Graduation

Okay, so this post is really late. Last week we didn't necessarily do a proper date night because I graduated from UTEP! That's right, Master of Leadership Studies with a concentration in Health Administration. Needless to say, it was a hectic weekend. I had ceremonies on Thursday night and Saturday morning. That mixed with Chris' last weekend of regular season fantasy football tied up our schedule. We did celebrate my graduation by going to the State Line BBQ with some friends for lunch after the ceremony last Saturday. After that, Chris and I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up a huge floor mirror that my parents bought for my graduation gift. After that, we grabbed some Starbucks, then headed home for relaxation and a movie marathon. This coming weekend is going to be another crazy one getting ready to leave for Michigan. Merry Christmas everyone!

ChristKindle Market

Okay, so this post is a little late. It has been one crazy week. This past weekend was my date night turn. Crammed in between all of our obligations, I only had a window on Saturday afternoon :) We jumped in the truck and headed to San Elizario for the annual Christ Kindle Market, a German tradition. Mix German tradition with a border town and you get a very unique experience. There were a ton of tents, shops and galleries that we browsed through. Chris surprised me and bought me a lazy susan with sunflowers inlaid in stained glass. It is beautiful, and the new centerpiece on my kitchen counter! We ate lunch at the El Bandido Cantina. Chris got a burger and I had some of the best enchiladas I have ever had! A couple Mexican beers topped off the meal. The weather was really nice and we were able to explore a little more of the town. San Elizario also happens to be the last town on the Mission Trail and we snapped a couple pictures of the outside of the Church. San Elizario itself was a very strange mix of obvious poverty and high-end art galleries. It was a quintessential, dusty, West Texas border town.

We had a fantastic day. Since Chris didn't find anything at the market, we stopped by DSW on the way home so he could pick up a new pair of black boat shoes (his new favorite style). It was a wonderful afternoon, and we may just be making a trip back to the El Bandido for some enchiladas in the future.

Pictures from Hayley

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Movie Night

So this past week was a crazy one. Coming off of Thanksgiving, we were both exhausted trying to get back in the swing of things (case in point: our suitcases stayed packed all of last week because we were too lazy to unpack them). Thursday night we had plans, Friday night we had plans, and Saturday we were exhausted. A dirty house mixed with homework equaled some much needed relaxation. Chris and I decided to spend our date night on Saturday night watching movies at home. Dinner consisted of homemade pizza, and we snuggled in for the night with the Christmas tree lights on.

We have been WAY behind in our movie-watching. We used to go see new movies all the time in theaters. Now, by the time we get around to having time to watch them, they are already on DirecTV. So we knocked out "The Watch," "Lawless" and "Expendables 2." All of them were thoroughly entertaining. "Lawless" was fantastic. "The Watch" was weird, yet entertaining (with Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill, it's hard to go wrong). "Expendables 2" was everything we imagined it would be...a lot of violence, shooting, explosions, and cheesy lines. It actually turned out to be a pretty perfect date night! With the holidays coming up and school winding down, we may be having a couple more of these unplanned, casual date nights in the near future!

Bowling!

  So since this past weekend was part of the Thanksgiving weekend, we celebrated our weekly date night with the Rebello family :) Keeping in mind we had a wide age range, Chris and I decided bowling would suit everyone nicely. I researched bowling alleys in the Gilbert, Arizona area and Brunswick Zone XL came up with good reviews. We even had dinner in a nice little restaurant outside the bowling alley called Pockets. Everyone was really friendly, the atmosphere was very family-friendly, and the adults even got to partake in a couple pitchers of beer. Blaise and Derek both held their own, and I think they each even had a strike or two! Chris and Dad went head-to-head for the best score. I broke one hundred in the second game, which was a huge feat for me! There was a stretch in the second game when Derek, Erin, myself, and mom all had a strike, making four strikes in a row! We ended up squeezing two games in our 2 hour time allotment. Just as we were finishing, cosmic bowling started. It looked really fun, but we were all becoming a little tired. This was another great date night that we got to share with those around us (Erin's 3rd date night!). Next date night is up to Chris, he's had a long break so I'm excited to be surprised again! Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving.

