Page 230 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

228  NE W MEXIC O SOUTHERN NE W MEXIC O  229

Billy the Kid
When he died, Billy the Kid was one of the Old
West’s most notorious outlaws. Born Henry McCarty
in 1859, it is believed he changed his name to
William Bonney in 1877, when he killed his first
victim in Arizona.
Billy fled to Lincoln, where he was hired
by John Tunstall and Alexander McSween,
who had set up a store competing with One of the historic buildings along Lincoln’s
one run by Lawrence Murphy and James main street
Dolan. In February 1878, when Dolan’s
men murdered Tunstall, Billy helped to form a Lincoln
the Regulators, who set out to get justice.
The Lincoln County War followed, culminating Road map E4. * 100. n Hwy 380E
Colorful shops along Ruidoso’s attractive main street with a violent battle in July. Billy escaped, but Lincoln (575) 653-4372. Open 8:30am–
4:30pm daily. Closed public hols. &
was captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett two years later
i Alamogordo Telescope. Another simulator p Ruidoso and returned to Lincoln to be hanged. Once again, 7 ∑ nmhistoricsites.org/lincoln
offers the chance to land the however, he escaped. The peacefulness of this small
Road map E4. * 31,300. ~ n 1301 Road map E4. * 8,000. n 720 Billy was eventually shot, by Garrett, at Fort
N. White Sands Blvd. (575) 437-6120; space shuttle. The Space Hall also Sudderth Drive (575) 257-7395.  Sumner on July 14, 1881. In spite of his violent life, town, surrounded by the
(800) 826-0294. Open 8:30am–5pm includes the IMAX™ Dome. ∑ ruidosonow.com Billy was a local hero. His story and deeds are beautiful countryside of the
Mon–Fri; 9am–5pm Sat & Sun. memorialized in the little town of Lincoln. Capitan Mountains, belies its
Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25, Jan 1. E New Mexico Museum of Nestled high in the Sacramento violent past. It was the center
∑ alamogordo.com Space History Mountains, surrounded by cool Wild West outlaw, Billy the Kid of the 1878 Lincoln County
Scenic Drive. Tel (575) 437-2840; (877) 333- pine forest, Ruidoso is one of War, a battle between rival
Alamogordo was established as a 6589. Open 10am–5pm Mon, Wed– Sat; New Mexico’s fastest-growing ranchers and merchants
railroad town in 1898 by two noon–5pm Sun.. Closed Thanks giving, resorts. Sudderth Drive is the the Museum of the Horse, its Antoine Predock in 1997, involving the legendary Billy
New York entrepreneurs, Charles Dec 25. & 7 ∑ nmspacemuseum.org long main street lined with artifacts range from fine art to this sandstone building has the Kid. In those days, Lincoln
and John Eddy. Its wide streets shops, art galleries, cafés, and horse-drawn carriages. Outside a spectacular mountain County covered one-quarter
are lined with cottonwood trees, restaurants. Here, specialty is the fabulous Free Spirits at backdrop. of the state, and Lincoln itself
which reflect its origins and are o Cloudcroft shops sell everything from Noisy Water (1995), a was the county seat.
at the root of its name – Alamo- Road map E4. * 700. n Cloudcroft candles to cowboy boots. monument of seven larger- I Links at Sierra Blanca Lincoln is now a state historic
gordo means “fat cottonwood” in Chamber of Commerce, Hwy 82 (575) Outdoor activities are the than-life-sized horses by local 105 Sierra Blanca Dr. Tel (575) 258-5330. site, with 11 buildings kept as
Spanish. Located at the foot of 682-2733. Open 10am–4pm Mon– area’s major attraction, with artist Dave McGary (1958–  Ski Apache they were in the late 1800s. At
the Sacramento Mountains, the Sat.  ∑ coolcloudcroft.com hiking, horseback riding, and 2013). Every October, the town ∑ skiapache.com the Lincoln County Courthouse
town was a sleepy backwater fishing. There are several golf celebrates life in the Old West you can see where Billy the Kid
until World War II, when The picturesque mountain town courses including the Links with the Lincoln County Ruidoso Downs Racetrack was held, and the bullet hole
construction of the nearby of Cloudcroft was established in at Sierra Blanca, a top-rated Cowboy Symposium, which Hwy 70. Tel (575) 378-4431. in the wall from his escape.
Holloman Air Force Base sparked 1898 as a center for the lumber 18-hole course. Northwest of features country music and Open May–early Sep. & 7 Tunstall Store has its shelves
its development as a major trade. Perched at 8,650 ft (2,600 the town is Ski Apache. Owned dancing, celebrity roping, and E Hubbard Museum of the stocked with original
defense research center. m) in the Sacramento and operated by the Mescalero a chuck wagon cook-off. American West 19th-century merchandise.
The town is only 13 miles Mountains, the village soon Apache Tribe, it is famous for its Set on a high mesa a few 26301 Hwy 70 West. Tel (575) 378- The Historic Lincoln Visitor
(21 km) from White Sands became a favorite vacation warm-weather powder snow. miles north at Alto is the 4142. Open 9am–5pm Thu–Mon. Center & Museum has displays
National Monument (see p227) spot for those escaping the The town is best known for Spencer Theater for the Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 7 on the Apache people, the early
and offers many opportunities summer heat of the valley horse racing – quarter horse Performing Arts, a state-of- F Spencer Theater for the Hispanic settlers, and the Buffalo
for outdoor activities such as below. Cloudcroft remains a (fast over a quarter of a mile) the-art venue for theater, Performing Arts Soldiers all-black regiment from
hiking, biking, and golf, popular resort, with its and thoroughbred racing – music, and dance. Built by 108 Spencer Dr. Tel (575) 336-4800; Fort Stanton, as well as the
espe cially in the Lincoln summer population more at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. Albuquerque architect (888) 818-7872. & 7 Lincoln County War.
National Forest on Alamo- than doubling the number The track hosts the All American
gordo’s eastern border. In of year-round residents. Futurity, held each Labor Day
town the New Mexico Burro Avenue, running (the first Monday in September).
Museum of Space History parallel to the main The world’s richest quarter
is housed in a golden- highway, looks much as it horse race, it has prize money
glass, cube-shaped did at the turn of the 20th of about $3 million. The Ruidoso
building. It focuses on the century with its rustic Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame
history of the space race, timber buildings (many exhibits racing artifacts. The
with exhi bits detailing are quaint gift shops). Hubbard Museum of the
living condi tions inside a Surrounded by Lincoln American West contains
space station, a full-size National Forest, the town Western memorabilia, the heart
replica of Sputnik, the offers many outdoor of which is a collection of more
first space satellite, sports – mountain than 10,000 pieces assembled
and a simulated walk biking, hunting, by a wealthy New Jersey
in space to repair the Launch vehicle, Museum of fishing, skiing, horsewoman, Anne Stradling
Hubble Space Space History and golf. (1913–92). Formerly known as The bronze monument, Free Spirits at Noisy Water (1995), at the Hubbard Museum of the American West
For hotels and restaurants see pp242–3 and pp260–61

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm