Day Trip to Las Cruces

When Chuck and I had stopped at Las Cruces on our trip out west in 2013, we went to the Farmers Market that is held in downtown Las Cruces every Wednesday and Saturday.  We thought then this would be something Ken and Bonnie would enjoy going to.  We left the campground in Deming a little after 9 am and arrived in Las Cruces about an hour later.

We wondered about Kim, Gracie, and Brenna, the skaters who are skating across the country that we had met in Van Horn, TX, on Monday.  I looked up their route on their website (www.statesonskates.com) and found where they currently were on I-10.  They use a Spot satellite messenger that is linked to their website that shows where they are every 10 minutes or so.

From their map, it appeared they were near exit 127 so we started looking for them on the westbound side of the interstate (we were heading east to Las Cruces).  Chuck spotted them, Ken honked his horn, and all four of us rolled down our windows and waved at them.  They saw us and waved back at us.  We weren't sure that they would know it was us because we weren't in our motorhomes.  (They met us and saw our motorhomes at the campground in Van Horn.)

Wow!!!  We still can't comprehend skating across the U.S. but these ladies are doing it for a good cause through wind, sun, hot temperatures, uphills and down, and in all kinds of weather.  You go, girls!!!

After finding a place to park in Las Cruces, we walked over to Main Street where the Farmers Market takes place.  Main Street is closed for about 4 or 5 blocks to accommodate the farmers market.  By the time we arrived, it was already full of vendors and customers.

We enjoyed walking and looking at all the crafts, baked items, and produce and we also enjoyed listening to the music from the street vendors located at various points along the street.  By noon, we had walked the entire farmers market and looked at everything we wanted to see.  I told Bonnie that she would do awesome selling her shell jewelry here but she said sometimes markets like these require a several month commitment.

When we left the Farmers Market, we drove just a few miles to Mesilla which is a suburb of Las Cruces that contains the original Mexican square and town.  A Cinco de Mayo Festival was going on this weekend so the square was filled with carnival rides, games, and stands for musical entertainment.

After walking by the vendors, we were all getting pretty hungry.  Bonnie asked a lady who was sitting on a bench if she lived in the area and did she have any recommendations on restaurants nearby.  She recommended La Posta de Mesilla which was just a couple of blocks off the square.

There was no wait at the restaurant and we were even lucky enough to get a table outside in their garden veranda area.  It was so nice eating outside but in the shade!

After a very enjoyable and delicious lunch, we walked back out to the Mesilla square where groups of young children performed different Mexican dances.  Their costumes were so colorful and they were all so cute!

We also listed to a mariachi band play a couple of songs and then we went back to the ice cream place that Chuck and I had been to previously.  We remembered the place but we forgot that we didn't care for their ice cream (which is VERY unusual for us).  Bonnie got a pecan crunch that was pretty good, but the chocolate that we got was too chalky and flat tasting.  I bet we remember that next time!

We decided to head on back to the campground in Deming and while we were on the way back, I checked the skaters website again to see where they were.  I found that they had taken a side road off the interstate to Deming so we got on it too.  About 8 miles out of Deming, we saw them pulled off on the side of the road taking a break.  We pulled off too and offered them all the oranges and apples and water we had which they really appreciated!

These ladies are such cool gals!  They were excited because Gracie's husband was meeting them in Deming and they were going to get to eat at a restaurant and sleep in a hotel (rather than a tent)!  After talking to them a few minutes and wishing them well, they got back on the road...

...and began the last stretch of today's journey to Deming.  Watch:

We had a terrific day in Las Cruces visiting the farmers' market and having such a nice dinner at La Posta but seeing those ladies on their skates again with their dedication of skating across this country for the cause of bringing an end to domestic violence and sexual assault was the highlight of our day.

Safe travels, Kim, Gracie and Brenna!  Hope to see you in Tucson!