NM Trip #36: Pt 2--The Urban Experience

 PAGE TWO:  The Urban Experience

In between some serious desert hiking, we managed to enjoy the comforts and offerings of four southwest cities.  We spent a night in Socorro, NM on our way south, and a second night on our way back north.  We also stopped briefly in Las Cruces, NM, southbound and northbound.  And though we spent three motel nights in El Paso, TX, we really only spent about one full day in the city.  The day before we flew back home, we spent the day in Albuquerque, NM.

Deb was on the lookout for unusual coffee roasters and cafes, while I was anxious to try a few local brewpubs.  Veg food was a bonus, and we found some great places.  Used bookstores, an old train station, an historic hotel and an art museum were also on the agenda.  And then came the Southwest Coffee and Chocolate Fest.

Socorro, NM

M Mtn Coffee:  This establishment, on the historic plaza in Socorro, has been here awhile, and we have visited it before.  It's an older style coffee house, with thermos coffee, freshly made espresso, great desserts, and a very cool and welcoming vibe.  The highlight for Deb was the freshly baked cinnamon roll she had for breakfast one morning.  Now, her version of them can be found at some of our own Sunday breakfasts back in A'burg.

 Historic plaza, Socorro, NM.  The cafe is just to my left.

 Back door of M Mtn Coffee, showing the plaza behind it.  Internet photo.

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 That's it for premium coffee and tea in Socorro.  We tried hunting down a bookstore, but it seems to have closed down.  On the brighter side (for me), there are two brewpubs.  Socorro Springs Brewery, on the main drag and difficult to miss, is a bit of a misnomer.  They used to brew beer here, but now it is brewed for them in Colorado by Eddyline.  They have good food, and it's a really friendly place to visit.  We stopped here southbound, after our hike through San Lorenzo Canyon.  It's a good way to work up a thirst.

 Internet photo of Socorro Springs Brewery, Socorro, NM

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 The taproom at Socorro Springs Brewery.

 Beer menu on my visit.  I tried the Red Chile Porter, Santa Fe Porter (a guest ale), the Pale Ale, the Brown Ale, and the Cider (guest).  The Chile Porter was real hot, but when mixed with the Santa Fe Porter, it was perfection.  I also tried the IPA.

L to R:  Cider, Santa Fe Porter, IPA, Pale Ale, Brown Ale.  The Chile Porter came as a free sample (extreme L, behind the cider).  They all went rather well with a veggie pizza!

Northbound, near the end of our trip, we stopped at the second brewery in town, Twisted Chile.  Located just off the historic plaza in a beautiful old, restored building, they do brew beer here, as well as have guest ales.  We were exhausted from our final hike up North Anthony's Nose, and the long drive back north.  Our dinner here revived us.  I had one of their brews, an Irish Stout I think (I was so tired), and Sierra Blanca Alien Amber from a guest brewery in Moriarty, NM.  I would definitely return here.  It seemed to attract a lot of families for Sunday dinner.  We ordered hummous and home baked grilled flatbread, and a Stromboli!  We had enough food left over for breakfast next day.

One of the nicer breweries I have ever visited.  Socorro, NM, just off the plaza.

 Twisted Chile Brewery, Socorro, NM.  It actually got really busy just after our arrival.  The French doors are original, and were brought in by stagecoach in the 1800s from St. Louis.

Southbound, we stopped in to High Desert Brewing Company for a light dinner, and to meet up with a new friend who lives in town.  Anijo met us at the pub, and we spent considerable time talking about NM, Las Cruces, Canada, and Donald Trump.  The time flew past, and we are already looking forward to our next meeting together.  The pub felt like somebody's rec room, but one that served craft beer.  I had a four glass sampler, called a "flight."

 Inside High Desert Brewing Company.  They have a lovely shaded patio out front.

4 mini-servings of beer at High Desert.

Northbound, near the end of our trip, we stopped in Las Cruces for coffee, and to meet a second friend who lives in town.  Allison is a cellist, and we go way back to Cambrian College days in Sudbury (1975ish), where we both studied music.  And that was the last time I saw her, till we met up on Facebook a few years back.  She is still heavily involved with music, and we had a nice catch up chat over coffee.  And it was her birthday!  We all shared a chocolate brownie.  The cafe was called Becks, and it served pour overs.  We all had one.  It's a small place, but cozy, and the coffee is really good.  After we said our goodbyes, Deb and I headed to Coas Bookstore downtown for a wee browse, before returning to Socorro.

