Columbus (NM) Train Depot Museum

[bobnabq]

Columbus, New Mexico — Pancho Villa and the Railroad Depot Museum

(Please move this if it's in the wrong spot)

 

[Rail Freak]

Thanx, very interesting!

 

[PA Traveler]

I saw the car he was assassinated in in Mexico a few years ago. It's still on display. He was quite the character.

 

[dogbert617]

Columbus, New Mexico — Pancho Villa and the Railroad Depot Museum

(Please move this if it's in the wrong spot)

That museum sounds really cool, I have to say! Too bad per googling, that Deming, NM(directly north of Columbus, NM, and has an Amtrak station) does not have a single place to rent a car to travel there, nor does Lordsburg, NM(next Amtrak station just to the west). It looks like you'd either have to hold your breath that Enterprise Rent A Car would drop off a car from their Silver City, NM office(northwest of there) in Deming(and something I'd NOT hold my breath they'd do!), or rent a car somewhere in El Paso, TX(I'd opt for this).

From looking at a map, you could FOR SURE make a great driving trip of the area north and west of El Paso over on the New Mexico side of the border, easily. I.e. stop at White Sands National Monument(east of Las Cruces, NM), Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, Las Cruces, NM(I'd assume that city would probably be nice, and also it has New Mexico State University), and of course go west to Columbus, NM to visit the Pancho Villa and Railroad Depot Museum.

Speaking of this area(closer to White Sands NM), is there anything in the nearby town of Alamogordo, NM worth visiting?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Rent a car in El Paso and make a circle trip.

Alamogordo isn't worth a look, but I'd suggest you visit Cloudcroft and Ruidoso on the way.

Both are really nice Mountain Villages which are very busy in the Ski Season and the Summer, but much more laid back in the Spring and Fall, with Cloudcroft much smaller and more geared to year round residents.

Ruidoso has the famous Quarter Horse Race Track and 2 Casinos( even a Wal-Mart!), with the Native American owned Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort being a nice stop for Lunch,a little Gambling and great scenery.( there's Mountains,a Lake and a nice Golf Course ).

Las Cruces is a growing University town, but nothing to write home about, but a good pit stop on the way from White Sands to Deming and Columbus.

The Historic Trinity Site where the first A-Bomb was tested is in the Northern part of White Sands and is open to the Public certain times of the year by pre-arrangement.( it's sort of desolute).

Be sure and have some New Mexico style Mexican Food ( the Old Village of Mesilla West of downtown Las Cruces is a great place for this) made with Hatch Chilis which are grown North of Las Cruces around the town of Hatch.

 

[dogbert617]

Rent a car in El Paso and make a circle trip.

Alamogordo isn't worth a look, but I'd suggest you visit Cloudcroft and Ruidoso on the way.

Both are really nice Mountain Villages which are very busy in the Ski Season and the Summer, but much more laid back in the Spring and Fall, with Cloudcroft much smaller and more geared to year round residents.

Ruidoso has the famous Quarter Horse Race Track and 2 Casinos( even a Wal-Mart!), with the Native American owned Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort being a nice stop for Lunch,a little Gambling and great scenery.( there's Mountains,a Lake and a nice Golf Course ).

Las Cruces is a growing University town, but nothing to write home about, but a good pit stop on the way from White Sands to Deming and Columbus.

The Historic Trinity Site where the first A-Bomb was tested is in the Northern part of White Sands and is open to the Public certain times of the year by pre-arrangement.( it's sort of desolute).

Be sure and have some New Mexico style Mexican Food ( the Old Village of Mesilla West of downtown Las Cruces is a great place for this) made with Hatch Chilis which are grown North of Las Cruces around the town of Hatch.

Wow, thanks for all those recommendations! I figured you'd might know some things about this area, since you're from Texas yourself, and probably had done some side trips over to New Mexico. IIRC, I thought I once read a post on this board that said you originally grew up in Alpine, TX? Let me know if I remembered that correctly, or not.

