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I am planning a day trip from ABQ to Lincoln Sat May 6th. I will spend the bulk of my time (which is limited to just a day trip) to Lincoln. On my return trip I would like to stop off at one the towns listed in the title of this post. I am thinking of hitting Capitan on the way back. I would have like to see Ft Stanton but looks like they are open to tours only and I am thinking it may be too early in the year for tours to begin. White Oaks I understand, just by viewing YouTubes, is that there is little to see. Any input from you folks would be greatly appreciated.
I am aware that the Smokey the Bear Museum is closed due to lack of support from the community.
I've been to White Oaks awhile back. When I was there, it was a fairly large Ghost Town in terms of preserved buildings by NM standards. The schoolhouse was a decent size as well. If it's on the way back you could probably knock it out in an hour at the most, assuming they are open in the late afternoon.
You have to go through Capitan, but there's not much there, either. White Oaks may not be worth the detour if you're short on time.
There's the Valley of Fires Recreation Area just west of Carrizozo which is worth taking a stroll along the trail through the lava flows. Also, if you return on Hwy 55 between Carrizozo and Mountainair, there's the Gran Quivira ruins, an ancient Pueblo with the remains of two mission churches, and it's free.
In Mountainair there's the historic Shaffer Hotel where you can grab a bite and look around.
Just checking back in. It was about a 12-hour day for me yesterday, spent approximately 4 hours in Lincoln, everything was open e.g. Tunstall Store and Courthouse, and the museum, it was a wonderful experience. Took a little bit of a side trip to Ft. Stanton. The museum there really focused on the years it was used as an Internment camp, and care facility for Tuberculosis, with little mention of their involvement in the Lincoln County War. Maybe because their involvement was limited, with the exception of being involved in gunning down Alex McSweeney along with the Murphy Faction.
Next, I headed over to Gran Quivira, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, and took on the ruins. Quite a complex, spent probably close to a couple hours walking through the ruins, snapping pictures, and taking the views, wonderful experience. I then drove on to Mountainair and I did eat at the Shaffer Hotel, had the 3 Taco Plate which hit the spot.
Yesterday I learned a lot...
Last edited by TruckerDavidJohn; 05-07-2023 at 06:02 PM..
Thanks for reporting back. It's been so long since I was out around Lincoln, this makes me want to revisit! Glad it was a good experience and you got to see what you wanted to see.
Has the Shaffer Hotel been restored? We stayed there several years ago and it was awful. Would not recommend. The cafe nearby was not bad though.
I think it has changed hands a few times in recent years, may have had some updating. Not sure how it would be to stay there now. You can find reviews on the usual sites.
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White Oaks
