Beautiful area with large, level sites. Lots of hiking…read more FYI-the Visitor Center is temporarily closed for construction, as are restrooms, though there are very clean portables. Four miles away is a Slot Canyon that can be hiked. Don't expect to see any water, the campsites are on a bluff away from any water and the day use areas are closed for construction too.

Great place to bbq and go swimming in the river. Fees are nominal. Be careful with rip currents…read morewhen the river is full.

June 1, 2023 - Fabian Garcia Botanical Garden (Las Cruces, NM)…read moreThis is an extension of the New Mexico State University, Chile Pepper Institute and is run in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture. We were here a couple years ago during the fall when the peppers had lots of fruit on them. This time around, only a few rows of peppers had been planted and they were only about 6 inches tall. The botanical garden itself is still nice and worth visiting. They grow more than just peppers here, including grapevines, and other row crops. You're allowed to walk around the fields as long as you don't trample anything. If you want to see peppers, definitely come in the fall (October through November). They grow at least 50 varieties of peppers, many that were genetically engineered by the New Mexico State University. Also, if you wanna find out more about peppers, go to the chili pepper institute that is on campus.

Came to look at chili pepper plants, but we are too early in the year. Come back in fall!read more

I've had the best time here. Yesterday was Karaoke, and I took a risk singing a song that was…read morechallenging and received a great round of applause. Today I came to chill and eat. Play some arcades. Super sweet bartender named Jamie. Very attentive. Very professional. We laughed about how I lost my ass to a kid here on the motorcycle game. The only plus was that the kids mom complemented my VERY EXPENSIVE outfit. Haha I wanted bartender Jamie shake the hands of everyone she was waiting on. Very cool. This retro, friendly spot is a MUST SEE for everyone passing through. The food was top notch.

Just had Gin and Tonics. They were cheap. $5.29 for a tall. Tons of choices for pinball machines…read morefrom all eras. Fun to look at the paintings on the walls. Brought back lots of memories. Fun place

What an amazing hidden gem this is, way off the beaten path in America! On the edge of nothingness…read morein tiny Organ, New Mexico, you aren't far from Las Cruces. But it's also the final stop on eastbound Highway 70 before emptiness, the longest span on one of America's longest roads without any population (48 miles of nothing). Exiting the highway here gives travelers one last point of interest before making the lonely drive to White Sands National Park. And what a worthy stop this is! Driving up a narrow road between weeds and brush, you might wonder if the place is abandoned. And judging by the name, you'd think Space Murals Museum was a tribute to artwork. Nope, that's just a reference to the painted water tower that started the whole journey in 1990. After painting several pictorials of space accomplishments on the tower, so many passersby were interested in this quirky stop that they walked around the tower looking for an entrance. But it only held water. This wasn't a museum. So the owner decided to give the people what they wanted, opening a small museum in 1992. Today, it's blossomed into a multi-room collection of NASA-donated space memorabilia and collectors' contributions. These aren't murals. They're relics of space travel! Highlights include the actual fuel tank that allowed the Apollo 11 Lunar Module to detach and land on the moon! You'll also find leftover astronaut food from a Space Shuttle mission and an early model of the space capsule that allowed John Glenn to become the first American to orbit the Earth. NASA even donated the original model for the space station to the museum, making quite the centerpiece! There are so many amazing space relics to see here, so don't let the name fool you! They also have an outdoor display and a nice little gift shop. It's a wonderful museum. And boy do I love a good freeze-dried mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich!