I will say LOOOOONG ago I went to El Paso with my church on a workcamp trip and spent time just outside Ciudad Juarez, to help with construction of homes in a town across the border from Fabens, TX. Looking it up on google maps, I believe the town was Guadalupe, Mexico, where specifically our church group went to. Also it's too bad Ciudad Juarez has had drug cartel violence issues in recent years, since I remember our group went to a local market there that was extremely nice! And El Paso was a nice city as well, including the fact I remember we ate one day at a Mexican restaurant there with a buffet that was pretty good.

Hopefully someday, I get back to that part of the world around El Paso, and also into southern New Mexico as well. And as the only time I ever briefly visited New Mexico, was that year when my church group in El Paso(and Guadalupe, Mexico) did a side trip up to Carlsbad, NM, to see Carlsbad Caverns.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wow, thanks for all those recommendations! I figured you'd might know some things about this area, since you're from Texas yourself, and probably had done some side trips over to New Mexico. IIRC, I thought I once read a post on this board that said you originally grew up in Alpine, TX? Let me know if I remembered that correctly, or not.

I will say LOOOOONG ago I went to El Paso with my church on a workcamp trip and spent time just outside Ciudad Juarez, to help with construction of homes in a town across the border from Fabens, TX. Looking it up on google maps, I believe the town was Guadalupe, Mexico, where specifically our church group went to. Also it's too bad Ciudad Juarez has had drug cartel violence issues in recent years, since I remember our group went to a local market there that was extremely nice! And El Paso was a nice city as well, including the fact I remember we ate one day at a Mexican restaurant there with a buffet that was pretty good.

Hopefully someday, I get back to that part of the world around El Paso, and also into southern New Mexico as well. And as the only time I ever briefly visited New Mexico, was that year when my church group in El Paso(and Guadalupe, Mexico) did a side trip up to Carlsbad, NM, to see Carlsbad Caverns.

Yep, born in Alpine and used to spend Summers in West Texas with my Grandpa the SP Railroader.

I've spent lots of time in El Paso, and you're correct it's sad what has happened to Juarez and poor Mexico.

As for New Mexico, I had an old girl friend that lived in Las Cruces and have visited there many times and have lots of good memories of the "Land of Enchantment!"( Much better motto for the State than "New Mexico USA!")

 

[Barb Stout]

Strange that Silver City should have car rentals, but not Deming or Lordsburg. There is a small airport near Silver City, so maybe that's why. Speaking of the Silver City area, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is in that area and I found it worth a visit. Also in the general Silver City area is City of Rocks which is fun to clamor around in. I also like driving the 152-15-35 loop (triangle) between Silver City, the GCDNM, and San Lorenzo. Lots of hiking opportunities and pleasant surprises that I won't tell you about. Just don't take a rental car on any of the dirt roads that go up into the mountains, some of them are quite rough. Ok, I will tell you about one of the pleasant surprises. In Pinos Altos, which is north of Silver City, there is the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House which is a historic bar (from the 1860s) and now also restaurant where musicians often perform.

Have fun in southern NM!

 

[dogbert617]

Yep, born in Alpine and used to spend Summers in West Texas with my Grandpa the SP Railroader.

I've spent lots of time in El Paso, and you're correct it's sad what has happened to Juarez and poor Mexico.

As for New Mexico, I had an old girl friend that lived in Las Cruces and have visited there many times and have lots of good memories of the "Land of Enchantment!"( Much better motto for the State than "New Mexico USA!")

Which marketing/tourism person, ever thought the idea of New Mexico USA was a good tourism slogan? Land of Enchantment is a gazillion times better, that's for sure!

Strange that Silver City should have car rentals, but not Deming or Lordsburg. There is a small airport near Silver City, so maybe that's why. Speaking of the Silver City area, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is in that area and I found it worth a visit. Also in the general Silver City area is City of Rocks which is fun to clamor around in. I also like driving the 152-15-35 loop (triangle) between Silver City, the GCDNM, and San Lorenzo. Lots of hiking opportunities and pleasant surprises that I won't tell you about. Just don't take a rental car on any of the dirt roads that go up into the mountains, some of them are quite rough. Ok, I will tell you about one of the pleasant surprises. In Pinos Altos, which is north of Silver City, there is the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House which is a historic bar (from the 1860s) and now also restaurant where musicians often perform.

Have fun in southern NM!