Becks Coffee, Las Cruces

 Coas Used Bookstore, Las Cruces.  Internet photo.

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And so that brings us to El Paso, TX.  It had been 25 years since we'd spent any time in the old cow town, so a revisit was welcomed.  On our first visit, craft beer had not been invented, and the only coffee you could buy came from a coffee burner.  El Paso has grown up a lot, yet its distance from the rest of the large population centers of Texas help it stay unique.  Topography helps, too.  It is squeezed between the south end of the Franklin Mtns on the north, and Mexico on the south.  Across the rivulet, called the Rio Grande River in these parts, lies Juarez, Mexico, a somewhat bigger city.  Las Cruces is close enough that it is included in the metropolitan statistics, giving the greater area (including Juarez) about 2.7 million people.  El Paso itself has about 650,000.

Even though the coffee scene seems well established, the craft beer movement is catching on more slowly.  Bud Light and Corona are the top beverages of choice.  Despite this, there are currently two craft breweries in town, along with two fantastic craft beer bars.  Our first stop in town, after our ascent of the East Potrillo Mtns., was Ode Brewery.  From their wide open large doors there are fantastic views to the nearby mountains.  As we had been in the sun all day hiking, we ventured into the dark cave for a long sit down.

 Ode Brewery, El Paso, offers unrivaled views of the Franklin Mtns.  I only had one of their ales, a Wit that did not impress me.  Their coffee stout was nearly ready to serve, but not quite settled enough.  Darn.  The inside is pretty basic, but who cares.  The mountains are splendid!

 Just a bit up the same street sits The Hoppy Monk, a craft beer bar that any city would be proud of.  This place was top drawer, with knowledgeable staff who weren't afraid to steer me away from average beer I might have chosen to try.  We ended up having dinner here, as their vegan items were really good.  They had 70 craft taps.  I ended up having Deschutes Obsidian Stout, from Bend, OR.  It was made with chocolate and espresso.  It was really good.  Then came my little glass of heaven.  I ordered a Belgian quad next, St. Bernardus.  It just might be the best beer I have ever had the pleasure to meet.  After dinner, Deb drove us across town to our motel, actually a pretty luxurious suite at Ramada.  We had a stove, fridge, microwave, kitchen table and chairs, sofa, and a king bed.  $55 US a night.  And a really decent breakfast included in the price.  Sheesh.  London, England this is not.

Returning from our Alamo Mountain hike (the rock art place), we headed to Bldg 6 Coffee Roasters.  This was our first stop after the long drive back, and we were both stiff as boards.  The coffee is in an industrial building (#6) that is home to several other retail establishments.  Their coffee menu is excellent, as were the two pour overs we enjoyed.  I also had a really thick slice of cinnamon toast.  Yum!

 Bldg 6 head roaster Paulina Salazar.  Deb met her at the cafe.  Internet photo.

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 Bldg 2 coffee bar.  The very best.  Internet photo.

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The next day was Friday, our full day in El Paso.  With three hiking days in a row behind us, we were ready to kick back and enjoy some city comforts.  We drove downtown and found free parking in the garage attached to the El Paso Tourist Information office.  We got maps, too.  We walked around all day, returning here in the late afternoon.  The downtown is very walkable, not too large, and is divided into five districts of interest to tourists.  Here are a few photos I took on our adventure, along with a few I didn't take.

Amtrak Station, downtown El Paso.  Deb waits for her train.  There are six trains a week that pass through here, three EB and three WB.  None today.  It would be fun to go to LA from here.

We had a wonderful visit to this more than adequate downtown art museum.  Their old masters' collection wasn't too bad, but their real strength is in holdings of local artists.  Several fun temporary exhibits were also on display.

  El Paso Museum of Art

Huge painting at El Paso Museum of Art

 The Camino Real Hotel is an old, restored gem downtown.  This massive Tiffany dome sits right above the bar.

 Internet photo of hotel lobby.  The hotel is right across a pedestrian plaza from the art museum.

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This large milagro globe sits outside the restored Plaza Theater in downtown El Paso.