I have to admit I wasn't sure about this place when we first pulled up, but it ended up being an…read moreinteresting stop. It's dog friendly and the volunteer working when we visited was quite gregarious and offered our dog some treats that she makes herself to bring in for the pups that visit. Our dog is very picky so she didn't eat it, but it was very sweet and thoughtful. You could tell that the volunteer genuinely loves the museum and was super excited to have visitors to share it with. She chatted with us quite a bit and it was almost like a personal tour where she was giving us information on everything inside. During our visit only one other couple stopped in, they had a dog also, and she was just as warm and friendly to them. It's nice to hear stories from someone who really cares about the history and is clearly knowledgeable. For me, the highlight was getting to touch things that had been on the moon and returned to Earth. How many people can say they have touched something that has been on the moon? My husband thought seeing all the old astronauts food in toothpaste styled tubes was interesting. There's something about vintage space travel that's kind of fascinating and almost funny; it's interesting to see how far we've come. The murals were fine, but the museum and artifacts were probably more enjoyable to me personally. It's not a huge place but there's definitely a lot to see. We got a souvenir coin on our way out which serves as a nice little memento. It's definitely worth stopping in even if you just have a mild interest in space because the price of admission can't be beat, it's free!!

As a dinosaur lover, this museum is super cool! So many fossils from thousands of years ago. It's…read morecrazy to imagine a time period where the massive creatures roamed the earth. There are also other interesting collections, but you'll have to come see for yourself!

Wow! On our last visit to Las Cruces, the Zuhl Museum was on my "to see" list, but we weren't able…read moreto squeeze it in. So once again visiting Las Cruces, we decided to check it out. Now I realize it should have been first on my list. Who knew petrified wood could be so beautiful and interesting? The Zuhl Collection is the largest collection of petrified wood on display in the country. In addition to petrified wood, they have fossils, minerals, and even a meteorite. Over 1,800 specimens are beautifully displayed in this small museum on the campus of the New Mexico State University. We had the place to ourselves when we arrived on a Thursday afternoon. There is much to see, so it was nice to be able to wander at our leisure. This is truly a fantastic place; don't miss it. Move it to the top of your "to see" list, and go. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed.

Vado Speedway Park honestly took me by surprise! I've never really been into racing but my husband…read moreloves Nascar and drag races. Basically anything to do with cars. He mentioned previously going to races out near Fort Bliss where he's stationed but unfortunately they closed the track out there. He had been to Vado before and recommended us checking them out while I was in town. It's about a 45 minute drive from El Paso but it's definitely worth it! I had an absolute BLAST watching the races. I could tell that everyone there were enjoying themselves too. My husband and I enjoyed some drinks while we watched the race. We also shared their loaded fries from the snack stand which were delicious! Honestly the only downside is that they don't have races all year long because I'd definitely want to go to all of them! The season is coming to an end and I already can't wait when they start up again. Will definitely be coming back again and again.

Bought tickets online when I got to the races they announced that everyone got in free. But that's…read morenot true. It cost me over 90 bucks for four people.

If you haven't been to Bowen Ranch, jump over to their Facebook and find out the next time they're…read moredoing something for the public. This is a real piece of El Paso's history, El Paso's true history. Great for adults and kids alike. Bowen Ranch is still owned by the Bowen family, but you'll find a wonderful family that runs the ranch. Visiting this for a small, private event actually gave me a real feel for what Bowen Ranch does. The family has plans to bring the ranch back to all its glory, but I have to say... they've kept it in really good shape. One thing that really impressed me was the temperament of the animals on the ranch at the Headquarters. There wasn't a mean bone in a single one of them. All of them are people friendly and will shuffle up to you to be pet if you put your hand out. Now, I wouldn't recommend doing that with the cattle because you might spook them, but all of the horses and even the goat were super sweet. The property is huge and you get some gorgeous views of the sunset while out there. There not open to the public on day to day, but they have some small events and a few opportunities where you can watch them roping cattle and performing other essential duties. But Bowen Ranch is open to small events, you just have to ask. If you're looking for a beautiful and rustic backdrop for a wedding, reunion, or any kind of event that you can think of really, this is a great option.

Interesting place, we'll kept up with historical information inside and out. Nice information and a…read morestate about the Buffalo Soldiers. Not much about the Apaches or the effect of the Camino Real on Native Americans. Worth the visit.

I visited Fort Selden Historic Site yesterday. While the remnants are quickly deteriorating, the…read moremuseum is very detailed and interesting. I met a guide while I was walking around the remnants and she was very informative and personable. This is a nice place to stretch your legs and learn about a fascinatingly sad page of American history.