Westward Ho

Our latest segment of the trip as of March 3rd, 2010
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March 3rd we hook up and on the road by 8:30AM. Travel toward San Antonio on I 35 to Exit 175 and then west on 1604 to by pass San Antonio on the outskirts. Join I 10 and head west to Fort Stockton. This is rather different for us as we usually try to follow secondary highways so that we "See the Country" better, but this time just decided to get on the interstate and boogie, as we want to meet Tom and Linda, our friends from Warner, Alberta, at Benson in a couple of days. As we leave the hill country around San Antonio, and the day progresses, so does the land form around us. From lush hilly country to juniper forests, to low deciduous undergrowth, to buck brush, to cactus covered low mountains, and finally to just cactus and sand. This is Fort Stockton!! Even the RV Park conformed to the surroundings. No trees, just sand and gravel, no WIFI, no TV!! Well its only one night! What the heck!!
We did take a spin around town and found the largest Road Runner in the World to take some pics of, and then there was the real one that run across behind the motorhome. KFC for supper.

We never even put the slids out tonight. Some new neighbors came in late in the afternoon driving a newly purchased "Alpha See Ya" motorhome. I helped him get parked and had a nice visit with him. He is a moose of a man standing 6'10" tall. They were from Georgia and had just purchased it in San Antonio. He had indicated he needed the Alpha one as it has 7'6" ceilings so that he does not bump his head.
March 4th -
Our latest segment of the trip as of March 4th, 2010
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As we did not even put out the slides last night we are on the road again by about 8:15AM, and onward west to Las Cuces NM. Let me see, "What can I say that is positive about the West Texas scenery?" Well its open and you can see for miles. Miles fly by quickly as the interstate speed limit is 80MPH. I tried to stick around 70. Then just past Van Horne the time zone changed to Mountain Time Zone so we gained another hour. The long and short of it, we arrived at our destination of Hacienda RV Resort in Las Cruces at about 1:00PM. The Hacienda Resort is definitely a high end RV stop. Rates are right up there at $49/night, but is well laid out and a joy to stay there. It is right next to the historic old town de Missilla, NM. We had been ther before so this time did not venure into the old town, but for anybody who has not been there it is well worth a visit.
The Story of Mesilla
While the creation of Las Cruces may have eased the pressure for a rapidly growing Doña Ana, it didn't ease the anti-United States sentiments harbored by some Doña Ana residents who preferred Mexican rule to that of the United States. These sentiments eventually led to the formation of another village. In 1850, 60 families packed up their belongings and moved west of the Rio Grande, which was still Mexican territory. They settled on a mesita or hill, and formed the village of Mesilla. Unfortunately for the settlers, they soon became US residents again when the Gadsden Purchase, finalized in 1854, turned over a 30,000 square mile strip of land from Mexico to the US for $10 million. Although residents of Mesilla were no longer citizens of Mexico, they continued to live out their lives as though they were.
Billy the Kid
Las Cruces has been the haunt of many notable figures, such as Geronimo, Victorio, Albert Fall and the discoverer of Pluto, the late Clyde Tombaugh. But none have garnered more attention than the most infamous outlaw in the West, William H. Bonney, a.k.a., Billy the Kid. In 1880, Billy the Kid stood trial in a Mesilla, NM courtroom for the murder of Andrew “Buckshot” Roberts. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang by Judge Warren Bristol. During his sentencing, Judge Bristol told Billy he was to be hung “until you are dead, dead, dead!" Legend has it that Billy shouted back, "And you can go to hell, hell, hell!" He was taken to Lincoln, NM where he escaped while awaiting execution. He was later shot and killed by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881. The building in Mesilla that housed the jail and courtroom are still standing and the iron jail cell that held him is on display across the street in the Gadsden Museum. Another historical landmark still standing in Mesilla is the old Butterfield Stage Depot. Today it is home to La Posta, a restaurant with a worldwide reputation for its Mexican food.
March 5th -
Our latest segment of the trip as of March 5th, 2010
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Hate to leave here, as finally the weather is what I believe it should be in the "Sunny South. This morning by 8:00AM it is already 75F. But need to be on the road again to meet with Tom and Linda in Benson later today, so soon we are motoring again. Again, a lot of scenery! Yeah sure!! Sand, buck brush and little else for the next couple hundred miles. I 10 is a great way to get by all of this. I think I said before, that miles fade by behind you fairly quickly at 70 - 75 MPH. ELTORO cruises nicely at these interstate speeds, although is likely a LITTLE harder on gas mileage. I do get between 7.5 and 9 MPG (Imperial), so I guess that's not too bad. Speed limit is 80PH on the majority of this section of I 10, and of course I have my co-pilots eyes keeping me honest as she has the computer in front of her with "Streets and Trips" running that displays our speed as triangulated from the satellite "eye in the Sky." We did make good time, changed time zones again to Mountain, so gained another hour and arrived in Benson at 1:00PM. Tom and Linda were already here and had reserved a site next to them for one night until we figure out our itinerary for the next while. Sure was good to see them as they are the first folks from back home that we have seen for over one hundred days. Lots of Hugs and kisses!! Obviously a lot of chin wagging for the next few hours, and then supper together. This RV Park features an observatory where guests can join each evening for a peek at the heavens above. Their telescope is is a 17" Meade reflector type costing a cool $65K and is housed in a real dome with retracting and turning roof. We signed up for to nights viewing and were first on deck at 7:00PM. 16 people are allowed each evening session and is hosted by an amateur astronomer. We had a look at Mars, star clusters, hot blue stars and giant red stars, binary stars, Andromena galaxy, great Orion Nebula, Betelguese, and Rigel. Interesting!! Denice is enthralled. Me, OK. Then to Tom and Lindas for coffee.