CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ROAD TRIP~#PT 2; (cont.); Las Cruces-NM; Christmas Eve 2024

December 24th, 2024: Holland woke up with a back ache this morning, but gamely pushed on to make our holiday loop drive - the Plan was to visit Tombstone & Bisbee (which we did yesterday); make Roswell tonight, then beat feet for TX so I could visit the Alamo: & we'd go further into TX, to check out Brownsville (to see if we could set pegs there), and visit San Pedro Island. These would all be new places to me - only Roswell, Brownsville, and San Pedro Island … would be new to Holland as they are all many, many miles off the freeway thoroughfare which he has burned up the majority of his Life.

We'd only just begun our Road Trip.

And pictures will be taken - and video's made, no matter how anyone looks or feels; pictures matter – and someday, those “NO! Don’t take that picture of me!” will be all that’s left to hang onto. If I didn't have pictures of Bob's face & videos of his voice, I would have lost my mind during those hard widowing years between his death in 2018 and Holland entering my life in 2022. Pictures matter.

Scorpions - 'Holiday' lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwefSiBTC04)

We were both struggling to breathe easy when we pulled out of Deming-NM … so, by mutual agreement, we scrapped the TX Plans.

Holland is getting used to have his picture taken; and he's getting comfortable talking on the videos I make of our adventures ;-)

White Sand & ETs

A 1st for BOTH of us :-)

The weather was pleasant even though wind was causing sandy grit to be whipped up all around us. Sometimes the haze was light; but sometimes, we could smell the dust and taste the grit as we drove through the cities and far-flung towns: obviously the dusty conditions blowing across the landscape was causing Betsy's air filter to struggle. Holland is meticulous about Betsy's upkeep, so, the torturous dusty grit was showing it's determined muscle in fighting it's way past the protective barrier to cause itchy, runny eyes & devil our poor lungs.

As Betsy, Holland's burning back, and both our weak sets of lungs struggled onward … Holland's carefully planned Christmas Road Trip progressed in companiable good spirit.

The freeway overpasses in AZ & NM are things of beauty - very colorful, and very artistically designed. 

Pretty Overpass; Las Cruses-NM

I-10 NM is a gallery of art.

These Water Tank Murals are beautifully done; Las Cruces-NM

Leaving Las Cruces, we aimed Betsy's nose towards Alamogordo-NM - on the hunt for "white sand dunes".

The medians were painted a dusty pink, that was perfectly beautiful against the beige gritty landscape, blacktop roadways, and robin-egg-blue skies. New Mexico is a State that is highly colorful. Everywhere your eyes look.

I was in eye-popping-color splashed-heaven on earth; and loved it ;-)

My eyes were also drawn to a mountain range that looked like it had violently forced it's way out of the center of Earth's crust with it's jagged peaks. It was mesmerizing from every angle, and I couldn't take my eyes away from it until we were long past it. These mountains are called the Organ Mountains; these interesting and eerily beautiful jagged peaks are Las Cruces' signature landmark.

I was glad my husband was favoring me with this road trip: I am going to miss the Southwestern part of the USA, when we leave and head back Northward.

Until then … I am going to be a glutton with my eyes and drink as much of it's beauty into my wanderlust heart, as I can ;-)

The highway medians lining NM highways are painted pink. I like it.

I loved these peaks - they resembled crystals pushing up out of the earth.

The Organ Mountains: 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_Mountains)

Jagged underground crystals~internet pic.

The expansive Hwy #70 valley view was spectacular - I love wide-open spaces. The immediate open space is owned by the USA government, and is under ownership of the White Sands Missile Range-NM

Missile Range-NM

White Sands Missile Range-NM:  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Sands_Missile_Range)

White Sands Missile Range-NM from Organ Mountains-NM; 1 hr 11 min (59.9 mi) via Wsmr P Rt 7

The White Sands Missile Range is a 3,200 square mile military test range that supports the Army, Navy, Air Force, and others. It's known as the "Birthplace of America's Missile and Space Activity".

We drove for miles through lots of wide-open spaces … I liked it; it drove Holland nuts - but my speedy roadrunner freeway man, did this unfamiliar slo-mo route, for me ;-)

LOTS of wide open :-)

NM Route towards tonight's goal of making Roswell-NM by nightfall.

