Our plane arrived in Albuquerque at 10:20am on 5/20/05, with our destination being Ruidoso, New Mexico. It was early in the day, so we had time to visit Sandia Peak Tramway. We immediately became lost, since you cannot always rely on MapQuest for proper directions. However, I was glad I had taken the time to scope things out online before our trip. It saved us some time, and we knew what we wanted to see beforehand.
We were fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, to have arrived on the weekend that several thousand Harley Davidson motorcyclists hit Ruidoso for their spring rally. Actually, the noise of the bikes never bothered us, and it was kind of interesting to see that many in one place. There was a concert for the bikers Saturday night starring Brooks and Dunn, held at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort just outside of Ruidoso.
One of the first things we did after settling in was to check at the Chamber of Commerce, located in Mid Town, for things to see and do. I had already read about Monjeau Lookout, so we inquired how to get there. Take Ski Run Road one mile to the Monjeau turnoff (Forest Rt 117). The road gets pretty steep and rocky, and it would be easy to puncture a tire if you’re not careful. At the top, you are at an elevation of 10,356 feet. There are several picnic spots and the manned Forest Service tower. Take the steps up to the base of the lookout and enjoy a spectacular view of the Sierra Blanca Mountains and Ruidoso below. Along the way, you will notice the groves of Aspen, so pause and listen for the songbirds. We witnessed a spring phenomenon. There are just a few weeks each spring when the ladybugs gather in mass at the higher peaks. The air becomes thick with them, as well as the shaded corners of buildings. There are also many mule deer in the area that wander about people’s yards and in the golf courses, feeding at will. We also took a drive up the winding Ski Run Road to its end at Ski Apache. There are places to pull over and enjoy the view. The ski resort was not open, but there is a hiking trail if you are so inclined.
If you like to hike, there is a nice trail not far from town at the south end of South Fork Campground just past Bonito Lake. It follows the river at a gentle slope, and you can go for a day hike as far as you want to go, or you can do a loop and make it a backpacking trip. Visit ruidoso.net.
One thing we really wanted to see was Carlsbad Caverns. Plan on a 4-hour trip each way. We were advised to take Hwy 244 off of Hwy 70 going over the mountains and through the Indian reservation. This was a good choice, as it was more scenic and enjoyable and didn’t take any longer. It joins in with Hwy 82, and then you would head east to Hwy 285 and south from there. For a side trip or a trip all its own, you can go west on Hwy 82 through Cloudcroft and south out of town toward Sunspot Observatory. Sunspot takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on your interest level. If this is a separate trip from Ruidoso, you may want to go west out of Cloudcroft and down through the rugged mountains into Alamagordo. There you can take in the Space Museum and the Imax theater and spend the latter part of the day at White Sands National Monument. Try to hit it during a full moon. The 300 square miles of gypsum sand glows after dark.
We paid a visit to Bosque Del Apache Bird Sanctuary at San Antonio, NM before arriving back in Albuquerque, but it was the wrong time of year to see the cranes or the snow geese. November or December is the time to be there. Even then, you have to be there at just the right hour to witness the fly-out, when hundreds of birds take to the air all at once at the crack of dawn. It is a self-guided tour by car, getting out at strategic locations to walk into the natural habitat of the birds. For a few dollars, you can purchase an informative CD to play in your car that explains the points of interest.
It was such a long way from Ruidoso to Albuquerque that we decided to return a day early and rent a room closer to the airport. While there, we drove to Old Town just to look around and happened on a Porsche drive-through in the town square. All of the cars were vintage, so it was quite interesting to see. A few Native Americans were playing the drums and chanting all the while. This was on Route 66, which crosses the Rio Grande River. And a muddy river it is!
We found that this vacation was fairly inexpensive, since most museums and points of interest have low entrance fees, if any at all. We put 1500 miles on the rental car, so that was our biggest expense. You can eat very cheaply by frequenting the fast-food chains. It is harder to eat healthy, but not impossible. For anyone who likes the mountains and an outdoor experience, we highly recommend this area. We tend to find something interesting wherever we go.