Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
304
The Lodge at Cloudcroft
This lodge is an antique jewel, a well-preserved relic
of another era. From the grand fireplace in the lobby to the homey Victorian decor in
the guest rooms, it exudes gentility and class. Its 9-hole golf course, one of the nation's
highest, challenges golfers across rolling hills between 8,600 and 9,200 feet of elevation.
Most rooms in the Lodge have views, and all are filled with antiques, from sideboards
and lamps to mirrors and steam radiators. The standard rooms are small, so you may
want to reserve one of their suites, which have a bedroom and a sitting room with a sofa
bed. Some suites have Jacuzzi tubs. Guests are greeted by a stuffed bear sitting on the bed
with a sampler of homemade fudge from the Lodge Mercantile. In 1991, more rooms
were added in the form of the Pavilion and the Retreat, which were built adjacent to the
Lodge. These are most often rented out in blocks and are less desirable than those in the
main hotel. The hotel's new Spirit of the Mountain Spa offers a variety of massage treat-
ments.
Rebecca's
(
&
575/682-2566
), the lodge's restaurant, is named for the resident ghost,
believed to have been a chambermaid in the 1930s who was killed by her lumberjack lover.
Three meals, plus a midday snack menu, are served daily. Service is friendly and very effi-
cient, and the atmosphere is elegant, with bright sunshine during the day and romantic
lighting at night. I recommend the roasted duck with Madeira wine sauce and rice. For
dessert, try one of their tableside flambé desserts. The champagne Sunday brunch is a
must here, offering a prime-rib serving station and an array of side selections.
1 Corona Place (P.O. Box 497), Cloudcroft, NM 88317.
&
800/395-6343
or 575/682-2566. Fax 575/682-
2715. www.thelodgeresort.com. 59 units. $109-$159 double; $169-$329 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free
parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; babysitting; golf course; health club; Jacuzzi; outdoor heated pool;
sauna; spa; access to nearby tennis courts.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer upon request, Wi-Fi.
11
3
WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT
15 miles SW of Alamogordo; 46 miles NE of Las Cruces; 150 miles S of Albuquerque
Arguably the most memorable natural area in this part of the Southwest, White Sands
National Monument preserves the best part of the world's largest gypsum dune field, an
area of 275 square miles of pure white gypsum sand reaching out over the floor of the
Tularosa Basin in wavelike dunes. Plants and animals have evolved in special ways to
adapt to the bright white environment here. Some creatures have a bleached coloration
to match the whiteness all around them, and some plants have evolved means for surviv-
ing against the smothering pressures of the blowing sands.
Warning!
Safety Tips
The National Park Service emphasizes that (1) tunneling in this sand can be dan-
gerous because it collapses easily and could suffocate a person; (2) sand-surfing
down the dune slopes, although permitted, can also be hazardous, so it should
be undertaken with care, and never near an auto road; and (3) hikers can get lost
in a sudden sandstorm if they stray from marked trails or areas.