Gun Show + Coffee and Kahlua

So this was our first date night in awhile! So glad to have Chris back, and glad to get back to date nights! I went ahead and planned this weekend again since Chris was gone for the last three weeks. On Saturday there was a gun and knife show at the local El Maida Shrine. The event was packed! It took us forever to find parking. There was an entrance fee, and then we immediately bought raffle tickets (I don't remember what the gun was that was up for raffle, but Chris was excited about it). There were a ton of booths crammed into the auditorium. Some showed guns, some showed knives, and still others were completely unrelated (jewelry, antiques, etc.). We walked around for awhile and Chris ended up buying a cleaning mat for his M&P .40 that shows how to break it down. On our way out, we stopped at a quilt booth for the Wounded Warrior Project. With a donation you could sign a square that would be made into a quilt and donated to a wounded warrior.

After that, we headed home because Chris had to take care of some issues with his phone. We took a nap, then headed out for part two of date night. There is a parking lot on post behind the colonel's houses that overlooks the valley of downtown El Paso and Juarez. I wanted to wait until it was dark out because I think it is a beautiful view at night. We made some coffee (and added a little Kahlua) and sat on the tailgate and just took in the view for awhile. Every time I run by this spot at night, I always think about how nice it would be to just stop and take in the lights and the sound of the distant highway. After this rendezvous, we headed to Freedom Crossings to meet up with some friends at Shamrocks for drinks. It is sooooo good to have Chris back!

Bob-Os and Wing Shack!

So like I thought, we had to skip a week of date nights as Chris was in the field last weekend. We made up for it this weekend with a trip to Bob-Os followed by Wing Shack. Bob-Os is a family fun center type business. Think arcades, go-karts, mini golf, batting cages, etc. We were pretty lazy all day and didn't end up getting there until about 5 pm. I think this helped because it wasn't crowded at all. Chris took a stab at the fastest baseball batting cages. He did really good, and was pouring sweat by the end of his rounds. I think he was surprised how long it's been since he hit pitches that fast :)

Afterwards, we played a round of mini golf. I had a hole-in-one on the second hole. We didn't really keep score, but it was pretty close. The last couple holes turned into a lot of goofing around. After the round of golf, we both decided we were starving so we headed out. I had heard about Wing Shack on Urbanspoon I think. It was a little bit of a drive back to the east side, but well worth it. The food was fantastic, and we got to watch the Tigers in game three. We had a couple rounds of beer, and some friends even showed up for the rest of the night.

All in all a very good date night. We are going to have another break now for a couple weeks since Chris is back out in the field until the middle of November. This time, doggy date night might be in order :)

Happy Halloween!

La Vina Wine Fest!

This week was my turn. It just so happens that it was also the La Vina Wine Fest! Saturday Chris and I headed over to La Union, NM (about a 30 minute drive). The weather was perfect, sunny and not too hot. The wine fest is an annual event, meant to celebrate the harvest. There were bands, food vendors, arts and crafts for sale, and lots of wine! For $15 a person, we each received a commemorative wine glass along with 9 samples of wine. Chris ended up buying a cigar right off the bat, and we started sampling. Realizing that samples don't last very long, Chris bought a full glass and I used 4 of my samples to do the same. We tried everything from rose to chardonnay to merlot to zinfandel to bubbly sweet wines. All of the wines were very good. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't buy bottles of anything to take home, or we may have just overlooked them. We walked around looking at all of the booths. I bought 6 packets of dry dip mix (delicious!) and Chris bought an awesome hand-turned wine stop with an Army decal on top. We sat down for a little while and ate. Chris got a brat and I got some wings, both delicious as well. After that, we decided to try some wine margaritas. Yes, they were as awesome as they sound. We hung out for about two hours, then decided to call it a day. Once we got home, we took a much needed nap!

