally gone so we decided to bag it. As we walked past the tee box on 13 we saw the fivesome that was causing the slow play as there were no players on the holes ahead of them.
By the time we walked along 13, 14 & 1 to get back to the clubhouse, I was very hot & cranky so didn’t go in to complain - thought I would send an email when I cooled down, physically & mentally. Wrong - no email address on the golf course web site.
Oh well, we did enjoy 8 ½ holes of golf. We found a shady spot at a large park along the Pecos River to enjoy a picnic lunch before heading back to the park to do laundry.

Oct 1st - Thurs - to Alamogordo NM
Just over 3 hours to drive to Alamogordo via Cloudcroft. This is the most direct route from Carlsbad but also the most hilly. Carlsbad is at 3110, Cloudcroft is 8650 feet and Alamogordo is 4600. There are 16 miles of 6 percent grade coming down into Alamogordo. The drive was really nice with trees already changing color at the highest elevations. We are at the Boot Hill RV park (PA) which is new & clean with large sites and very friendly owners.
After setting up & lunch, we headed out to explore. Our first stop was just down the road at a pistachio & wine shop. We walked into the gift store and someone greeted Terry by name. It was Mike who we met briefly when we were walking down the Natural Entrance at Carlsbad. He & his wife Mary (yes, another Mike & Mary couple in our lives!) were waiting for a farm tour so we joined them and learned about pistachio growing & harvesting. The one tidbit that I will pass on is that pistachios naturally split before they are harvested. Also, for Larry Barker, the whole shells are not bio-degradable due to the high oil content. They must be crushed to decompose.
We continued on to White Sands Ntl Monument as did Mike & Mary. Terry & I took a mile loop walk through the dunes and a short loop on a boardwalk where we saw Mike & Mary again. They had a couple of sleds so we said we would join them to watch Mary crash & burn. Mary & I climbed a dune first and rode the round saucers down the sand. They did not go as fast as we thought they would. Then the guys got into the act and we all took a couple more rides and took pictures.
Mike & Mary are staying in Ruidoso and had to drive past our campground so we invited them to stop for a drink. They live in North Carolina and are going from here to Phoenix for a week and then home. We hope to stay in touch and see them sometime in the future.

Oct 2nd - Fri - Alamogordo
After coffee & fresh baked muffins, we headed to Ruidoso for some sightseeing. We followed the “Billy the Kid” scenic byway which is a triangular loop near Ruidoso. It wasn’t as interesting as the brochures sounded. We stopped and wandered through a couple of huge buildings with “antiques & collectibles”. Less junk than usual but I still have to wonder - who buys it all?
Then we went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino and hotel which is a beautiful establishment. We were there a couple of years ago but I don’t think we wandered into the hotel lobby which is amazing. There is a 3 story wall of windows, topped with an arched roof, that looks over a lake and a golf course to the mountains beyond. A double set of stairs curve to the lower level and between them is a fountain in a shallow basin made to look like a woven basket. Very impressive.
Before we got to the business of donating some money to pay for all this opulence, we had a late lunch at the buffet which was excellent. They seem to have a slightly smaller selection of items but do each of them very well. The dessert selection was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Good thing that this meal was also dinner.

Oct 3rd - Sat - Alamogordo
Woke up to rain this morning and then discovered that an Albuquerque TV station broadcasts live for 2 hours in the morning from the Balloon Fiesta which started today. So we stayed in bed, listened to the rain and enjoyed the show!
We wandered over to the office to pay for another day and ended up talking with the owners over a cup of coffee. Then we drove into town and ended up at 3 stores before we found a memory chip for our camera. The one we had was so small that I would run out of space for pictures and I knew I would want to take a lot of pictures at the Balloon Fiesta which we will be going to on the 7th.
Terry had noticed that the spare (used) tire that he had put on the 5th wheel in CA was wearing badly on the inside so he decided to swap it for the new spare. Of course the tire was under the large slide so we had to move stuff and pull the slides in so he could work. Everything went well until his attention wandered and he stripped a nut as he was putting the tire back on. We finished up, put the slides back out and went shopping. We got a couple of nuts but the post was too messed up. This time, Terry went shopping and got a file and a new post. He couldn’t file the stripped post enough so decided to drive tomorrow with one missing nut and work on it again in Las Cruces.
We had an early dinner so we could go listen to a band here at the park at 7. It was a bluegrass group from Roswell. The park has a large pavilion with a stage and seating for events. The band was named Vintage which describes the type of music they prefer. They played for 2 hours with a 5 minute break - very enjoyable.

Oct 4th - Sun - to Las Cruces NM
We took our time leaving this morning (watched balloons on TV again) as the RV park that we selected in Las Cruces has a noon check in time and it was less than 1 ½ hours to drive. Clear & cool this morning with clouds appearing as we got closer to Las Cruces.
We are at Shady Acres RV Park. Huge spaces, and very wide interior roads give a spacious and private feel. Most sites have mature trees for shade.
Before we put out the slides, Terry took off the 5th wheel tire again to find a solution to the stripped lug post. He started to cut off the end with our tiny hacksaw but the blade ended up with no teeth after cutting about 1/8th inch. So he pulled out the bearings so he could remove the stud and see if the one he bought yesterday was OK. Of course it was the wrong size so he took off to find the right one. After several referrals to parts stores he returned with “close but no cigar” on another post. He also bought a decent hacksaw, was able to cut the stripped end and got the nut to start - hooray! By the time everything was back together and Terry was showered and I finished setting up, it was 3 o’clock and time to relax.
We went for a walk around the park before dinner and chatted with the owner who was dragging a contraption on the roads to level the already nearly level gravel. He identified an odor that we noticed when we first arrived and several times after. It smelled like something cooking and sometimes burning. Turns out it was chilies being roasted about ½ mile away. It is not an offensive odor, just different.
I thought I posted my blog yesterday morning but it appears as if I did the entry and then forgot to post. Sorry!