We kept our eyes peeled for the white sand … and found some alongside the highway - Holland said, "Empty the nut bag and we'll grab some of that white sand for you to take home"; I quickly emptied the bag and wiped the inside clean, but there was nowhere to pull over to get some :-(

And we never did find the White Sands Dunes Park that we set out to see this morning; all we saw of NM's white sand was during a drive by, on Hwy. #70, in New Mexico.

White sand, Alamogordo-NM; it looked like snow patches in the desert.

After doing research to get this post ready for Blog posting, I'm thinking it's just as well: the sand could have been radioactive. We don't need that added complication with everything else we're juggling!

Alamogordo-NM is widely known for its connection with the 1945 Trinity test, which was the first ever explosion of an atomic bomb:

1945 Trinity Test ~ World's First Nuclear Test: 

/09/https://www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/History/Trinity-Nuclear-Test/#:~:text=Department%20of%20Energy)-,The%20world's%20first%20nuclear%20explosion%20occurred%20on%20July%2016%2C%201945,sun%20rising%20in%20the%20south

We were surprised to look through Betsy's windshield, and see a beehive burner in NM!

Beehive Burner; Pushing on to Roswell-NM

Alamogordo-NM: 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamogordo,_New_Mexico)

Beehive burners are connected to logging and sawmills - they were used during the mid-20th century, to incinerate waste wood and sawdust; the mid-20th century is generally considered to be the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. By the 1970's beehive burners were being shut down because they produced a large amount of smoke and ash.

I did some research and found that logging did happen in NM:

Alamogordo Lumber Company: 

https://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/region/3/lincoln/cultres4/sec2.htm

The operation of Alamogordo & Sacramento Mountain Railway Company was based near Alamogordo-NM, operating a rather substantial network of 34 miles and a fleet of 4 locomotives. It operated from 1898 until 1924 before being acquired by Southern Pacific.

Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamogordo_and_Sacramento_Mountain_Railwa

We both laughed when a bit further down the highway, we spotted a large plaster-cast pistachio in the distance ;-)

We both like pistachio's; so, of course I had to get a picture of the "world's largest pistachio" as we buzzed by it ;-)

World's Largest Pistachio

PistachioLand-NM: 

(https://alamogordonmtrue.com/worlds-largest-pistachio/)

Continuing along, we caught a lucky glimpse of New Mexico's white sand in the distance; clearly defined against the red soil and grit-hazed mountains in the distance.

The red color of NM's soil comes from iron-containing minerals, like hematite, that rust when exposed to oxygen and water. Hematite colors are common in hot deserts and tropical climates.

Hematite: https://commonminerals.esci.umn.edu/minerals-g-m/hematite

The white sands in NM is made of gypsum, a soft mineral that's usually clear but appears white when its grains reflect the sun's rays - the gypsum grains in the sand constantly bump into each other, creating scratches that reflect the sun's rays and make the dunes appear white:  the sand is cool to the touch because it doesn't absorb heat from the sun (regular sand is dense, so it can store a lot of thermal energy & the top of the sand can get very hot). The gypsum that makes up the sand was deposited in an ancient lake that covered the area loooong ago; the gypsum came from the nearby San Andres Mountains and was laid down as the lake's waters evaporated.

The gypsum sand in White Sands National Park is a one-of-a-kind natural wonder because gypsum is rarely found in sand form.

Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO 4·2H2O. It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk chalk. Gypsum also crystallizes as translucent crystals of selenite.

Gypsum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum#:~:text=Gypsum%20is%20a%20soft%20sulfate,as%20translucent%20crystals%20of%20selenite

Because gypsum dissolves over time in water, gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand. However, the unique conditions of the White Sands National Park in the USA State of New Mexico, have created 270 square miles of white gypsum sand - enough to supply the US construction industry with drywall for 1,000 years. Commercial exploitation of the area, strongly opposed by area residents, was permanently prevented in 1933 when President Herbert Hoover declared the gypsum dunes a protected national monument.

