The Wild Wild West
I had the awesome opportunity to visit my brother who was stationed in El Paso for Easter 2015. When I finally arrived at the El Paso International airport I was green. I had puked my guts out due to the Santa Ana winds. And, let's not forget the fact that I was seated between two lawyers, one in a window seat and one in an aisle seat, and yours truly sandwiched between them. When I got violently sick and bent down to start puking in a bag, they literally, sat back and continued to talk over my back. When I finally leaned back while napkining the vomit from the corners of my mouth, they both tried to make small talk with me. That was my first experience in El Paso.
When I finally got to my brother's house, he took something out of his fridge and told me to go put it where the sun don't shine. I looked at him confused, and he said, "you can either do it and we can go to dinner, or you can be sick the rest of the night" And, that was the first time I ever put a cold suppository up my butt. There are perks to having a Medic brother. I was out that night eating Mexican food and drinking beer.
So, here is my full itinerary should you find yourself in the area and looking for some fun things to do! I hope you enjoy!
White Sands Missile Range:
The birth place of NASA! Also, have you ever heard of "Operation Paperclip?" Take a quick look at Wikipedia. Yes, German Nazis were housed here at White Sands. My brother did 8 missions here in over three years and worked and stayed where captured brilliant Nazi Rocket Scientists, physicians were kept. Some of them moved to Huntsville and Houston, where other space programs are. White Sands Missile Range is the largest Army Forces Command.
The Hills Have Eyes is based on a true story. And, probably the most terrifying part of the trip out to White Sands was on the way back. We drove through an area that looked like it was right out of this film. So, to make matters worse, my brother threw on the soundtrack as we drove through pitch darkness. Gotta love him for giving you the complete experience.
Fort Bliss:
Right behind White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss is the second largest Army Forces Command. Spanning over 1700 square miles, Fort Bliss is the largest contiguous tract of restricted airspace. While on base, my brother's unit had a cookout. And, then someone said, "Alright everybody, let's take a pic for Captain Eppes' sister! And, thus this picture was born. It's still one of my faves. The lady towards the back is holding up a trophy of a horse's butt.
Me and my brother in the front and center!
Roswell, New Mexico - Greetings, Earthling!
Roswell was a super fun part of the trip. Honestly, I never got into the X-files or any alien shows or movies. Yet, Roswell will completely immerse you in alien culture, and you won't be mad at it. When you walk into any gift shop or restaurant, you will be welcomed with, "Greetings Earthlings!"
In mid-1947, a US Military balloon allegedly crashed at a ranch near Roswell. This ignited talk and conspiracy theories about flying discs. The US Army claimed it was simply a crashed weather balloon. Roswell has been described as, "the world's most famous, most exhaustively investigated, and most thoroughly debunked UFO claim."
Trust me, you won't lack for alien photo opps in Roswell. One quick fact, I bought some magnets, some postcards and other alien memorabilia before getting two hours down the road and realizing I left the bag at the gift shop on a stack of t-shirts. By the time I called the store, they were closed. I did make it out with a Roswell t-shirt shown in a shot below.
Check out the Spock ears!
Carlsbad Caverns is such a unique experience. From the South originally, I had seen my fair share of caves. Also, having been a Girl Scout, I had visiting the Lost Sea in Tennessee many times to learn about cave formations and stalagtites and stalagmites. But, never anything to this magnitude and extent. When I explain Carlsbad Caverns to people, I basically say it's other worldly and like an acid trip.
Situated on 47,766 acres in the Guadalupe Mountains with 120 caves, the caverns house over 67 species of mammals. Seventeen species of bats and 357 species of birds are known to live in the park. There are over 54 species of reptiles and amphibians who call Carlsbad Caverns their home.
The Park has a visitors center where you can learn about all the fascinating features of the Caverns. In 1963 the Bat Cave Amphitheater was created at the entrance to the caverns so visitors could experience the mass exodus of bats from the cave. Just a quick note: Bat scat is known as guano and you don't wanna eat it. However, it is used to make coffee and mascara!
Flying Lessons!
Santa Teresa, Blue Feather Aviation Flight School
My brother knows about my fear of heights. Since my trip was so close to my birthday, my brother decided to surprise me with flying lessons. So, the morning started with a terrific breakfast on a patio with fire pits. I cannot, for the life of me, remember what the establishment was called. However, my brother handed me some motion sickness pills. Confused, I asked what the pills were for. And, he asked me to trust him. We took many winding roads until we drove right up to an airplane hanger. I immediately thought we were at some cool aviation museum. But, when I walked in, I was greeted by my flight instructor.
The plane was a Cessna, but beyond that, I can't recall the make or model. What I can recall is as I was flying over the desert with no A/C and the hot El Paso winds hitting me in the face, I felt immediately nauseous. The more I fought it, the more it fought back. And, so yes, my first and last flight lessons involved some major puking on the carpeting (and thankfully missed the controls). I felt awful. Once we landed, I cleaned up my mess from the plane. There is a video (filmed by my brother from the backseat) showing my head violently fling forward as I lost my entire breakfast on that Cessna. Good times.
Sunspot, NM:
Located in the Sacramento Mountains, Sunspot is also located within Lincoln National Forest. The Sunspot Solar Observatory and Apache Point Observatory are located there. There is a self guided trail around the telescope with a view of White Sands! It's not far from the test site of the first atomic bomb! For 70 years its telescopes have stared right at the sun. Sunspot, NM made international news a few years back during an FBI sting when an IP address there showed as a threat for some child porn operations. A few years ago the National Solar Observatory decided to relocated to Boulder, CO.
