Jogged Down to Deming, New Mexico

Really bad storm came in during the night, had warnings out for lightning strikes - a watch to get your livestock to safety.  Wow, the sky lighting up at times!!  Thank goodness the storm was done by 5am, still had the warning out till 8am but we felt we were okay in traveling.  No problems hooking up, got on the road by 9:15am which is average for us.  We only had to travel 155 miles but the time traveling went fast.

This truck whizzed by us, had a helicopter on a trailer behind him

Traveled down Interstate 25 south, past the town of Truth or Consequences. Originally named Hot Springs, the city changed its name to Truth or Consequences, the title of a popular NBC Radio program. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the radio quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program from the first town that renamed itself after the show; Hot Springs won the honor.   Passed two reservoirs - Elephant Butte and Caballo - looked like lots of water in them.

Passed the marker for the El Camino Real

Amazing deep canyons

So steep  they have wind warnings for gusts thru them

Loran markers out in the middle of nowhere

Heading towards Truth or Consequences, Elephant Butte in background

Elephant Butte Reservoir

Another steep canyon

Crossed the Rio Grande

We crossed over the Rio Grande a few times, then said goodbye to it (and the El Camino Real) in Hatch.  The town of Hatch is known for chili peppers and boy, everyone was selling them, drying them in all kinds of places, cute little town.  It was in Hatch we left I25 and took the cutoff to Deming by following NM26 south and west.  Eliminated 48 miles off the trip.  Very large cow farms, and then  a big solar (wind) farm.  Then wide open nothingness with huge mountains looming around.

Caballo Reservoir

Old Bob's Big Boy - now Sparkey's in town of Hatch

Chilis drying on roof, and for sale hanging

Bins of chilis,  drying on ground and roof

Chilis everywhere!

Well, well.  Gassing up in Hatch

Not much of the Rio Grande left

Got here to the Dream Catcher RV Park in Deming.  This is an Escapee owned park, very inexpensive for members which we are, and pretty empty of RVers which surprised us.  Met a neighbor RVer and they have a permanent site and come to the park for a month every February and November, use this park as a resting area and then they either head back to Ohio near Cincinnati for the summer or stay here from Ohio in late fall on their way to Quartzite, Arizona for the winter.  Grace and Buddy liked them right away, they have 8 !!! cats of which 5 are usually on leashes tied up outside.  Or they are walking a couple of them.

Feel like we are back in AZ - border patrol stations

Police/Border Patrol with binocs - looking up hill we just passed. 

Big wind farms

Will stay a bit, bad weather predicted for next couple of days.  We are near the Mexican border but will not venture there.  And about 260 miles yet to Picacho, Arizona and our winter home.  Had a great experience yesterday at Peppers Grocery Store in town.  Maybe there were 12 Caucasians in the store, the rest were either New Mexico residents or from Mexico.  Very similar to our experience in McAllen, Texas - the store clerk would look at you and know to speak English or Spanish.