 Side of an old building in downtown El Paso.

Craft and Social, an outstanding craft beer bar in downtown El Paso.   I had worked up a powerful thirst, so we stopped in.  Internet photo.
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There was a downtown brewpub (Dead Beach), but it opened in late afternoon so we couldn't visit.  However, Craft & Social (above) had one of their ales on tap, so I got to try a second local beer.  They show movies on the wall.  They have chess and board games.  The brown ale was quite good.  I love this place!  Internet photo.
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We had lunch downtown at The Green Ingredient, a fabulous vegetarian restaurant located in a large bank building.  We shared an order of nut cheeses and crackers, and a vegan lasagna.  We took some raw chocolate coconut balls with us for later with our coffee.  The food was incredible!
Internet photo.
https://www.brianwanchophotography.com/el-paso-photographer/green_ingredient_16.jpg

After lunch we headed down to the shopping area, a unique group of Mexican stores that you won't find anywhere else in America.  We also explored a three-floor western wear shop.  Once back at the car, we headed uptown to a new cafe.

Kopi Coffee, El Paso.  Internet photo.  While looking through a coffee magazine in here I discovered that the Southwest Coffee and Chocolate Expo was this weekend in Albuquerque.  Guess where we were going to be on Sunday anyway?  This is a great little cafe, with fresh roasted beans and great pour overs.

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Overlooking downtown El Paso from the scenic drive in the Franklin Mtns.  Behind the taller buildings is Juarez, Mexico.  The mountains are also in Mexico.

There is a cable car that transports visitors up pretty high into the Franklin Mtns, with great views of the city and beyond.  Unfortunately, when we arrived the lineups were very long, and the parking lot was filled with cars.  We skipped out, but did enjoy our scenic drive to get up there.  With a bit of time on our hands, we decided to visit one final cafe for today.  2 Ten Coffee Roasters and Cafe fit the bill.  I had a fantastic almond cappuccino!

Albuquerque:  We had flown here on the previous Monday, not stopping except to pick up our rental vehicle.  We were flying home this Monday, and had planned Sunday as our Abq day.  We began at Page One Books, a lovable store in the heights.  I actually found one book I was searching for.  They mix used books with new on the shelves, kind of a cool concept.

Internet photo.

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 Next up came this!  Free samples from 16 coffee roasters, and dozens of chocolate makers.  Wow!

We spent a happy two hours here.  There were also four craft brewers with all their taps!

 Lunch was at Anapurna, one of two must-visit veg restaurants in Albuquerque.  We had a light lunch of carrot ginger soup and bread.

We checked into our nearby airport hotel, rested a bit, then headed out for our last hurrah.  That consisted of one fantastic pub and one superlative veg dinner.  Afterwards, it was back to the room to pack.  We were still exhausted from yesterday's hike up North Anthony's Nose, not to mention today's activities.  If it hadn't been for all the free coffee at the expo, we never could have left the hotel--we would have gone to bed for the night around 4 pm.

 A new craft beer bar has opened in Nob Hill, one of our favourite areas in Albuquerque.  Matanza features 100 craft beer taps, all from New Mexico!  I enjoyed a glass of Marble IPA, my all-time favourite NM beer, and a few small samples of others.  This would be a major hangout for me if I lived here.  And I wish I did. 

Moonrise over the Sandia Mtns., from a window at Matanza Pub.

 It's become a tradition that we always eat at Thai Vegan Restaurant in Nob Hill on our final night in Albuquerque.  It is also a tradition that we eat there on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth night there, but this time we were only here for one day.  My yellow curry was packed with flavour, and so was Deb's pad Thai.  For dessert, we shared an order of coconut green tea ice cream.  Farewell, Albuquerque.  Till we meet again!

 Manzano Mtns and the Rio Grande Valley, just south of Albuquerque.

 Sierra Grande and its ski slopes, left.  White Sands in right background.

 Believe it or not, that is Alamo Mtn in the center, the one with all the rock art!!!

That's it for now.  However, stay tuned to this channel as we have a 4-day trip to Denver coming up soon.

