The Butte.....

As we headed out of Black Mesa, the question was…where to next?  This is the way Dennis and I like best to travel.  No real plan, no set agenda.  We know we are heading to San Francisco and we know about when we want to arrive but between now and then it is just the road, a map and whatever snags our attention.  I got a text from my sister in law Crystal asking where we were.  I had seen several of her posts from Elephant Butte Lake near Truth or Consequences New Mexico.  Dennis and I have been to the Butte once before ……got our truck stuck clean up to the axle in the sand and a nice fella in a tow truck was more than glad to pull us out for the right price…  I have never never seen a lake where folks will put their 30 foot travel trailers right on the water edge...driving across soft sand.  But thats ok....I have a good recommendation for a tow truck....

Well, Elephant Butte sounded good to us…we wanted to see Les and Crys, get our boats in the water and paddle around a bit.  So we veered south and ended up in a nice spot right next to Les and Crys. 

Ya never know....

They love fishing, we love kayaking so Tuesday we all engaged in our favorite boating activities.  I never get tired of paddling and it felt good to be in the water after all the wind in Black Mesa and being on the road for a full day.

Les and Crys

Wednesday we headed over to Truth or Consequences ….Now this really is a favorite spot of mine and Dennis’ and of Les and Crys’ as well.  It is an eclectic little town that has seen better days…Back when Ralph Edwards, the producer of the show (Truth or Consequences)was a regular during the festivals and parades.   Seems back in the ‘50’s ...when it was still a radio show, he decided to have a contest and promised to air the show from a town if they renamed their town  "Truth or Consequences"…Hot Springs New Mexico vied for the prize and won….hence the name!  He visited the town the first week in May for the next 50 years and the entire town put on the dog. 

me and Les

Our favorite past time is visiting one of the bath houses and soaking in the hot mineral waters that flow from the springs.  Riverbend has been “our spot” each visit and so the four of us headed over to soak, laugh, talk, reminisce. When the water go to hot we jumped into the Rio Grande to cool off.  We had to hold onto the ropes under the deck or else the current would have swept us down stream! It was a fabulous day. 

"minnow pools"

hanging on for dear life

soaking it up

pools overlooking the Rio Grande

http://www.riverbendhotsprings.com/

We were sad to leave Elephant Butte this morning…sad to leave Les and Crys and the great time we were having, making memories together in places we all love....we spent last night laughing and playing Yatzee then star gazing hoping to catch another glimpse of the International Space Station that had graced the skies the night before….it was amazing!   But it was time…time to move on, to move west…time to get back on the road again…..