On a side note, Chris left for the field today. He won't be back for two weeks, which means no date night next weekend. Although, I might make it a date night with the pups. Dog park anyone? :)

Ruidoso Weekend

This weekend was Chris' turn for our surprise date. Because of Chris' workload, it wasn't really a suprise since I made most of the plans. We bought tickets to the Roots and Boots concert in Ruidoso, New Mexico on Saturday night. This concert consisted of Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw and Joe Diffie. After calling around for four hours, I finally found a cabin that would take us and the dogs for just one night. Little did I know that this past weekend was also Aspenfest, meaning Ruidoso was extra crazy. Ruidoso is a little over two hours from our house, but it seems like a different world. Nestled in the mountains, the weather is cooler and the air is cleaner. People are more friendly and the atmosphere is much more relaxed. We stayed in a little cabin at Rainbow Creek. It wasn't much, but it was perfect for us. The dogs didn't behave too poorly. Looking back though, we definitely should have left them at home. Chris won pretty big on the slot machines and we had a really nice early dinner at Grace O'Malley's in town. The concert was awesome. They all sung some of their biggest hits, and did a lot of bantering back and forth. The crowd was pretty packed, although the venue left a little to be desired (just banquet chairs crammed in side by side). Afterwards, we headed back to the cabin and drank some wine and smoked a cigar on our little patio. That was probably the best night of sleep I've had in a long time. The weather was really cool and even a little overcast. I definitely could have stayed a lot longer. We will be making the trip back up there soon!

Shooting Range/Chili Pepper Challenge

This weekend was my turn. I chose to go for a two-part date. Chris' sister was in town visiting, and this will be the second date she's accompanied us on. I surprised Chris by buying target rounds for his Smith and Wesson M&P .40. He's had for several months now and had yet to shoot it. We decided to head to the Fort Bliss Rod and Gun club to shoot, since I wouldn't need a safety class in order to shoot there (EPCC has a much cheaper shooting range, but I would be required to complete a safety course that's only held on the first Saturday of every month). The weather was beautiful. Chris went and bought targets from the PEx before we left. For the three of us, it cost $30 (seemed a little steep). Chris loved it! It was a little bit too much gun for me, but it was still fun. We were using an old target that was already bullet-riddled so it was hard to see how well we were doing. The 100 rounds I bought went fast!

Part two has been in the works for over a month now, and it turned into a huge bust. I told Chris about this date a couple days ago, just to give him a heads up. I registered us for the Chili Pepper Challenge 20 mile bike tour. I knew we could both complete the distance, but I would want the same courtesy of a heads up for a physical date. Held at the La Vina Winery in La Union, NM, our heat started this morning at 10:30 am. Chris has felt pretty awful the last week, and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to try it last night. This morning he decided to suck it up and go with me (I was going either way since I already paid). I was glad to have him with me. There were over 900 riders participating. We got there a little early to pick up our packets with our numbers and t-shirts. There were all levels of experience from kids up to seasoned road racers. Things were going well for the first couple miles. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was as well. About four miles out it became apparent that Chris was having a lot of difficulty breathing and was pretty miserable overall. We made it to the 5.5 mile marker and turned around to head back. We didn't quite make the 20 miles, but 11 miles isn't too bad for someone that likely has pneumonia. We also found out that Chris' bike is extrememly uncomfortable at anything further than a couple miles. Lessons learned.

Rodeo! Yeehaw!

This week was Chris' turn again. He tried to keep it a surprise as long as he could, but finally broke down and told me Friday night. He ordered the tickets online and thought they were being shipped to us, so when they still didn't arrive Friday he decided to wait one more day in the hopes we would get them in the mail Saturday. Well, the instructions online weren't very clear and apparently what he paid for online were internet tickets to be picked up at will-call. Not knowing this, we decided to chance it with the receipt he had printed off when he bought the tickets. Luckily, it worked!

The gates opened at 7:30. It was officiall family night and the crowd was packed. We walked around for a little while, grabbed a couple beers and checked out some of the vendor tents. The event was held at Cohen Stadium, where the Diablos usually play. We were thinking their home season must be over because the infield was covered in about two feet of fresh dirt for the rodeo. It started out with the young boys riding bareback and the younger bulls. This was followed by steer wrestling, calf roping and bronc riding. Then the really little guys gave it a chance on sheep :) The rodeo clown was pretty good, and the dog act was really funny. There was some awesome side saddle riding, and honor was paid to Mr. Bowen who passed away this week.

We had a couple more beers, some nachos and enjoyed an awesome night. The weather was perfect, the rodeo was great, and no one was too badly hurt (one cowboy needed to be taken to a hospital, but he walked off the field by his own power). Another awesome night!

Oktoberfest!

