Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
301
1,900 feet and a total skier capacity of 16,500 an hour. Though its location seems
remote, skiers often fill this mountain during weekends and holidays. Because the moun-
tain is owned and run by the Apaches, you can experience another culture while skiing.
All-day lift tickets cost $51 for adults, $45 for seniors, $43 for teens (13-17), $25 for
children 12 and under. The mountain is open Thanksgiving to Easter daily from 8:45am
to 4pm. Lift-and-lodging packages can be booked through the
Inn of the Mountain
Gods Resort & Casino
(
&
800/545-6040
or 575/464-4100; www.innofthemountain
gods.com).
SWIMMING
Swimming is permitted at
Elephant Butte Lake State Park
(
&
575/
744-5923
) and
Caballo Lake State Park
(
&
575/743-3942
), but not at some others.
Be sure to ask first.
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ALAMOGORDO
60 miles NE of Las Cruces; 83 miles SW of Roswell; 146 miles SE of Albuquerque
Famous for its leading role in America's space research and military technology industries,
Alamogordo (pop. 35,582) achieved worldwide fame on July 16, 1945, when the first
atomic bomb was exploded at nearby Trinity Site. Today, it is home of the New Mexico
Museum of Space History, White Sands National Monument, and Holloman Air Force
Base. While traveling in this area, I came to jokingly call it “Alamageddin,” mostly
because the town itself is fairly desolate, without many amenities, although it is improv-
ing. Twenty miles east and twice as high, the resort village of Cloudcroft (elevation 8,650
ft.) attracts vacationers to the forested heights of the Sacramento Mountains.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
From Albuquerque, take I-25 south 87 miles to San Antonio; turn
east on US 380, go 66 miles to Carrizozo; then turn south on US 54 for 58 miles (4 hr.).
From Las Cruces, take US 70 northeast (1
1
/
2
hr.). (
Note:
US 70 may be closed for up to
2 hr. during tests on White Sands Missile Range.) From El Paso, take US 54 north (1
1
/
2
hr.).
The nearest major airport is
El Paso International.
The local airport, Alamogordo-
White Sands Regional Airport (
&
575/439-4110
) does not offer commercial service.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce
and visitor
center is at 1301 N. White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, NM 88311 (
&
800/826-0294
or
575/437-6120; www.alamogordo.com).
CITY LAYOUT
Alamogordo is on the eastern edge of the Tularosa Valley, at the foot of
the Sacramento Mountains. US 54 (White Sands Blvd.) is the main street, extending
several miles north and south. The downtown district is actually a few blocks east of
White Sands Boulevard, off 10th Street.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
New Mexico Museum of Space History
The New Mexico Museum of Space
History comes in two parts: the International Space Hall of Fame and the Clyde W.
Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater. Both are on the lower slopes of the Sacramento Moun-
tains, 2 miles east of US 54, and just above New Mexico State University's Alamogordo
branch campus.
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