From Las Cruces Back to El Paso: Journey’s End

After our long hike to Dripping Springs and La Cueva in the morning, a cool siesta back at our Las Cruces hotel seemed quite appropriate. Later in the afternoon we headed out to visit the village of La Mesilla. We might not have known about it, but our neighbors had recently visited the area. When they heard we were coming to Las Cruces, they suggested we visit La Mesilla. It turned out to be a good recommendation.

Coincidentally La Mesilla is the burial place for the hermit who had been murdered in La Cueva although we didn’t encounter his grave. It’s this kind of historical account along with its small shops that attracts tourists. The town has a central plaza with shops and restaurants surrounding it on three sides. On the fourth side the Basilica of San Albino sits and overshadows everything. On the day we visited, the church was broadcasting a funeral outside for everyone to hear so we were unable to go inside the church.

There are a number of gift shops here which focus mostly on Mexican made items. Some art studios and galleries are here as well. I think all of the restaurants in the area were Mexican. We ate at a restaurant recommended to us by our neighbors. The unusual thing about that restaurant was the aviary they had in the waiting area. That I had not seen before. However, it seemed to be a popular place as the waiting room was full when we left.

We left town just as the sun was setting. There was some color in the sky over the church as we were leaving, but farther out of town it became more intense. I stopped by the road to get some photos. Beautiful warm light bathed the mountains opposite the sunset. We continued on as the colors got even more intense. By the time we got to our hotel in Las Cruces, deep orange clouds streaked across the sky. I was only sad there wasn’t something more interesting in the foreground of the photo to add interest.

The next day was our last day in New Mexico. We decided to check out downtown Las Cruces. It turned out to be closer to our hotel than we realized. The downtown area has the main government buildings as well as some museums. There was a variety of architecture and some art pieces around. Other than that the city seemed pretty quiet. There is the main town plaza with a large stage for major events as well as some restaurants around. It seemed a good place for city celebrations. Las Cruces appeared quite clean, and the buildings seemed fairly updated, but there just were not very many people around.

Since I went to the wrong garden in El Paso last week, today seemed a good opportunity to find the right one so we headed down to El Paso. One surprising thing I noticed on the way south was the number of cows. There were quite a few dairy farms along the freeway which I didn’t anticipate in this part of the country. We must have seen a thousand cows. It was impressive.

The gardens I wanted to visit are on the campus of Texas State University El Paso. The campus is generally closed to traffic so visitors have to stop at the gate and explain where they are going. The attendant directed me to a somewhat hidden driveway. Once in the parking lot, I had to go inside the Centennial Museum to get a free parking pass.

It turns out the gardens are around the museum. There is a walkway that goes around the museum with various beds of plants next to it. In some places the beds carry out a specific theme. The Chihuahuan Desert Gardens is not a garden full of beautiful, colorful flowers, especially during the winter. Instead this is a garden that focuses on many of the native plants of New Mexico and the Chihuahuan Desert. There were a few plants beginning to put out new leaves or buds. It was in these that I found the most interest. Of course I always like the looks of the trees.

Near the front of the museum, there were some flower beds as well as some art pieces in the garden. One thing I noticed about the garden was that it was not highly manicured. It seemed to be in more of a natural state. Dry leaves often littered the garden areas. It seemed more representative of what one might find out in the actual desert landscape.

An unexpected element in the garden is a prayer wheel from the country of Bhutan. The buildings on the campus are also inspired by the architecture of the country of Bhutan. It definitely gives the buildings a unique look.

Of course there were the desert plants such as the cactus and agave plants. These were mostly in a bed near the museum. There were also some other interesting plants as well which I included in these photos.

Our trip south was coming to an end. It had been an interesting trip. The National Parks we saw were truly unique and inspiring. We found the people friendly and helpful. Along the way we saw a lot of Mexican restaurants. If you like Mexican food, this is the place to be. The weather was not as warm as we anticipated. In fact it reached freezing at night on more than one occasion. Our wardrobe was a little thin to handle that, but we made it through.

This is a great one week trip that can be tailored to your interests. While I would not recommend coming in the summer because of the heat, any other time of year would be great. The loop we drove allows for three National Parks, and there are plenty of other sites of interest to keep one busy. So put it on your bucket list. It’s worth it.

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