This week was my turn. Again, it wasn't a surprise since we had to buy tickets well in advance :) We nabbed tickets for Friday night (and we're lucky we got those as they sold out pretty quick!). The weather was very cool and overcast. It was definitely a huge relief from the typical El Paso summer. We met up at the Doziers and headed over with Chris and Becky, and Aaron and Rachel. Paulaner sponsored this year again and set up a huge tent in the middle of post. Upon entering, we were given a huge one liter mug complimentary with our ticket. We headed straight to the beer line and filled up. Chris and the boys all bought bandoleer shots (see picture). We found one open table way at the back. We were only about 15 later than when gates opened and it was already packed!

We got to see the tapping of the keg, the American national anthem as well as the German anthem. Chris and I took advantage of the pretzels and cheese, bypassing the huge line for dinner. German bands played and the German-American dance team was there in full force. We experienced snuff again :) There were a couple familiar faces there and it was an awesome night, albeit an early one. We called it around 10 or 10:30 and headed home. Another great date experience!

Sunland Park Casino

This week was Chris' turn. He chose the Sunland Park Casino. This almost crossed the boundary of the rule that states the date must be at least semi-enjoyable to the other person. All kidding aside, I don't despise the casino that much. It was an okay time, we were in and out pretty quickly (I have a $20 max and Chris burned through his budget pretty quickly). The casino is nice and right across the border in New Mexico. Later in the winter they will start horse racing there. Full of people that shouldn't be there, with an attached hotel and buffet area, it has all of the trimmings of a respectable casino.


After the casino, we decided to try a new place for dinner nearby. Ardovino's Desert Crossing was the restaurant. The grounds are beautiful, and it definitely wasn't the kind of dinner either of us are comfortable with. We were a little worried we were under-dressed pulling into the parking lot, but a couple wearing jeans on the patio eased our minds slightly. Once inside we went back on high alert again. Real silver, cucumbers in the water, live flowers on every table and the hostess immediately asked us if we had reservations (they never ask that at Buffalo Wild Wings). Lucky for us, Kingfisher Beer was on the menu. We started our meal with an appetizer of wild mushrooms (fantastic!). After a little wait, another couple walked in and the hostess attempted to seat them at a table on the other side of the restaurant. When they refused to sit down, Chris and I took notice and started watching the spectacle. They demanded a vacant corner booth, and a white table cloth to boot! Seriously? People can become so detached. After we finished making fun of the crazy people, Chris ordered a stuffed salmon dish and I ordered a bleu cheese salad dish. Don't get us wrong, the food was delicious, albeit tiny. A nightcap of Taco Bell wouldn't have hurt. After trying a new Czech beer, we paid with leftover budget from the casino trip and got back to our comfort zone as soon as possible. Another adventurous date night!

UTEP vs. OU - Season Opener!

So it was my turn this week. This week's date wasn't really a surprise since tickets were a little pricey. We went to the season opener of UTEP versus Oklahoma University football game. We both had an awesome time. The game started at 8:30, but we got there a little early so we could walk around. I ran into a client I know from work and we got to hang out at their tailgate for awhile. Once we entered the stadium, we got our little foam pick axes for free. We were eager to see the views so we headed straight to our seats. Sun Bowl Stadium is beautiful, and it was a gorgeous night.

We had about an hour before kick-off, but there was plenty of warming up to watch. The UTEP marching band was awesome to say the least. The football players all run out of the "Mine Shaft" and on onto the field. At halftime we grabbed some snacks to tide us over through the game. We were up for the first quarter, then stayed tied for the next two quarters. I was pretty impressed actually. We did end up missing three field goals which I think haunted us through the game, but OU ended up running away in the last quarter. I think the final score was 27-7.

Regardless, it was a really awesome experience. The views from the field were gorgeous, the weather wasn't too hot, and there were fireworks. All in all, not a bad date night.

El Paso Art Museum

This Saturday we brought along a guest on our date. Chris' sister was in town for the weekend so we headed downtown to explore the El Paso Art Museum. Admission was free, even though there was a special exhibit on display. While we were walking through downtown making our way to the museum, Chris and I decided we needed to do more exploring downtown. Upon entering the Museum, an exhibit of butterflies took over the front lobby. They looked as if they were flying up the wall and through the lobby (this was personally my favorite piece).

