(Pics to come....)
This past weekend was Chris' turn, but this wasn't a surprise as it needed some planning. This past weekend, we headed up to Truth or Consequences, NM for Saturday night. It was a really nice two hour drive. Aside from the crazy name, Truth or Consequences is also known for their geothermal hot springs. The hot springs are world-renowned for the supposed healing powers. They have dozens of natural minerals, and come out of the ground at around 106 degrees. We chose a hotel that pumped the springs directly into our room, into a huge tile tub. The decor was very southwestern, very quaint and comfortable. We ended up sitting in the springs three times, but they were so hot that we only managed about 15-20 minutes each time. Once we got to our room, we soaked in the springs, then just relaxed for a couple hours. Chris worked on school and I read. The we headed out to K-Bob's Steakhouse for dinner. Apparently, this is a chain (we had never heard of it), but it was obviously a draw for the locals. Chris had a steak sandwich, I ordered a steak and we each had a couple beers. From there, we headed to Elephant Butte. We drove around a little, but never got very close to the water. We tried to find a pub at the marina, but OnStar failed us twice and by then we were ready to call it quits and head back to the room. Chris cheered me up with Sonic ice cream :) We soaked again once back in the room, then watched The Lorax on my laptop. We were asleep a little after 10.
After a full 12 hours of sleep, we woke up, soaked again, then remembered the time change which gave us another hour. We packed up our room, checked out, then headed next door to the Happy Belly Deli for breakfast. An egg and cheese bagel was complimentary with the room, but Chris sprang for a chorizo omelet that was delicious. The coffee was really good too. The deli was small, but cozy. We both loved it. Our Spartan attire was a big hit with the staff as most of them seemed to have connections in the Midwest. After breakfast, we walked down the street and found January's. January's is a multi-building antique shop on main street, and it happened to be one of the only stores open on a Sunday. We hit the jackpot though. I finally found a trunk worthy of taking home, and it was only $60! Chris also found me a sunflower tray, and I found an old rusty rake head that I hung in our kitchen for a utensil display. On the way out of town, we stopped at a Veteran's Park. It was beautiful. There was a really impressive museum with artifacts from every war all the way back to the Revolutionary War. There were also binders with the names of all of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was really moving and sobering as Chris pointed out names of guys he knew. Outside, there was a walk with markers and histories of all the major wars, and a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. We were both really impressed with the quality of the museum and park, especially for such a small town in the middle of nowhere.
We had an awesome weekend. Neither one of us wanted to leave. It was so nice to get out of El Paso. The traffic was easier, the pace was slower, and it was much quieter. The weather cooperated, although it was a little chilly. We are already making plans to head back up there in the summer and really explore the lake, the marina, and the State Park.
Chris took over date night this past weekend, and it turned into one of my favorite date nights yet! We hiked Mt. Cristo Rey which is just a 15 minute drive from here. Mt. Cristo Rey is technically in New Mexico, but its south side is also in Mexico. The climb is always open, but it can be very dangerous if not done in a group due to the proximity to Mexico. At the peak of the mountain is a huge 29 foot statue of Jesus on a cross. Because of the Easter weekend, Border Patrol were around the mountain monitoring the activity. The weather was beautiful, not too hot nor too cold. There was a nice breeze and the sun was out. The climb was 4.4 miles round trip and took up about an hour and 45 minutes. Along the climb, there were the stations of the cross that some people were stopping to pray at. The whole experience was meant to be spiritual, and there were off-shoots that lead to outlying grottos with statues for Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc. The views were incredible the entire way up. The climb wasn't too strenuous due to the switchbacks carved in the mountain. There were all kinds of people making the climb, from children to elderly and a lot of dogs. There were spots to have picnics, remnants of old buildings, and even places that looked like Mass had taken place. It was a great workout, and a really unique perspective of El Paso and Mexico to the south. Both Chris and I were surprised that there was no border fence on the south side of the mountain, but apparently that's why the hike is so dangerous if not done during designated times, or in large groups. Overall, this was an incredible experience!
