Las Cruces (Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Silver City: crime, moving to, shop)

[Jammie]

Palm trees!!!! I was just reading through a few posts and saw someone posted that Las Cruces has palm trees. Are there any smaller towns near there that have them, too? Could anyone tell me what winter is like in the LC area?

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Could anyone tell me what winter is like in the LC area?

Winter? What winter?

Seriously, LC can get snow, but it is very, very rare, and it never stays for very long. It's not at all unusual to do your Christmas shopping in short sleeves.

[winnie]

Ohhh winter in Cruces is lovely. 60 degrees underneath palm trees...LOL! I am jealous of those who get to go down there.

[Crackerjack]

Jammie, really anyplace in far south New Mexico with low altitudes, say under 4000 feet, can support palm trees, especially around Las Cruces down into El Paso. I am pretty sure even Carlsbad could grow some but most little towns don't have them because palms are costly to buy. Even ABQ has some hardy palms growing in areas.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

I am pretty sure even Carlsbad could grow some but most little towns don't have them because palms are costly to buy.

And don't forget the water issue. Southern New Mexico is politely called "high plains," but really, it is desert.

[MrStitch]

Moving from South Dakota Jammie? But I thought you liked it here?

No worries.... you'll be back. They ALL come back, and no one has been able to prove me wrong yet. BWahahahahahah.

As a side note... I just can't imagine not giving my children a snowy white christmas.

"Lets go make sand angels Billy!"

hahaha

[winnie]

Originally Posted by MrStitch

As a side note... I just can't imagine not giving my children a snowy white christmas.

"Lets go make sand angels Billy!"

hahaha

LOL! Seriously though - you can provide your kids with winter too while living in Cruces. Head east to Alamogordo and go up the beautiful mountains to Cloudcroft and you have plenty of winter! World class skiing too. That is what I adore about NM - you can have whatever weather you want. Just get in the car and drive an hour or so and you are likely to be in a whole different climate!

I always heard SD was beautiful too

[Crackerjack]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

And don't forget the water issue. Southern New Mexico is politely called "high plains," but really, it is desert.

Yes, that is another issue too, Mark. I know in Phoenix, there shouldn't be palms here, they use a lot of water. Somehow people think since they are in a desert, they must use very little water. But the truth is they use a lot of water. The only time you will see them naturally in a desert, is in an oasis that has a water spring, or underground water. So you are right Mark. Palms really belong in an oasis and not in areas where you have to water them.

[Jammie]

THank you for the replies. And yes, Stitch, I'm hoping to someday get away from the COLD winters , but like you said, the last two have been beautiful here. We were thinking about moving to Fla. since we have extended family there, but it seems that humidity wreaks havoc on my osteo problems. Also, Fla, has had a lot of problems with growth and I think it's nearly full.

Winnie, yes, So. Dak is a beautiful state. The prettiest area is the western half. The Badlands are so pretty and just like being in a different world. The Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore are something that I hope you can all see some day. We've lived here our entire lives so moving is something we don't take lightly. We're nearly middle aged (AHEM) and just think it's time for a change. We've never been to NM, but a few months ago when I asked my husband what state he'd like to see, he mentioned NM.

The way it appears, the residents of NM seem quite happy and content where they're at. That's a definite positive because there are places that are becoming so over populated and crime-ridden that the locals can't wait to leave. What areas of NM are the prettiest? We love flowers, forests, plush green grass, and PALM TREES.

[Crackerjack]

Jammie, I'm thinking you would probably like Las Cruces but Las Cruces is more in a desert then a forest. What is great about Las Cruces is, you can go to the mountains, like up to Cloudcroft or Ruidoso, in a short time. Also you can go see the White Sands sand dunes that look like the Sahara desert in a short time too. Silver City is a nice city in the mountains, more on the pine forest side, especially north, and it is all within a short distance to Las Cruces.