The rest of the downstairs gallery was taken up by Edith Head's costume dresses, which she designed for Paramount Studios. These dresses were worn by the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and others. They were beautiful gowns to say the least, and it was obvious how tiny those actresses were at the time. Letters to Ms. Head were also on display. It seemed Grace Kelly and Edith were close friends ("Edith darling, We just returned from a fabulous summer in the mountains. Switzerland is always so beautiful.... - Love, Grace). There was also jewelry on display loaned from Paramount from movies such as Cleopatra and Samson and Delilah. Upstairs was full of a mixture of styles from abstract modern art to medieval Renaissance pieces. Some of the pieces were beautiful (the life-size tubing woman, or the portrait of Don Haskins), others were odd (the Dr. Seuss umbrella law mower things), and others we decided we could created in our sleep (the scribble from Louisville to El Paso). There was another featured exhibit of local artists from the 60s through the present day. The region definitely has a lot of great, artistic talent. Overall it was a very interesting and eye opening experience. We will definitely be visiting again when the next rotation of exhibits comes through.

Cattleman's Steakhouse

This weekend was my turn again. Another long, exhausting week has both of us looking forward to some quality relaxation. We managed to sleep in until noon on Saturday, woke up to eat brunch, then took naps. I knew it was going to take some serious motivation to get us both out of the house, but I was excited for my plans to unfold.

Chris and I got ready and got in the truck. I really wasn't sure what the dress code would be, but I opted for casual. About 35 minutes east of El Paso is the small town of Fabens, TX. Fabens happens to be home of Cattleman's Steakhouse, voted Manliest Steakhouse in America. The ranch was about 10 miles off the highway down a long, winding two lane road. Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch is a working ranch, zoo, movie set, restaurant, etc. There are mazes and playgrounds scattered throughout the grounds, as well as pavilions and areas available for rent. One pavilion happened to be rented by a family reunion which had hired a mariachi band. The zoo was comprised of an ostrich, goats, rabbits, free-roaming peacocks, buffalo, longhorns, alpacas, rattlesnakes, sheep, donkeys, horses and small birds. A large lake greeted us upon entering the grounds. The ranch has also been used as a movie set for various movies. Most of the movies filmed here were either western themed or war-based action movies. Tanks and other movie props were left behind by the production companies for visitors to enjoy. On Sundays, hay rides tour the grounds to give visitors a close-up view of some of these movie sets. There was also a gift shop inside the main building.

For more information on the history of the ranch, visit: http://www.cattlemansranch.com/aboutus.htm

As soon as we arrived, we put our name in for a table and headed outside to explore the ranch and the zoo. With perfect timing we made it back inside to get seated. We ordered a pitcher of sangria (which was fabulous), as well as a shrimp cocktail (also fabulous). The atmosphere inside was very nice. Being a steakhouse, we both had to get steak. Each steak is trimmed that day. Needless to say, it was incredibly fresh. Chris splurged on the lobster and steak and I treated myself to a small filet mignon. The meal was served family style with bowls of coleslaw, beans and rolls brought to the table. We each had a baked potato with our meal as well. The food was great, the service was great and the grounds were beautiful. Getting out of the city was very relaxing, if only for a couple hours. Another successful date night :)

Magoffin Home State Historical Site

Chris' turn. This past weekend was another crazy one. We both had a lot of school to conquer after an exhausting week. Chris surprised me by taking me to the Magoffin Home State Historical Site on Saturday afternoon. The Magoffin family were some of the first settlers to what is now El Paso. Joseph Magoffin ran just about every office in the city, as well as holding the mayoral position for four terms.

"The Magoffin Home, a Texas Historical Commission property, is located in downtown El Paso less than one mile from the U.S.–Mexico border. The state of Texas and the city of El Paso purchased and opened the home to the public in 1977. The home is part of the Magoffin Historic District and is one of the oldest surviving adobe structures in the area. It reflects the lives of a prominent early El Paso family.

Numerous authentic artifacts including furniture, textiles, photographs, art and documents are on display in the home. These are supplemented with period pieces to give a more complete view of what the home looked like in different time periods.

