Would you like to see endless sunshine and meet friendly people? Well, if you answered yes to both then I have a destination for you that will make you want more. Las Cruces, New Mexico is one of the Southwest’s premier destinations with warm Southern hospitality. Las Cruces has something for everyone including art galleries, museums, wineries, annual festivals, year-round outdoor activities such as hiking, golfing, or tennis in most landscapes. From the east where you find the Organ mountains views of the Chihuahuan Desert and to the west, the Rio Grande cuts through Mesilla Valley. So, if you are reading this and I’ve gotten your attention now let me highlight things to do on your next trip to Las Cruces.
Gems Of Mesilla
Now, this historic small town is a gem because it is so full of culture and charm. And this town is where my family and I visited first and enjoyed brunch at Cafe de Mesilla after visiting the local farmer’s market located in the historic plaza. The cafe where had a variety of Mexican cuisines with amazing European style espressos & teas to choose from with a very unique gift shop inside of the cafe where you can grab imported pieces for souvenirs. The owner was very friendly and stated this is where friends meet and to capture your presence there’s a map that you can pin where you came from cafedemesilla.com .
Explore Space & History
New Mexico Museum of Space History is located in southeastern New Mexico in the city of Alamogordo. This was my kids’ favorite part of the trip when you involve space and some education is a plus for me. The space museum is mostly self-guided and they also offer tours if you wish. Very interactive exhibits, artifacts, and different galleries for everyone. A must-see dome I-MAX screen for the family and outside of the space museum has plenty of space crafts for photos. https://www.nmspacemuseum.org/
Blaze Your Own Trail
Now the next attraction will make you feel like a kid again. Just an hour outside of Las Cruces one of nature’s wonders is the infamous White Sands National Monument. I was so amazed by the glistening white sands. You can walk, sled, and play in the endless sand dunes. And that’s just what I did and I mean my family. lol!! It’s roughly 275 miles of desert creating the largest dune field. Now they experience rangers on-site to help travelers that wish to learn about the various plants and animals that live in this lifestyle. So when you visit the center which has a Spanish Pueblo Adobe style building and a native garden that you can wander through before hitting the trail. At the gift shop, you can purchase a waxed plastic snow saucer for a small fee, and if you’re lucky you may run into another traveler who is willing to let you have their sled b/c they didn’t have any room for it after playing. So this is what happened to us and we took it as a pay it forward and in return did the same thing.
Farmer’s & Crafts Market
Who doesn’t like to dabble in new things when they’re in a new city. And that’s what we did. We attended the farmer’s market on Main Street downtown to get in with the local foods and crafts they had to offer. The market has over 200 plus vendors so bring comfortable shoes. And you won’t be disappointed and very family-friendly. They have everything from hand-crafted items such as metalwork art to locally made food and wine and a little unknown fact is that it’s rated the number one market in the country. So put this on your list and only open Wednesday & Saturday.
Worth a visit if you love Steak
Now this next stop that my family decided to take is to the famous talked about Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Inn Cliff’s Ranch. Now, I’ve to admit I was skeptical at first because of all the hype but I had to see for myself. And it was all the hype and more. First, let me say that you must be prepared to wait for a little if you don’t have reservations. Because travelers come from all over. So not only is the food amazing but they also have a large working ranch as well And it’s the best idea because after eating all that homemade food you need to walk it off or you’ll be sleepy. It has the old west feel to it and it’s a beauty and breathtaking. The Indian Cliffs have everything from exotic animals, playgrounds, lakes, zoos and so much more. It was an experience that my family and I will have lasting memories of. So if you can please stop by and enjoy the delicious food and get some exercise before getting back on the road.
Pistachio Tree Ranch
My husband loves pistachio so it was only fitting to make a pit stop here to check out his ranch. Home of the World’s Largest Pistachio. McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch is a family orchard that holds over 10K trees and acres of grapes on the ranch because they do offer wine tasting of wines they created. It’s a must-see and they offer motorized farm tours of the vineyards giving you details of the history plus they make most of their store items such as brittle, ice cream, cookies, sauces, and many more. (Can you see my kiddos in the letters hiding?) lol!
I want to personally thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I’m a newbie to wild bum as a Guide Architect, but not a newbie when it comes to traveling and seeing new places. I’ve travel stateside to overseas. So if you want to read more about my recent trip and other places to see and eat in Las Cruces and surrounding cities, please check out my guide at www.wildbum.com. If you have any questions or comments please reach out to me.
“Adventure That Feeds the Soul” I pray that my guide feeds your soul with new adventures from Texas to New Mexico”