One of the most overlooked travel destinations, this is a village in Otera County in Lincoln National Forest. You can see elk, turkey, badgers and other incredible wildlife. You can rent a cozy cabin! This quaint town is definitely worth the stop!
Lincoln National Forest:
This is where Smokey the Bear originated. Smokey was really a little bear cub that they found and rescued after a forest fire. And, they decided to make him into a mascot for preventing forest fires.
Retail Therapy:
Bear and goat rugs and anything western you can think of can be purchased at El Paso Saddle Blanket. Even cowboy caskets are sold here. You could literally spend the entire day walking through the retail warehouse heaven. If you can't make it out west, you can order online!
Also, you don't wanna miss Lucchese's if you're into boots. These are all hand made and hand stitched. In my opinion, there are the best boots in America!
My favorite bar stool of all time!
El Paso High School
As I mentioned before, I visited Easter, so my brother searched for the best Sunrise Service in El Paso. From the stadium you could look over right in to Juarez, Mexico. It's amazing to drive by the border and literally glance over into Mexico. We couldn't have asked for better weather for an Easter Sunrise Service. I cannot recall who the speaker was, but this was definitely a memorable Easter!
Mission Trails:
We saw all the amazing missions built by the Spanish Conquistadors. There is the Ysleta Mission, the Socorro Mission, and San Elizario Presidio Chapel! There are local shops, eats, and museums nearby.
Ruidoso, NM!
Remember Doogie Howser M.D.? He is a native of Ruidoso, NM. When I visited here and saw that you could cycle and ski in the same months (depending on elevation), I knew this would be my retirement home. There's also an Apache reservation/casino. Back in the day, when the Indians were displaced, or sent to the mountains because you couldn't raise livestock or grow crops there. Ironically now, it's some of the best and highly sought after real estate. Ruidoso has some of the most prestigious mountain real estate with majestic views.
Mexican Food! REAL Mexican Food!
L&J Cafe is the place to go for authentic Mexican eats. I got the sampler and an ice cold cervaza. Let me say that prior to dining, my brother handed me a Prilosec (a pharma used and taken for heartburn). I looked at him in confusion, and he said, "trust me on this...your innards have no experienced this kind of Mexican food." In fact, if you're a foodie, the West is the Best!
Play Golf!
Butterfield Trail Golf Course on Global Reach
There are so many terrific courses in El Paso if you're into a good walk spoiled, as Mark Twain put it. I din't pack any shorts and it was hot that day. I'm glad this picture was just taken from the waist up, because I'm wearing my brother's khaki shorts.
Playing in the Desert!
Chihuahua Desert
This was on Easter afternoon. I shot an AR15, a few Glocks, and a Ruger 10/22 and Remington 597 22 mag. We were planking and shooting cowboy style rapid fire. Indeed the desert is the best place to practice for apocalyptic end of times! My brother set up various targets and it was a fun day had by all.
Night Life!
Comic Strip
I don't know about you, but I love stand-up comedy. There's nothing better than a good quality comic. Indeed, most of streaming is of stand-up. Laughter is truly the best medicine. So, my brother surprised me with a trip to Comic Strip. I had a blast, belly laughed throughout the night, and even met some of the comedians post show.
Concordia Cemetery:
Concordia is a burial ground in El Paso. It's most well known as the final resting place for several gunslinger and Wild West lawmen. The cemetery is over 52 acres in size, and you could walk around all day finding cool gems of knowledge and history. The cemetery is open 365 days a year. Buried here are over 60,000 people, including Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Rangers, Civil War Veterans, early Mormon pioneers, even a giant was buried there, over seven feet tall. Probably the most notorious amount the dead is John Wesley Ward, a Wild West gunslinger who met his demise via gun shot in an El Paso saloon in 1895. It's also surprising to learn about the large Chinese population buried here. They helped build the intercontinental railroad; thus their families are also buried there as well.
Concordia has a map and is sectioned off with a Jewish section, African American Section (mostly Buffalo Soldiers of the Civil War), Masonic section, Mormon section, and more.
El Capitan:
The 10th highest peak in Texas.
I didn't hike it, but it's located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. El Capitan is the the southern most peak of the Guadalupe escarpment that is made of limestone reef and forms the Guadalupe Mountains.
Scenic Drive Park:
The best views on Franklin Mountain!
From the main or central overlook you can see Central El Paso, the border, as well as the Mexican City of Ciudad Juarez and it's mountain range! The drive can be a little treacherous, so this is definitely something to do during daylight!
Double Eagle in Las Cruces - Old Messila - The old historic district.
Billy the Kid fought and robbed in this area. He served a jail sentence there. Double Eagle is a place you won't want to miss. Bring your appetite, because Sunday Brunch includes a massive room of champagne poached salmon, chocolate fondue, omelets any way you want them, biscuits and gravy, prime rib, and any brunch delectables you can imagine. Oh, and did I mention never ending mimosas?! Afterwards you can walk around this quaint town and into the jewelry shops and boutiques to work off some of those amazing and "well worth it" calories.
This is only one angle of the buffet, but it spans an entire room!
Our lively bunny server!
All in all I think I lost a few pounds from all the puking on this trip. But, I shall never forget my adventures the Wild Wild West. Have you made a visit to this area of the country? What were some of your favorite spots and memories?
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