White sand in the distance; NM

Pushing on to Roswell-NM

Passing through Tularosa-NM, high school kids were driving down the center lane in a flat bed pickup truck: the girls were doing a parody of a cheer leader's dance … and a couple fellas were jumping on and off the flat bed to plop brown lunch bags down along the center lane - we could see that the small brown paper bags were also lining sidewalks along the entire roadway. Holland was driving carefully, and wondering what was going on.

Holland doesn't {do} holidays. At all. Nada. He was cautiously creeping forward, muttering, "What the hell …"

Watching the kids, it dawned on me what was happening: a Roman Catholic tradition of Christmas Eve luminaries.

So, I explained to Holland, what he was seeing - and what we were in the middle of experiencing. I had read about the practice … but I had never seen it before.

Christmas Eve Luminaries; Tularosa-NM

Luminarias: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminaria)

Tularosa-NM

Tularosa-NM History: 

(https://www.trytularosa.org/local-history.html)

Luminarias in Tularosa-NM: 

https://www.desertexposure.com/stories/luminarias-in-tularosa, HYPERLINK "https://www.desertexposure.com/stories/luminarias-in-tularosa,5412"5412

In my heart, I was acknowledging my own holiday - Chrismukkah; this year the 1st Day of 8 consecutive days of Hanukkah would fall on Christmas Day :-)

He'd never driven this stretch of road before: he was glad to reach the end of Tularosa's main street, where the speed limit would pick up significantly, and over zealous teenager's wouldn't be a concern.

Holland is strictly a freeway minded fella: he's not used to rural congestion.

And to add to his consternation … GPS was being fickle. I swear a blonde woman programmed her ;-)

But, at least we are enjoying our Christmas Road Trip - and we are laughing together. At one point, I was jokingly teasing him and said, "You told me you liked me being 'spicy', so get used to me having fun at your expense once in awhile, and annoying you for the next 20 years." He barked out a laugh, and replied back in like manner, "Yeah, you sure know how to annoy me, you little chihuahua." We both laughed because we knew the banter was harmless, and the mood was light.

Fickle GPS

We were both enjoying each other's company.

We were both feeling buoyant with gratitude … the buoyancy may have had something to do with the elevated thin 4,515 ft air, but we chose to believe our hearts are pulling in sync, again :-D

Rascal Flatts - 'I Won't Let Go' Lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9zMSwKIdU)

Leaving Tularosa's Main Street behind us, Holland saw a cross atop a hillside, and called my attention to it. Research reports that the cross on the summit, erected in 1957, commemorates The Battle of Round Mountain and is a tribute to those who fought in it.

Cross on Round Mountain; Tularosa-NM

Round Mountain, also called Tularosa Peak, is actually just a 300 foot hill. It was once known locally as Dead Man’s Hill, commemorating an encounter between Mescalero Apaches and a small cavalry detachment aided by local Hispanic settlers.

The Mescalero Apache recount the attack in their oral history as a peace-making expedition gone sour. A medicine woman had a dream about preparing herself and the tribe to make peace. As they approached Tularosa, they were fired upon and again faced gunshots from soldiers who retreated to their fort, and the battle ended.

Historic accounts tell a different story: “The morning of April 16, Sgt. Glass and four cavalrymen patrolled a wagon road between Nesbitt’s Mill and Tularosa. Glass reported Apaches attacked five soldiers who escaped to Tularosa and returned April 17 with the 26 citizens of Tularosa. The party was attacked again and retreated to a nearby hill, called Round Mountain. A six hour battle left 10 Apache dead and the Mescalero withdrew to their camp. Tularosa celebrated victory by building a church, where the town’s defenders still are commemorated each year.”

The St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church, in Tularosa-NM, is a stonework building very nicely fashioned & solidly built.

