Ruidoso received its name from the Rio Ruidoso (meaning noisy river) which meanders through this mountain village. Early visitors came by wagon from communities like El Paso and Roswell. Now the village is the vacation home favorite for the wealthy from places like Albuquerque and Amarillo. We passed a Berkshire Hathaway Realty office on the way in. For a town to qualify for BHR status it must contain a prerequisite number of multimillion dollar homes. From the looks of the cliff dwellers in the surrounding area I'd say that's not a problem.
There are signs throughout the town proclaiming wild horses, elk and mule deer roam freely here. I saw a group of juvenile Elk and mule deer as we came into town but I haven't seen any wild horses yet.
Masks are mandated by the governor of the state. They are required for entrance to ANY commercial property here and the businesses are quite militant about it. Denny's even goes so far as to require customers to sign in and give their phone number for contact tracing.
Many businesses were only just reopened in the last two months. This town runs on tourist dollars. This is a great area for outdoor enthusiasts. Camping, snow skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. For indoor enthusiasts there's the Apache owned Ruidoso Downs horseracing venue, casinos, live theater, concerts, etc.
I was given the opportunity to explore my surroundings here at Best Western Pine Springs today so I went in search of some of the wild life to shoot (with a camera!) I walked trail after trail in search of sign, but the only sign I found was from the two legged animals who frequent the area. They recklessly abandon the detritus of their daily lives without a care for the other creatures who live here.
This is, by far, the most serene destination we've encountered. If I ever get back this way I want to stay here again. Hopefully by then they won't be under a mandate to keep the pool closed and they'll be able to open the breakfast room again.
No comments:
Post a Comment