T or C - July trip 2

We drove south and stopped at the Blackstone Hotsprings Hotel in T or C. One of my favorite hotels that we haven't visited for several years. We had dinner at Latitude 33 and breakfast the next morning at a diner on main street. Once we got to the hotel, everything we wanted in T or C was in walking distance. 

Then we got in the truck and went to Elephant Butte Lake.  Joel wanted me to take a picture of the boat ramp because he said it was enormous.  We were glad to be there on a Thursday, because based on the parking at the boat launch there would be too many people to fit in the lake on a weekend.

We started out from the boat launch and went around the point to Lions Beach (where I remember we got the motor home stuck when I was little).  The water was cool and we saw fish and birds.  On the way back the wind was pretty strong.  If I stopped paddling, then I started to float backwards.  We think we kayaked at least 6 miles.

Lincoln - July trip 3

I thought we were heading to Las Cruces, so I was surprised when we left the lake and started heading north again. We made our way to the Wortley in Lincoln and had a late picnic dinner behind the hotel. Everything is amazingly green there! 

Every night we were there there were several storms. This is one at sunset on our first night. 

This is Rascal, Vic and Cathy's dog.  He takes care of the Wortley.

Hotel

This is the hotel where I have been staying... just getting ready to check out. I love it because it is a quick walk to the library and it feels like an old house. The University Inn at Emory.

Ghost Ranch in Review

We first happened by the Ghost Ranch hotel in Tucson on our 2009 visit. I had just read Lesley Poling-Kempes' book on Ghost Ranch in New Mexico and I knew the family, the Packs, that started Ghost Ranch in New Mexico also had a connection to Tucson. Arthur Pack was one of the founders of the amazing Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson. The Ghost Ranch hotel was opened by the Packs when they moved from New Mexico to Tucson.

Here are pictures from 2009. I was heartbroken to see this revered symbol associated with the grand Ghost Ranch in New Mexico - abandon and lonely on the side of a busy street.




In 2010 we saw signs that the hotel was going to be remodeled for senior housing.

This year things were looking good at the Ghost Ranch hotel. The property is near completion. The people who made it into senior housing were faithful to the old design and many of the design elements. It seems like a cozy place to live.






Here is a link to an article about the rehabilitation of the property.

Ghost Ranch - Tucson 2009

These are pictures from our visit last January. Last January I had just read Lesley Poling-Kempes' book on Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. I knew the family, the Packs, that started Ghost Ranch in New Mexico also had a connection to Tucson. Arthur Pack was one of the founders of the amazing Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson. I was still surprised to see a Ghost Ranch sign and the Ghost Ranch symbol in the middle of Tucson. We stopped and took lots of pictures of this hotel the Packs opened when they moved to Tucson.


Since the property was fenced off, it was difficult to capture the buildings. The hotel is made up of many small buildings - a traditional Rout 66-type motor hotel.




These gates were a beautiful find!

Ghost Ranch - Tucson 2010

This year - all of the Ghost Ranch signs are gone - as are the gates. The property is being remade into low-income housing. It will be interesting to see how much they bring back from the old hotel once the project is complete.

Tucson by Segway

We took a segway tour of Tucson. The tour was terrific. They taught us how to ride the segue and then we set off on a 5 mile tour of the city - El Presidido Trail Tour. It was a lot of fun. Below we are in front of the courthouse.



This is a mural of life at the Presidio. It is part of a new city park that was open when Presidido artifacts were found when a new building was being excavated (the new building was never built because of the historically important items discovered).




Below is a mural on the wall of a museum next to El Tiradito.

Scenes from Lincoln 2009

The Ellis Store.




The well behind the Doctor's House.


The outhouse behind the Doctor's house.


Joel looking out over the bridge at deer.

The Wortley.


Sitting on the porch at the Wortley with Rascal.



Cathy and Vic are now offering dinner at the Wortley on weekends for non-hotel guests. It is no exaggeration to say it was the best meal I have ever had. Just amazing!


The Lincoln Post Office.


The entrance to the Lincoln Cemetery.