Its 4.30 A.M. and Headed To Alamogordo ! (Las Cruces, Los Lunas: home, cinema)

[6 FOOT 3]

I'm very EXCITED and getting ready to hit the road for the 220 mile drivedown to my Hometown as its been a whole year since i've been home and can't wait to see Mt Sierra Blanca and the Sacramento mountain range. Too busy at work etc..this year to get away so i'm really excited to get back down there.

I'll swing by and get my strong coffee at Starbucks then on I-25 at Gibson Blvd and heading south and have ''drive thru'' breakfast at Socorro then should be at Carrizozo around 7.00 a.m. then i'll probably head up Nogal Canyon and see Ruidoso for a few hours then down to Tularosa and over to Alamo.

I will make it up to Cloudcroft and the Sunspot Hyway to see Haynes and Nelsons vistas (just awesome) and i'll let everyone know whats going on as far as growth in Housing, Holloman AFB and the Economy etc...as i have many connections there still in Alamogordo.

See ya when i get back in a couple of days.....


Here's a song and video by U2 as to what i think about my trip going home....


YouTube - U2 - Beautiful Day

[Towanda]

Harry! I hope you have a GREATTTTTTTTTT TIME!!!!!!!

[ibarrio]

Have a great time. Can't wait to get back to Cruces. I was there in March...There is something special about the Mountains in New Mexico...Love the view of the Organs when you are coming down I-10 into Cruces...

[chilegal]

Hope Harry can meet Cathy! Sure wish I was there!

[Pipeweld]

Stand on it Harry !!! Have fun !!!

David

[catman]

Harry, I envy you so much I can hardly stand it. Have fun in The Enchanted State.
--Joe.

[mtncat]

Enjoy yourself and if I can do anything for ya while your in the area drop me a PM. Let me know what ya think of the "new" view of the Haynes overlook looking down at the skyline ranch. Enjoy and be safe
Mike

[6 FOOT 3]

Wow.... i had no idea anyone would would respond so thanks to the NM forum family members of our area and group. (towanda, ibarrio, chilegal, pipeweld, catman, mntcat). My odometer is over 550 miles for the day and a half trip. Just not enough time in a weekend but i scoured as much as i could to see whats happening there....

Let me start by saying just as i turned east from San Antonio on U.S. 380 the sun was just coming up and there was a lite streak of clouds on the horizon and they were blood red as i wished i had a camera to take that. In ABQ we are boxed in by the Sandias so you can't see the horizon unless you go to the other side.

So here comes the GOOD and the BAD.

Forget going to Ruidoso just not enough time so straight in to Alamo and the first thing that caught my eye is just as your coming in they are building a huge Water Tower that looks like a high rise as its 10 stories high i'm guessing. Anyway it was neat so see such a tall structure there. I really like the new Shopping Center on 10 street and White Sands blvd as its a new Hastings (very large) and a Pet Sense (also very large) and a very nice Coffee Expresso shop with a drive thru and also outside patio. Very progressive for Alamo. I also noticed the new Business Park on the north By-Pass is building a new Movie Cinema complex which Alamo really needs more entertainment. Also out there is going to be the new Pre Check facility which will hire 200 to do background checks for companies nationwide and also high end housing will be built there and also the Scenic Drive extention to the By-Pass is under construction. Also the closed Sun Baked Biscut factory was repainted and looks like the new company Marietta Biscuits will open soon as thats also more jobs (up to 500).

Tourism is thriving as it was packed all over the Alamo, High Rolls and Cloudcroft with half of all license plates being Texas and then from Colorado. Also noticed lots from Iowa and Minnesota. The Applefest was going on in High Rolls so i believe thats one reason it was standing room only up in the mountain communities. Even the restaurants and fast food joints with half being from Texas (Plates) so Tourism really helps that whole region. There's more buts that mainly the good.

Now the bad....although its nice seeing the new shopping centers being built there's still too many that sit empty i.e. the old Wal Mart at 54/70 and also on 10th st. where the old hastings was as those shopping centers there are very old and sit mostly empty so hopefully the owners will remodle or tear them down. Also the roads are still bad. They still haven't widen South Florida or North Scenic or the 1st st connector to the By-Pass. Also the base is scaled down as the F-177 Stealths are moving out along with the Fighter Wing so its lost alot of personel which has an effect on the local economy. At least next year the F-22 Raptors will be coming in which will infuse people and money into Alamo. Thats mainly the bad as i seen it etc..

At last i got to go to my favorate Coffee place the ''Plateau Expresso'' on north Scenic Dr. but even it was packed (maybe they are reading city-data ..lol..) and of course seeing family and friends is good also and of course being up in the Mountains and on the Sunspot hyway (lots of sheriffs everywhere giving tickets) but even at Haynes Vista every parking spot was taken so it was really tough getting a good view of the Basin floor below but seeing The Great White Sands stretch across the basin (275 sq miles) was really cool to see so high above.

Cathy...... La Hacienda Restaurant is the former Checker Auto Parts. Mariolitos across from the Greyhound bus station is the former Margos before they moved to 1st st as that was the happening place back in the 80's and 90's. Did you ever go to the Pizza Gallery (?) on 1st st up by Scenic. Anyway i had to see some of the places Cathy and Jane have talked about and i laughed when i went by Si Seniors Restaurant.

Anyway thats all for now as this post is getting long but wanted to report about the trip. Really windy coming back as the wind pushed my truck all over the road. Oh yeah...i had cell service at Bingham at the base of the Oscura mts at mile marker 35 on U.S.380 but not at mile marker 40 inside the mountains (65 mile trip on U.S.380). Again service at Carrizozo and all the way to Alamo and also had service up in Cloudcroft. I have Verizon and felt good if i broke down i could call family or AAA.

I know i'm forgetting something but again i was really surprised to see all who responded and if anyone has any questions about Alamo, Tularosa, Cloudcroft, Carrizozo and even Socorro and Los Lunas as these were on my path just ask......harry......

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

Have a great time. Can't wait to get back to Cruces. I was there in March...There is something special about the Mountains in New Mexico...Love the view of the Organs when you are coming down I-10 into Cruces...

Ibarrio....when i get a week vacation i'll be down in Las Cruces and El Paso ......

[Cathy4017]

Cathy...... La Hacienda Restaurant is the former Checker Auto Parts. Mariolitos across from the Greyhound bus station is the former Margos before they moved to 1st st as that was the happening place back in the 80's and 90's. Did you ever go to the Pizza Gallery (?) on 1st st up by Scenic. Anyway i had to see some of the places Cathy and Jane have talked about and i laughed when i went by Si Seniors Restaurant.

No, I have not been to either of those two places, Harry---but I'll try them eventually.

Glad you had a good weekend. It has been very windy and dusty today, more like spring than the onset of fall!

Take care, and hope to meet you at some point when you come back down!

One of my dogs jumped the fence (6 feet, no less) Saturday afternoon, and I have looked all over...hasn't been a very fun weekend. I have to start with the vets' offices tomorrow, radio, newspaper....it's frustrating that Animal Control is not open until Tues at noon.
:-(