There are lots of highways, byways, and backroads for us to explore.
One day we drove to Engle, NM so I could see the old schoolhouse. Believe it or not they used to have dances in there. Not often but I remember going. Today Engle is a ghost town with its only claim to fame that it is the headquarters for Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch and if you take a right when you get there you can go to Spaceport America in case you have a spot reserved for your space travel.
Coming back from Engle we took a drive around Elephant Butte Lake.
The Elephant Butte Lake dam was constructed to regulate water flows in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico and was completed in 1916.
Many hot summer nights were spent when I was a teenager speeding down the winding roads and roaring across the dam with the top down, music blasting and sparks flying. The road closed to traffic on September 11, 2001.
A stop to wander around the Dam Site Recreation Area buildings gave me the opportunity for photos of some of the old doors. The CCC constructed tourist cabins along the lakeshore and visitors can stay in these historic structures. They also completed landscaping, roads and trails throughout the park from 1934-1940.
Many of the cabins are being refurbished to stay in and one of the larger buildings is now a bed and breakfast.
I hope the restoration continues to bring the area back to its former glory.
This island in the lake is what Elephant Butte is named for. Use your imagination........see his eye, then his ear, and his trunk goes down to the water.
The lake is about 40 miles long with 0ver 200 miles of shoreline so there was plenty of sightseeing available for our drive.
Some of the roads were better than others. It was a fun day out exploring.
When we arrived at Elephant Butte it was a Saturday. One of the first things Walt wanted to do was go to Hatch so he could eat at Sparky's. It was Monday before we checked to see when they were open and it is only Thursday through Sunday.
So we planned to go on Thursday. Gave us time to see if any friends were available to meet us there.
Luckily Charlotte, Carl, Gerald and Denise were able to drive up from Las Cruces to join us.
We got there early. That is a good thing. It isn't long before the line is long. Most people line up for their award-winning green chile cheesburger and it is delicious but so is everything else. My very favorite is their sweet corn seasoned with green chile and onion.
Being early scored a nice big table so we could settle in to enjoy the good food and have a nice long visit. It is so nice to reconnect and see how everyone is and what they have been doing.
Hatch’s namesake crop, the Hatch chile, appears on burgers, in burritos, and piled up at the condiment bar, but it is also in Sparky’s dessert and drink menus. Yes, it adds a kick to thick milkshakes and ice cold lemonade. We need more visits so I can keep trying more items.
The owners are Teako and Josie Nunn and they have filled the inside and outside of the restaurant with Americana signage and collectibles.
Great visit and great food. Next time we'll come on a week-end so we can be there when they have live music.
Leaving Hatch we took a very roundabout trip back to GypsyII.
Our destination was Lake Valley. I realized as we traveled along that despite the dozens of times I had journeyed this road I had never seen it in the daytime.
Lake Valley is an old mining ghost town. Lake Valley today is partly privately owned, and partly owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Most of the silver mines were worked out by the late 1880's. But the reason I wanted to come was to see the location of some of my history.
So many Saturday nights were spent at the old schoolhouse. The school was used for dances that drew crowds from miles and miles around.
The desert around the school would be filled with cars and the inside would be filled with live music, dancers and usually a table filled with food.
The BLM has restored the school house complete with desks and books and made a nice museum but the hours I spent there had no desks or books. The band played from the raised area at the front. There were some benches along the wall but there wasn't much sitting done. Young and old were there to dance. Those fun times were filled with very special friends who made the dances very extraordinary.
Not much need for heat from this old stove. The body heat was plenty. I met so many people and had so much fun here. I left in 1963 and there was information at the schoolhouse that the dances continued into the 70's or 80's.
Thank you Walt for taking me on a trip down memory lane. Another one of those great days as we travel around.