Las Cruces, NM - Land of Enchantment: February 2011

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Blue Moon Bar

The Blue Moon Bar is located just North of Las Cruces, in Radium Springs, NM, 13060 North Valley Drive (old highway 185), right past mile marker 15. This place is a real down-to-earth, rural, honky-tonk. Not only a bar, but a really good restaurant too, serving Mexican and American food, the Green Chile Cheeseburgers are fantastic as well as the Enchiladas and Steaks. Live bands on weekends, great food and lots of honky tonkin country fun.

The Blue Moon is a great place to spend a summer evening, the outside patio is open, music is bumping and drinks are flowing, just remember to bring some insect repellent, as the bar is right by the Rio Grande River and the mosquitos are hungry. If you don't want to smell like a chemical factory, try some Skin So Soft, by Avon, works well and smells pretty good. Don't let them skeeters deter you from going, this is a great place to go for a good time.

I'm not sure how long it has been in existence, but it is actually quite a famous place. The weekend is probably the best time to go for some excitement and Sundays the bikers show up to liven things up a bit.

The Leasburg State Park Dam is right around the corner, so after a long day fishing or whatever, go check out the Blue Moon for a great steak or some hot enchiladas.

Check out www.MeetLasCruces.com for more fun things to do and places to go in Las Cruces, NM and surrounding areas.

Power Outage - No Drinkable Water - Survival Tips

Due to the recent power outages in Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, many people were left without clean drinking water. El Paso's water supply was dangerously low; the generators which powered the water pumps were frozen, therefore no new water was being added to the water towers. Pipes were frozen everywhere and stores had quickly sold out of bottled water. The temperatures had dropped to below zero, unheard of in this area and people were not prepared for the consequences.

If it happens again, the thing to do is to prepare now. The easy answer is a water purification device, like hikers use. No clean water, no problem, any water source will do, even dirty water can be made drinkable very quickly. For instance, in both Las Cruces and El Paso, the Rio Grande river is pretty much right in your back yard. Why not have a portable water purification device in your home or vehicle? They are hand-held pumps, relatively inexpensive and all you would have to do is take your empty jugs down to the river, place the long filler tube in the water and pump pure, clean, bacteria-free water into your containers.

Personally I have used the Katadyn Hiker Water Microfilter, it produces a quart a minute and one cartridge will purify 200 gallons. I can tell you that it works very well and is very light and portable.

Also, if you will store several containers of water in a cool dark spot, either inside or outside your home, you will at least have some for an emergency. Rotate the water with new water every month, to keep it fresh. A drop of chlorine bleach per gallon will help keep bacteria from growing so quickly.

Next time don't panic, be prepared!

Please check back soon, for my next article: Being prepared if you have no natural gas or electricity to heat your home. This also was a recent scenario in both Las Cruces and El Paso, because of the record low temps.

Please visit my website for more interesting images. www.martymoore.com

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Dripping Springs Natural Area

Dripping Springs Natural Area is located at the base of the Organ Mountains, about 11 miles East of Las Cruces, NM.

As you travel East up University Avenue, the pavement will end and a gravel road will continue up towards the mountains, just keep going and it will terminate at the Dripping Springs Visitor Center.

Right before you reach the Center, you will see a rock formation on your left, called "La Cueva", meaning "The Cave", very interesting place to stop and investigate.

The Dripping Springs Natural Area is open year-round, from 8:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. April through September and 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. October through March. There is a day use fee of $3.00 per vehicle and if you would like to reserve a picnic site, the cost is $25.00. The visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m., 505-522-1210.

You will want to make a day of Dripping Springs, pack a picnic lunch, your hiking gear, don't forget water, and head for the mountains. The scenery is beautiful and the view is spectacular. Hiking trails are well maintained and you'll see lots of wildlife and interesting vegetation. Many rare species of plants can only be found growing in the Organ Mountains. Springtime is a fantastic time to visit, the California Poppies are blooming, lots of other wildflowers dot the countryside and as the name suggests, you may see some dripping springs, especially if it has rained recently.

Bring your camera and show your friends what you did that day, they won't believe you were in the desert of New Mexico.

Going from the valley of Las Cruces to the Organ Mountains is like going to a whole different state, it's amazing how the climate can change in just a few miles. Tired of the desert, go up to the Mountains!

New Mexico is definitely the Land of Enchantment!