The 1.5-acre site offers a glimpse of the past as visitors explore its lovely grounds and renovated rooms. The historical significance of the home lies in its unique architecture and in the history of the Magoffins and their descendants who lived in the home for more than 100 years. A multicultural family, they were active and influential participants in their community, served during military conflicts and witnessed important historic events. Their 1875 home is a prime example of Territorial style architecture and features a center courtyard and peaceful landscape."
- http://www.visitmagoffinhome.com/index.aspx?page=601

Needless to say, the home was beautiful. Even though it was in downtown El Paso, it seemed like an oasis. The property was quiet and beautiful. Our tour lasted a little over an hour and we were the only two in attendance. Everything was beautifully preserved and restored. Some of the furniture was incredibly intricate. It was a perfect afternoon date!

La Casa Del Puro Cigar Lounge

My turn. Week number two of our date experiment left me scrambling for options. The Plaza Classic Film Festival had begun and it also happened to be Chris' birthday weekend. The week had been a hectic one, and the weekend promised to be the same with finishing up assignments and running errands, but that was the point of the experiment right? To overcome the obstacles that keep us cooped up in the house. We had just finished some Costco shopping when I decided to spring Chris' date on him. Lesson learned, never tell him in advance where we're going. I told him about the Cigar Lounge and immediately he was concerned we weren't dressed properly, etc. This is El Paso, I have yet to see a dress code posted.

We put the address into OnStar and headed downtown. We ended up near the Plaza Theater in a little area of row houses. The middle home was the cigar lounge. We went inside and were immediately impressed. The home was newly renovated and filled with luxurious leather furniture. A huge walk-in humidor took up almost half of the first floor. The downstairs was full of guys relaxing and smoking, although the house's ventilation system kept the smoke from choking us out. We each picked a cigar, Chris also picked out a cigar ash tray, and the owner invited us upstairs to the "members only" section. As first-time guests, this is the standard treat. We were the only patrons upstairs which consisted of more plush, leather furniture, a poker and pool room, a stocked bar and two flat screens. As a member, patrons are allowed to keep their own beverages in the refrigerators that are provided.

The environment was extremely nice, as was the owner. I quickly found out that as much as I love the occasional cigar, I cannot smoke an entire one by myself. I became a little nauseous and struggled to drag myself out of there. We decided to grab some dinner before we headed home and I nominated Julio's. The food was fantastic, and a live singer was a special treat. By then we were both ready to head home again. Exploring and trying new things is turning out to be exhausting :)

Las Cruces Tour de Beer

As so often happens, life started getting in the way. Every weekend, we seemed to get caught up in school, household chores and catching up on sleep. Before we knew it, it was Monday again and the weekend had vanished. Traveling around with the Army, we have been given a very unique opportunity to view a new region of the country every couple years. The last year in El Paso, we have not been taking full advantage of this opportunity.

So I came up with the idea that every weekend we would take turns surprising each other on a date. The date could be routine if we weren't feeling creative, but the point was to try new things together. There are some stipulations to the experiment: we have to choose a date that we think the other might at least remotely enjoy, and it can only involve the two of us (and perhaps the pups). After we leave El Paso, and any other duty station for that matter, we likely won't be returning. Therefore, we want to experience as much as we can in the short time we are here.

Chris went first. Our first "surprise date" was three weekends ago. That Saturday there just so happened to be the Las Cruces Tour de Beer. Needless to say, Chris and I both love craft beer. At the Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds, over thirty-two breweries from arond the country set up sampling booths. We paid $15 at the gate which got us a customized pint glass and 10 sample tickets. There were also fair ground food stands, face painting, live music and some carnival games. We got there earlier than most of the crowds and took our time sampling brews from breweries we'd never heard of. I particularly liked Kona Brewing and Chris like Wasatch Brewing. High Desert was also there, a local favorite of ours. Left Hand Brewing and Isotopes were good too. After we finished our samples, we each went back to get a full pint of our favorite. By the middle of the afternoon, the lines were about 20 minutes long. There were some fantastic bands playing though. Our favorite band was a local Las Cruces group called "Beans and Crackers." They mixed country with rock n' roll. The lead singer had a perfect impression of Johnny Cash. By late afternoon we were exhausted and decided to head back to Las Cruces to find dinner. In keeping with the spirit of the day, we took a gamble on the Pecan Brewery and Grill. The food was fantastic, albeit a little pricy. After a long day of beer sampling and standing in the summer New Mexican sun, we dragged ourselves home and turned in early.