Mapman Mike

 

NM Trip #36 Part 1: Return to the Southern Desert

NM Adventure #36:  March 14th-21st/16

PAGE ONE:  The Wilderness Experience 

The southern part of NM is dominated by the Chihuahuan Desert.  Though dry beyond despair, plants grow profusely, and it can be filled with snakes, lizards, rabbits and other small mammals.  We used to visit here regularly during March Break, but it has been nearly 15 years since we have been back.  I was ready for a return.  Our flight from Detroit stopped over in Houston, at George Bush Airport.  It's actually quite a decent airport, and veg food and craft beer is not impossible to find.  Albuquerque Sunport Airport is about the best there is, however.  It is a small airport, beautifully designed and filled with amazing art.  We love this airport, not to mention the views when approaching it and taking off.

However, this was not going to be an Albuquerque trip until the very last day, so our evening arrival on Monday saw us heading south on I 25 as soon as we had obtained our rental vehicle.  I had grave misgivings when we were given a Dodge Journey, but it actually proved to be quite good, giving us plenty of room, reasonably high clearance, and it wasn't too bad on gas.  We stopped in Socorro on our first night, an hour south of the airport.  We had our first hike of the trip planned near here next morning.

Hike #1:  San Lorenzo Canyon (Tuesday)

Usually, we try to arrange our first hike to be relatively flat, giving us some time to adjust to the altitude.  This one was perfect, even offering some rock scrambling from time to time as the canyon itself got choked with fallen rock and debris.  While we were expecting a scenic canyon hike, this one took our breath away!

 Early morning shadows and chilly temps greeted us as we set out.

 Besides the main canyon, there were many side canyons with their own twists and turns.

 Same location as first photo, but it's now noon hour and considerably warmer.

 A side canyon within San Lorenzo Canyon, near Socorro.  This was our first adventure of the trip.

Later that day we returned to Socorro for lunch (Socorro Springs Brewpub), then drove south towards Las Cruces.  We met up with Face Book friend Anijo C. at High Desert Brewing Company, then checked into our motel.

Hike #2: East Potrillo Mtns. (Wednesday)

This is a small north/south desert mountain chain that nobody visits.  I've always wanted to.  It takes a lot of back road driving to get there.  We climbed the highest point.  There are no trails.  No peaks in this range are named.  It is steep going, and there are cactus everywhere, looking for human blood.  There is no permanent water source.

 

Approaching the East Potrillo Mtns.  The highest point can be seen; this was our goal for today.  We hiked up the ridge from the right side.  The mountains are 10 miles N/S, and 1-2 miles E/W.  They end 5 miles from the border with Mexico.  Needless to say we were all alone today, 

as we were on all four of our desert hikes.

Deb rests atop the first mountain saddle, our second mini-goal on our planned attack of the high point in this miniature desert mountain range.  Every plant that can be seen is sharp and dangerous.  And there are several you can't see.  As there are no trails, walking is very much done in a slow, calculated roundabout fashion.  I would hate to be in a hurry here.

For the first time ever, our visit was timed with the flowering of the cacti!

Summit view north looking towards two popular peaks for climbers.  Cox Peak and Mount Riley are both much higher than our summit.

 This summit view looks south, down the spine of the small chain.  Its rugged beauty is quite amazing, and it was very still and quiet up here.  I've wanted to see this view for many years.

It took nearly as long to get down as it did to get up.  One slip and... not death, but severe agony from cactus spines.  They can hurt for days.

We headed into El Paso, TX, where we would spend three nights.  All our hikes were in NM, but we wanted to revisit this west Texas city.  We hadn't been back for 25 years!  Page Two of this blog will deal with our urban experiences.  

Hike #3:  Alamo Mtn. (Thursday)

There are several ways to reach Alamo Mtn, all of which involve hours of back road and very dusty driving.  This was our 2nd visit; our first was in 2001.  We approached from El Paso today, and not only were we alone all day on the hike, but also on the long drive in and out.  You want solitude?  I can show you where to find it.

 Antelope were abundant on the plains today.  The drive in, though long, is totally scenic, with views extending up to 50 miles.

 The Cornudas Mountains are a loosely grouped series of separate peaks.  Alamo is the nearest, with the flat, sloping roof.  This is one of my favourite photos of the trip.  There are antelope, but they are too far away to see here.

Alamo Mtn, up close and personal.  Original plans were to summit it.  Our plan was not well thought out, however, and we settled for a second, more extensive exploration of the lower slopes than on our first visit in 2001.  We now have a much better summit plan of attack for next time.