Yep, agreed that it is strange you can't get a car rental in Lordsburg or Deming, but that you can in Silver City. Like you said, the availability of car rental agencies has a LOT to do with whether a local airport does service people flying that will land there from time to time, and that the lack of one would probably make it harder for such a car rental agency to succeed in Lordsburg and Deming. And thanks for the tip about Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, since for sure that'd be a place I'd love to visit! Looks like per these pictures, it reminds me a little bit of Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado, which my brother and his wife visited(and they showed me pics of that trip, unfortunately I didn't go along on that trip) a year or 2 back. On that trip btw, they hit other places and national parks too, such as a ghost town somewhere in western Colorado(unfortunately don't remember the town name of the one they stopped at), Arches National Park in eastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, CO, and probably more places I'm forgetting. I will start to do research on those other places(i.e. Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House, San Lorenzo, City of Rocks, etc) you mentioned very, very soon, myself!

I'm not sure when down the road I may consider doing such a Sunset Limited trip west to El Paso, then from there rent a car to explore western Texas and southern New Mexico. But I'd like to do so, sometime in the future! And hence why I asked all the questions I did, to start the process of learning about this area before I go.

 

[Barb Stout]

You probably won't find much about San Lorenzo. I just mentioned it as a junction for the "triangle drive" that I like to do down there.

 

[Barb Stout]

By the way, I haven't heard of the slogan New Mexico USA as a tourist slogan. I have heard of True New Mexico and certainly Land of Enchantment. The True New Mexico slogan came into being just a few years back whereas Land of Enchantment is much older. However, given that lots of people in the US are strangely ignorant that New Mexico is part of the US and some even dispute that even when confronted with those pesky facts, the New Mexico USA slogan might be helpful.

 

[dogbert617]

You probably won't find much about San Lorenzo. I just mentioned it as a junction for the "triangle drive" that I like to do down there.

I relooked on a New Mexico map today, and now the triangle route you're talking about(NM Highway 15 to NM 35 to NM 152 to US 180) makes sense to me now! Forgive me that I was wondering if there was anything more signficant about San Lorenzo, NM, till realizing that coincidentally is the same town where you turn from Highway 35 to 152.

By the way, I haven't heard of the slogan New Mexico USA as a tourist slogan. I have heard of True New Mexico and certainly Land of Enchantment. The True New Mexico slogan came into being just a few years back whereas Land of Enchantment is much older. However, given that lots of people in the US are strangely ignorant that New Mexico is part of the US and some even dispute that even when confronted with those pesky facts, the New Mexico USA slogan might be helpful.

I guess it indeed is the infrequent confusion people have, between New Mexico and Mexico the country? Although honestly everyone in school is taught the location of all 50 states, and in a way there should be no excuse if you can't by now figure out which state New Mexico is on a map. Since as it is, the bottom of the state's shape which slopes more downward the further west you go, makes it very obvious on a map which state New Mexico is!

Hadn't heard of True New Mexico being used, in some state tourism ads as of late. I guess NM hasn't aired a lot of such tourism TV ads in Illinois, and other Midwest states? Myself, I'm mainly familiar with the classic Land of Enchantment tourism slogan, which to me is my favorite of all of those.

 

[Barb Stout]

There is a regular radio and newspaper short that is called "One of Our Fifty Is Missing" where people call in stories about people and organizations not getting that New Mexico is a state in the US.

 

[dogbert617]

There is a regular radio and newspaper short that is called "One of Our Fifty Is Missing" where people call in stories about people and organizations not getting that New Mexico is a state in the US.

Interesting that show/column keeps track, of all the times people didn't realize New Mexico was really a state! I guess you really are right that there has been occasional confusion between Mexico the country, and New Mexico the state for so many years.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Just shows you how stupid the American public is. I blame the lack of geography classes in school.

 

[Asher]

Interesting that show/column keeps track, of all the times people didn't realize New Mexico was really a state! I guess you really are right that there has been occasional confusion between Mexico the country, and New Mexico the state for so many years.

Yeah, just the other day I noticed the Buffoon in charge was talking about extending the WALL across the border of Colorado.

 

[Barb Stout]

I have a friend who moved to NM from NJ for a job. He said many people asked him why he was leaving the US. I will say that many of his cohorts are immigrants, so probably didn't have US geography in school.