Today we had the day free for a little desert exploring. The weather also cooperated by covering us with fast-moving cloud formations with some intermittent rain. We think that the desert is at its most vibrant when it either raining or rain has just passed. Our trailer park, Monticello RV Park, is located about 5 miles north of the town of Elephant Butte and 10 miles north of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
We found a local road south toward the towns, avoiding the mundane, high-speed I-25. The road parallels I-25 but offers much better views of the surrounding tortured landscape. We could sometimes see the Rio Grande to the east. Continuing through the rain to Truth or Consequences, we pulled off for fuel. We did not have a map so right after fueling up, we drove back over the same route to Elephant Butte, where we stopped for pretty good food at Hodge’s Corner Restaurant. Service was great, my chicken fried steak and eggs get a B, Peggy’s lunch buffet selection turned out well for her and the bill was $20.
Based on poor navigational advice from me, Peggy then drove us back to T or C so we could find a visitor information center downtown. The main drag through town passes through some blocks of old, early 20th century buildings that are cute. We spotted a sign for the visitor info center with an arrow pointing down an alley but investigation on foot revealed only an alley. Then I strolled a block up the street and gazed upon the local Chamber of Commerce building another block down a side street. We went down there and found they were closed. Only then did eagle-eyed Peggy notice the adjacent building with a big flappy sign with “information” inscribed thereupon.
We popped in and hobnobbed liberally with the info center volunteer. He also supplied us with maps of the local area. In the back of the info center is something called Spaceport where folks can board tour buses and be taken to nearby SpaceX facilities. The volunteer said many rich folks have coughed up a quarter million dollars each for a future ride into space. So far, nobody has ridden anywhere but Richard Branson says it is coming. Let’s hope his space ventures have a better record than his airline.
Due to navigational error, we then backtracked again toward the town of Elephant Butte but turned off instead to see the actual Elephant Butte itself. Elephant Butte is a big mountain, no…butte, sticking up out of Elephant Butte Lake which is held back by the Elephant Butte Dam. Almost all of the stuff with “Elephant Butte” in its name is all encompassed by Elephant Butte State Park.
Elephant Butte itself (not the park or the lake or the dam or the town) is an impressive mass and the views of the Butte and surrounding lake are stunning. Jagged ridges and mountains surround the area except to the southeast where there is slightly inclined plain all the way to the Gulf of Mexico 4500′ below. As the fast-moving storm clouds passed over us, the light on the surrounding terrain changed rapidly and it was great to watch. We also seem to be here for the blooming of many types of desert flowers and they put on a colorful show for us.
We drove north along the west shore of Elephant Butte Lake on our return trip to our RV park. The road passes over low ridges and down through eroded canyons of the creeks that feed the Rio Grande / Elephant Butte Lake to our east. We could hear lots of birds and spotted some jackrabbits and cottontails. We also found a hawk’s nest with both mom and dad home. This area is scenically superb and the food we had today was tasty, as well. We may have to come back here on our next pass.
See the Butte and other stuff. Clickhere