Merry Christmas!

I still get excited when it snows in Southern New Mexico, I like to sit in my nice warm house & watch the snow fall. So I was dismayed when it began to snow just as I was getting in the car to take a road trip to Southern California to spend Christmas with my family! As you can see, it came down pretty heavy between Deming & Lordsburg, right at the Continental Divide.

In a few days I will journey to Pasadena where I will be helping the New Mexico Tourism Department decorate our entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade. This year our float will feature Pepe Le Pew & his girlfriend Penelope Pussycat in hot air balloons. Sounds like another winner!

Here's wishing everyone a safe & happy holiday season!!!

Gina

Merry Christmas from Sierra County

I've become so used to winter in southern New Mexico that I find that I now dread leaving my cozy little home in Truth or Consequences to head off to Southern California for the Holidays. Granted, the nights are cold...but the daytime temps are in the mid to high 50's, the sky is blue and cloudless.

Things have slowed down a bit, giving me time to reflect on how lucky I am to be in a small town with good friends, working for great people. Sometimes it's a challenge - my friend Jen with the Tourism Department always says "the smaller the town, the bigger the drama" - but hey! Never a dull moment!

I'm getting ready to drive off to Oceanside, CA to spend Christmas with my family, then up to Pasadena to work on the New Mexico float in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Viva Pepe le Pew! Merry Christmas everyone, and I'll see you in the New Year!

Hard Hat Tours of Spaceport America Start December 5th!

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the construction site at Spaceport America. Frankly, I was prepared to be unimpressed - how impressive could the construction of a 10,000 foot runway be, right?

Wrong. It is one thing to know that construction has started. It is quite another to actually stand on the runway and look down the length of it. In Hawai'i, we call it "chicken skin". You stand there and think "oh my...it's REALLY happening".

Now the general public has the opportunity to visit the construction site, via a Spaceport Hard Hat Tour. Tours, currently scheduled for the weekends of December 5-6 and 19-20, depart the Sierra Grande Lodge in Truth or Consequences at 8am & 1pm on Saturday, and 1pm on Sunday. Tours last about 4 hours; cost is $59 per person. Sign up on the Spaceport America website! Here is a great description of the tour courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun News: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_13870855

Never Too Hot To Soak!

OK, so here's an observation I've made during the past 4 years I've lived in Truth or Consequences. It's 97 degrees, admittedly it's a tad warm for some people...but not oppressively so (think the Eastern seaboard when it's 95% humidity and 95 degrees. Blech!).

And I hear people whimper..."it's too hot to soak!"

Ha! Say I. It's never too hot to soak. In fact, soaking during the summer months when the mercury rises is my favorite time to soak. "she's crazy" say you. But here's the thing. The water is about 110+ degrees. You get out of the water, you sit outside with that breeze coming off the of the river, and suddenly, that 97 degrees feels downright comfortable. For that matter, you don't have to be anywhere NEAR the river - you still feel refreshed when you hit that dry 97 degrees after simmering your cares away in the hot mineral waters.

Fast forward to winter, when the faint-hearted think this is the best time to soak. Yes, I admit - it feels pretty darn great to float in the hot water when it's 40 degrees outside (our version of winter). BUT - you leave your bath warm & toasty...and get cold again within short order.

Maybe I'm wrong. Check back with me in December. Or better yet, come for a visit during all 4 seasons & pick your favorite. I suppose that actually...given that we have 10 different mineral bath establishments, you could pick your favorite based upon the time of year. Further research is required. These decisions can't be made lightly, you know.

A hui hou!
Gina

To The Bat Cave!

Holy Bat Fest Batman! Saturday June 13 is the date of the Sierra County Historical Society's popular Bat Cave fund raising tour of the Armendaris Ranch!

If you've never participated in this tour, you can't begin to imagine the sound created by thousands of tiny bat wings fluttering en masse. it sounds like...water. Rushing water. It builds to the crescendo of a very large waterfall.

To watch tens of thousands of bats take to the sky, joined by birds of prey who descend into their midst for their own evening meal...it is an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon that should not be missed. Swainson's Hawk ... meet Mexican Bat. Can you say "dinner!!"???

The tour will reach the bat caves just before dusk, prime time for observing thousands of bats exiting their caves below the lava beds. En route, we have seen antelope, oryx, bison, tortoises and a variety of birds, including the rare Aplomado Falcon.

Depending on conditions, the tour may also stop at the pens where the bison are vaccinated, tested, and examined. Return time is approximately 10pm. The $150 cost includes a meal, soft drinks, and plenty of water. All proceeds of this tour go directly to the museum. We are thankful for the ongoing support of Ted Turner and Tom Waddell at the Armendaris Ranch for our fund raising efforts. To participate in this tour, 4WD/high clearance vehicles are required and carpooling will be utilized. This trip is limited to 6 vehicles.

Please contact LaRena Miller for more info at 894-6600 or by e-mail at larena@geronimotrail.com