Page 224 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

222  NE W MEXIC O SOUTHERN NE W MEXIC O  223

These are famous for their out-
door activities, including water
sports such as fishing, jet skiing,
boating, and windsurfing.
E Geronimo Springs Museum
211 Main St. Tel (575) 894-6600.
Open 9am–5pm Mon–Sat, noon–
4pm Sun. Closed public hols. & 7
O Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Off I-25. Tel (575) 744-5923.
Open 24 hours. Visitor center:
Open 7:30am–4pm daily. & 7 
∑ emnrd.state.nm.us
Façade of San Miguel Mission in Socorro
0 Gila Cliff
8 Socorro Hot Springs to Truth or Conse- Dwellings National
quences for the 10th anniversary
Road map E4. * 9,000. n 217 Monument
Fisher Ave. (575) 835-8927. Open 9am– of the game show of the same
5pm Mon–Fri ∑ socorronm.org name, held here in 1950. The Road map D4. Tel (575) 536-9461.
original hot springs still exist in Open late May–early Sep: 8am–5pm One of the entrances to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, situated high above the Gila River
Socorro, meaning “aid” in Spanish, the form of bath houses around daily; early Sep–late May: 8am–
was named by explorer Juan de the town. For centuries the 4:30pm daily. Closed Jan 1, Dec 25. people, famous for their abstract Ailman House, and contains w Deming
Oñate in 1598, when his party thermal springs drew Native & ∑ nps.gov/gicl black-and-white pottery designs, frontier-era memorabilia, while Road map D5. * 14,500. £ @
received help from the people Americans to the area, notably also lived in this area (see p42). the Western New Mexico n 800 E. Pine St. (575) 567-1962. 
of the Pilabo Pueblo, which once the famous Geronimo (see p46). The Gila (pronounced hee-la) The ruins are accessed by a one- University Museum holds the ∑ demingvisitorcenter.webs.com
stood here. The area was reset- The Geronimo Springs Museum Cliff Dwellings are one of the mile (1.6-km) round-trip hike Southwest’s largest collection
tled in the early 1800s, and it was has displays on local history, most remote archaeological from the footbridge crossing of Mimbres pottery. The town of Deming lies
during the silver boom of the including a life-sized statue of sites in the Southwest, situated the Gila River’s West Fork. Allow Silver City is a good base for 60 miles (97 km) west of Las
1880s that many of its Victorian the Apache warrior. Hot mineral among the piñon, juniper, two hours to drive to the site exploring the surrounding Cruces. The Deming Luna
buildings were con structed. water from an underground and ponderosa evergreens of from Silver City, as the road region. The nearby forest is home Mimbres Museum contains
Just north of here is the 1821 spring flows down the ceramic the Gila National Forest. The winds and climbs through to elk, deer, and bear, and there excellent pieces of Mimbres
San Miguel Mission, featuring mountains of an elaborate foun- dwellings occupy five natural mountains and canyons. are hiking trails and picnic areas. pottery, frontier artifacts, and
massive adobe walls, supported tain in the plaza next to the caves in the side of a sandstone a fine gem and mineral display.
by curved arches. museum. The town is now a bluff high above the Gila River. E Silver City Museum Rockhounding (amateur rock
mecca for artists and free spirits. Hunter-gatherers and farmers q Silver City 312 W. Broadway. Tel (575) 538-5921. and mineral collecting) takes
Environs Truth or Consequences is a called the Tularosa Mogollon Road map D5. * 10,000. @ n 201 Open 9am–4:30pm Tue–Fri, place in Rockhound State Park,
The Bosque del Apache popular summer resort, close to established their 40-room N. Hudson St. (575) 538-5555. Open 10am–4pm Sat & Sun. Closed public where jasper, agate, and other
National Wildlife Refuge, a both the Elephant Butte Lake village here in the late 13th 9am–5pm Mon–Sat, 10am–2pm Sun hols. 7 ∑ silvercitymuseum.org minerals can be found. The
renowned bird-watching area, and the Caballo Lake State Parks. century. The Mimbres Mogollon  ∑ visitsilvercity.org E Western New Mexico town is also known for its Great
lies 18 miles (29 km) south of University Museum American Duck Race, run every
Socorro. It attracts thousands Chili Peppers As its name suggests, Silver City 1000 W. College Ave. Tel (575) 538- August (see p37).
of migrating snow geese and was a mining town. Located in 6386. Open 9am–4:30pm Mon–Fri,
sandhill cranes in winter. The chili pepper is a potent symbol of New the foothills of the Pinos Altos 10am–4pm Sat & Sun. Closed public O Rockhound State Park
Mexico. Chilies were first brought to the region Mountains, its ornate architecture hols. 7 ∑ wnmu.edu/univ/ Highway 141. Tel (575) 546 6182.
O Bosque del Apache National by Spanish colonists in 1598, and flourished dates from its boom period museum.shtml Open 7am–sunset daily. & 7
Wildlife Refuge in the hot, dry climate. Today, some between 1870 and the 1890s. In
Hwy 1. Tel (575) 835-1828. Open 47 sq miles (122 sq km) are devoted 1895, a flood washed away the
8am–4pm daily. Closed Jan 1, Jun, Jul & to growing many varieties of the city’s main street, and in its place
Aug: Tue–Wed, Thanksgiving, Dec 25. crop, including the chipotle, poblano, today is Big Ditch Park, an arroyo
7 ∑ fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_ New Mexico (or NuMex), and jalapeño (or waterway) running 50-ft-
del_Apache peppers. New Mexican cooking is (15-m-) deep through the town.
dominated by the chili, either fresh (green)
or dried (red). The center of the chili-growing This area was the site of the
9 Truth or Wreath of red dried chilies industry is the town of Hatch, which holds cabin where Billy the Kid (see
p229) spent much of his youth.
Consequences a chili festival every September on Labor Silver City has three defined
Day Weekend (see p38). The chili has a
Road map E4. * 6,500. n 301 S. reputation as a cure for a range of health problems. In the historic districts – Chihuahua Hill,
Foch St. (575) 894-1968. Open 9am– 18th century, it was used to relieve toothache. Today, capsaicin, Gospel Hill, and the old business
4:30pm Mon–Sat, noon–4pm Sun  the chemical that gives chili its heat, is added to ointments for district – all containing buildings
∑ sierracountynewmexico.info muscle and joint pain. The chili’s high vitamin C content (a large that evoke the town’s Wild West
green chili contains as much as an orange), is believed to help boom-town past.
Known by locals as “T-or-C,” this prevent colds and flu. The Silver City Museum is
town changed its name from located in the beautiful 1881 H.B. The H. B. Ailman House, home to the Silver City Museum
For hotels and restaurants see pp242–3 and pp260–61 Ruins tucked inside a sandstone cave, Gila Cliffs Dwellings National Monument

222-223_EW_SW_USA.indd 222 28/11/17 12:42 PM 222-223_EW_SW_USA.indd 223 28/11/17 12:42 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm