We had a GREAT weekend in Socorro! (White Sands, Magdalena: motel, houses)

[Towanda]

We had a great time in Socorro this weekend.

The Trinity Site Open House on White Sands Missile Range -- GREAT!!

The VLA Open House -- GREAT!

The Bosque del Apache -- GREAT!

Gran Quivira National Monument -- GREAT!

Fort Craig -- VERY ISOLATED but interesting!

New Mexico Tech has a huge campus and very beautiful -- I liked how all the buildings are the same style and color -- it really looks neat and cohesive.

We stayed at the Best Western Motel in Socorro -- I had a few minor issues with them, but for the most part -- minor.

We ate at the Stage Door Bar and Grill in Socorro Friday night -- excellent food and good live music!

And we ate at Manny's Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio on Saturday -- green chile cheeseburgers that lived up to their reputation.

Only a few downers -- a restaurant in Socorro called La Camino Family Restaurant -- not so good.

The little towns of Magdalena, Datil, and Pie Town are very poor and sad. At least to me.

BUT....the scenery around Socorro was much different than I was expecting -- great mountains there! FABULOUS!

GREGW -- time to get moved out here!

[nmnita]

When we moved to NM almost 8 years ago, one of the first things we did was visit and walk around the Bosque, we loved it...

Nita

[catman]

I thought Magdalena was supposed to be a happening place, what with art and theatre performances. It certainly has a nice climate. I don't know about Datil and Pie Town. I know the VLA is awesome.

[Towanda]

Magdalena is definitely bigger than Datil and Pie Town, but we drove around much of the town, and while they do have some nice looking craft and art shops, I would say the town in general seems to be in questionable financial shape and rundown. We did notice they have a very nice school though.

Maybe someone who knows more about the town can post their comments. Hopefully the town is on the upswing.

Kind of isolated (at least for me) but just a gorgeous setting with the mountains behind the town.

The climate wasn't too great anyplace we went all weekend -- EXTREMELY windy, and cold enough to make the wind very biting.

[GregW]

I definitely know it is past time to move to Socorro. No only am I getting tired of the conjestion around here, this spring is not exactly warm at 40 deg with a 25 mph Northwest wind. Time to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.

towanda - thank you and the rest of the bunch for the encouragment.

[Towanda]

Originally Posted by GregW

I definitely know it is past time to move to Socorro. No only am I getting tired of the conjestion around here, this spring is not exactly warm at 40 deg with a 25 mph Northwest wind. Time to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Well, it was not exactly warm in Socorro, either, probably the same temperature as you in the mornings and very windy this whole weekend, but that's NM. (On the road between Socorro and Magdalena, it was hard to keep the car on the road, but that's part of the fun of living out here, I would say. )

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Towanda

And we ate at Manny's Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio on Saturday -- green chile cheeseburgers that lived up to their reputation.

Towanda, glad to see you had a good time. I wanted to go to Tinity again, however had too many things. Grandaughters Prom and two dinners/party's for important friends.

This Site has a nice review of Manny's: Gil's Thrilling Web Site I have been leaning to this site a lot, not that I agree with his taste buds, I just enjoy reading realistic reviews.


Rich

[InTheDesert]

I haven't posted in awhile but wanted to say thanks to Towanda for the nice review of the area. Glad you found the Stagedoor, I think it is the new happening restaurant in Socorro and definitely has something different going for it. The owners, Terri and Denise are also musicians. Absolutely wonderful people and you'll find them there working there most evenings (and playing music on the weekends). You can go to socorromusic.com if you are going to be in the area and want to find out who is playing when you are in town

El Camino, (IMO) is really only good for breakfast but do pretty good fajitas, everything else is just ehhhh.... mostly they are one of the favored spots by the college crowd since they are open 24-7. They raised their prices this year too

I actually am really fond of Magdalena but you are right it is pretty poor. They really have tried to grow their art community but I don't think the town itself is doing much growing at the moment. I think visiting in the summer is the best time to go, there is a great little flea/farmer's in the summer too. If you take a drive up Kelly Rd. you can drive straight to an old church on the hillside and the old town of Kelly which is fun for some hiking in the summer and to check out the old mine.

If you are ever in Pie Town again and if you like animals, drop by Fur & Feather. They are like a mini "Best Friends" and have one of the largest dog/cat rescues in the state of NM. Just really awesome people. They have animals from all over the state. MySpace.com - Fur and Feather - 100 - Female - DATIL, New Mexico - www.myspace.com/furandfeatheranimal or furandfeather.org.

Greg--- I finally found my house here (but---- it's not in Socorro, it's in San Antonio)! I am going to be around the corner from the Buckhorn and I think it will be easy enough to jump on the Hwy. back to Socorro. This is our first house and I am sure we've just got ourselves into a money pit but it was something like $55 a sq/ft. Can't beat that! We move in this summer and then it will be lots of hard labor It's a historic home in the area and definitely ready to be restored into something beautiful again.

[GregW]

IND - congratulations. Please remember all houses are money pits but at least you have one in a good place. When we were visiting the area we took the old road up to Socorro so we wouldn't break the mood by having to play with the trucks.

FWIW- a trip in late summer is in the works.

[Towanda]

Hi In The Desert:

We haven't seen you here for a long time and I have missed you! Welcome back!

We had a really nice trip to the Socorro area and it was really much different down there than I expected -- especially the magnificent scenery.

The night we went to the Stage Door the owner and his wife WERE in the group that was playing live music. He had some musician friends in the crowd that night who he called up to join in a few songs. Also, he introduced the mayor of Socorro, who was also in the crowd. It was a fun evening, and we hung around longer than we normally would just to hear more of the music.

Yes, there did seem to be a lot of college-age kids in the El Camino Restaurant...and yes, it did look like a place that might be good for breakfast - it looked like one of those good breakfast places from the 1950s or 60s.

We actually did drive up to Kelly. The road back to the mine ruins was closed for the winter, but we did see the little church and got a fantastic view of the valley from up there on the mountain.

I'm surprised there was more in Pie Town other than the two restaurants we passed on the highway. It didn't look like there was much else out there. But we were tired at that point, and ready to head back to Socorro.

Congratulations on your "new" house in San Antonio. Oh, it is so much fun to buy that first house -- and especially fixing it up even though it is a money pit. Hmmmm. Right around the corner from the Buckhorn -- now that would be a good place to settle down!

Have you seen hummingbirds down your way? I keep watching for them up here but haven't seen any yet.