We travelled from Carlsbad to Deming, NM today and once again the scenery put on a show! From Carlsbad to El Paso, we were on a mostly 2 lane road without a lot of traffic and almost nowhere to stop. There was, however, one rest area. First one I have ever seen on a non-interstate highway. There were several picnic areas as well, but other than that, not many places to pull over.
We did have to make one "necessary" stop on the shoulder of the road, and I found these flowers growing there.
During our drive, we left NM for TX, then came back into NM. At the border, we stopped for lunch at a nice Welcome Center. We spent a restful hour or so enjoying our lunch and the scenery.
I have noticed along the way that lots of the interstate overpasses are quite beautifully decorated. Wish SC would pick up on that.
Arrival at our campground, Hidden Valley Ranch RV Resort came around midafternoon, after a 7 mile drive down a gravel road! The map of the park says at the bottom, "If you wanta be in the country, you gotta drive on a country road to get there." We were a bit concerned, but this place is absolutely gorgeous. It is family owned and run, there is a community of permanent or long-term residents and absolutely everyone is friendly. The peace and quiet is unmatched by any site we have stayed in before and the night sky was beyond description. Our elevation is 4841 feet and we are in the foothills of the Cooke's Mountain Range. The RV park is part of a 7000 acre ranch, which is still being worked actively. The owner stopped by to welcome us and chat yesterday afternoon, and we could tell he was quite happy with his life situation. His family bought the ranch, which abuts his brother-in-law's ranch and took over the existing RV park about 3 years ago.
Phew! Had a lot to show you for a travel day! Take care, and visit us often as we move along.