 The Cornudas Mtns, and Alamo Mtn in particular, offer thousands of examples of rock art.  Though it is a protected area, there is nothing protecting the art.  You are free to scramble about and explore.

Alamo Mtn. rock art.
 

Part way up Alamo Mtn., looking across Otero Mesa.

 Otero Mesa from Alamo Mtn.  Guadalupe Mtns. in far background.

Deb meanders beneath the main peak of Alamo Mtn.  El Paso lies many miles beyond the distant background peak.  We had passed that mountain on our inward journey earlier today.

Alamo Mtn Spring has been dry a long time now.  There used to be a stagecoach station here.  The ruins are still accessible and fascinating.  Since there was once water here, it became a sacred site to Native Americans.  The mountain also commanded views in all directions.

Another view of the partial ruins of an old stagecoach station, taken from higher up on the mountain.  Can you find them?

Alamo Mtn rock art.

 

 Some seriously heavy duty Alamo Mtn rock art!

Ruin on the road to Alamo Mtn.  What was this place?  Why was this place?  It's in the middle of nowhere.

We had now hiked three days in a row.  We returned to El Paso feeling like we needed a rest.  Next day (Friday) was to be spent just in the city.  That adventure can be found on Page Two.

Hike #4:  North Anthony's Nose (Saturday) 
 

The subtitle for this hike could be called "The Big One."  The Franklin Mtns run low through NM, picking up height and drama once inside Texas.  The Texas section has trails; the NM section does not.  We hiked the highest mountain in the NM section, and though not much higher than the East Portillo Mountains, this hike offers more drama, and much more cacti, if that is even possible.  Nearly every square inch of this hike is filled with dangerous, loose rock, sharp cactus spines, and some dizzying drop offs once up on the ridge.  To top it off, it was freezing this morning, and windy.  This was the closest hike to civilization that we undertook.  Though we could see the interstate from the summit, it would have taken about three hours to reach it from up there, between walking down to the car and then driving.  Despite the hardships, this is one of the best hikes I have ever done!

 This gives some idea of the hazards of hiking in desert mountains.  Drop offs were unforgiving, loose rock was everywhere, and if you see a plant, it has sharp things ready to pounce.  Our vehicle was parked behind the rounded summit left of Deb, mid way back.  It can actually be seen as a silver glimmer near the bottom of that peak's slope.  When we parked there, we thought that little round peak was pretty high!

 More cactus blooms.  They were everywhere, adding splashes of impossible colour to the grey, green and brown landscape.

 Deb heads up the final slope to the summit.  The scenery was breathtaking all the way up (and down).  The wind was unpleasantly strong.

 Deb on the summit of North Anthony's Nose!  Not bad for a gal bitten hard by R.A.

 View north to Bishop's Cap (center, middle ground), and further on to the Organ Mtns.  This is desert NM at its finest.

View southwest, towards highways and civilization.

 Summit view looking southeast.  The higher Texas portion of the Franklin Mtns. can be seen across the highway.

I visited a secondary summit beneath the main one, and took a photo back up to where Deb waited.  The red splotch near her is lichen.

 Another New Mexico summit achieved!  North Anthony's Nose, Franklin Mtns.  The remains of a fallen airplane beacon lies sprawled on top.  There was a jar beneath some piled up rocks with a paper inside to sign in.  The last visitors up here had been in October!

Three hours after leaving the summit we were back in civilization.  This remarkable view of the mountain we climbed was taken from the highway afterwards.  We approached from the ridge on the right.  This was our final hike of the journey.  We hope to return next March for more madness.

Here are the hiking stats for Trip #36:
Number of hikes:  4.

Miles hiked:  17.6.

Elevation gain: 3250'.

Hours of walking:  15 1/4.

If that doesn't sound impressive enough for a pair of old flatlanders, consider that there were no trails, and progress was usually slow, irregular, and our path had to zig-zag much of the time due to the prevalence of cacti and their ilk.  This is an area of extreme beauty, ruggedness, and solitude.  We could not have asked for a better series of adventures.

On Page Two I will talk about our urban experiences in Socorro, Las Cruces, El Paso, and Albuquerque.  Cafes and craft brew pubs dominated, but there were other highlights, too.

Mapman Mike