Dar Sharp gives a very different version of the event: According to Sharp, Sgt. Glass and five troopers of Co. H, 3rd Cavalry, were not patrolling the road but escorting a supply wagon from Fort Stanton toward Fort Selden on the Rio Grande. As his little detail descended the pass to within a few miles of Tularosa, Glass judged that they were out of danger. He sent the wagon on alone and turned back to Fort Stanton with his men. “Near the base of Round Mountain one of the soldiers thought he heard hoofbeats. They paused. Soon they all heard, and they knew what was coming. Instinctively they looked around for cover just as two hundred Apache warriors, led by the fierce war chiefs San Juan and Cadette, rounded the side of the mountain and swarmed towards them. The partially intact wall of an abandoned adobe was close by. It was only about chest high. The soldiers took shelter there. With the little time they had before the Indians would charge they pulled their mounts down to the ground and hogtied them so they wouldn’t be standing targets. Several hours later the soldiers saw the Indians looking and pointing off to their left. A contingent of twenty-six armed Hispanic settlers was riding towards them at full gallop. Cesario Duran, Alcalde of Tularosa, led the group. Sheriff Jose Candelaria and his deputies were right behind him. Firing volley after volley they were able to ride into the enclosure where the soldiers were under siege. The Apaches didn’t like the odds. They made a fainthearted rush on the barricade. An arrow pierced Corporal Niever’s wrist. A large Apache made it to the wall where he was shot, dragged inside and scalped. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the battle ended. When the dust settled behind the retreating Indians the soldiers and citizens maintained their positions for a long time, as if they couldn’t believe their good fortune. It was over.”

Sherry Robinson (Apache Voices pp. 153-57) relates yet another version of the incident, drawn from Eve Ball’s interviews with aging residents of the Mescalero Reservation in the 1960s. According to Ball’s informants, it was a young girl who had a dream about making peace with the people at Tularosa, there was just one Apache killed, not 10, and the man wounded in the wrist was not a soldier but one of the volunteers from Tularosa. Numerous other details in Ball’s version differ from the other accounts.

What’s indisputable is that St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church was built, and stands among the cottonwoods, along the main road through Tularosa-NM. Beautifully preserved and maintained.

Along the way we passed a road sign that announced a Garage Sale; Holland teased me by saying, "Don't even think about it - we don't have room for second hand refrigerators …" 

And that got us both laughing; all the way over the Summit.

'I promise' … but be forewarned that if we ever do settle into a regular house, for a regular Life: I break for Garage Sales ;-)

I would never buy a second hand refrigerator - but I would haul arm loads of books and bric-à-brac, home. When we were eating lunch one day at Appelo's Achieves Center a year ago, I saw a box full of Clive Cussler novels & grabbed all the ones I haven't read; he groused for months about their small sizes "taking up space". This trip, he winked as he teased, and I laughed - promising no Garage Sale treasures until our digs are larger than Independence ;-)

APPELO ARCHIVES CENTER; Naselle-WA: 

https://www.appeloarchives.org/about-us

Holland was steadily moving Betsy forward, trying his best to get us to Roswell before sundown.

I was enjoying the scenery as we buzzed past it.

Holland had his eyes on the road, and on the dash clock.

I had my eyes on the evergreen giants, the mountain peaks that entertained snowflakes at elevated heights … and of course, like my husband - also on the road that was pulling us towards Roswell.  

Apache Summit-Hwy #70-NM; I was liking the evergreen scene for Christmas & my BD ;-)

Apache Summit is a high mountain pass, which is 7,604 feel in elevation - we were very high up. This summit is in the Sierra Blanca Mountains, and lies within the Mescalero Indian Reservation lands.

Mescalero Apache tribe: 

https://mescaleroapachetribe.com/our-culture/

By the time we made Roswell-NM, and secured a room before enjoying a hamburger meal … our throats were sore from coughing up dusty phlegm. We chewed and swallowed our hamburgers by the grace of Elohim.

I was glad Holland got me to Roswell :-)

Roswell-NM from Alamogordo-NM; 2h 3m (117 mi)

My adventurous eyes had been satiated by Yeshua's beautiful southwestern creations along a new route where 1st memories for the both of us were made, our marital hearts were beating in synchronization, and my wanderlust heart was happy to be in a place I had only dreamed about before Elohim paired Holland & I together.

Holland was as proud as a peacock to be giving his wife a gift that was 100% appreciated, and enjoyed to the max.

The Spirit of Christmas was working it's magic ;-)

Christmas Eve 2024 was a very good period in our unfolding Life's Timeline.

(To be continued …)

**12-23-24 Blog Post - CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ROAD TRIP~#PT 1; Tombstone-AZ & Bisbee-AZ: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/12/christmas-holiday-road-trip-tombstone.html)