Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
311
Moments
A Scenic Drive Around the Lincoln Loop
An enjoyable way to see many of the sights of the Ruidoso area is a 1- or 2-day
162-mile loop tour. Heading east from Ruidoso on US 70, about 18 miles past
Ruidoso Downs, is the small community of
San Patricio,
where you'll find the
Hurd-La Rinconada Gallery
(watch for signs;
&
575/653-4331;
www.
wyethartists.com). Late artist Peter Hurd, a Roswell native, flunked out of West
Point before studying with artist N. C. Wyeth and marrying Wyeth's daughter,
Henriette, eventually returning with her to New Mexico. This gallery shows and
sells works by Peter Hurd, Henriette Wyeth, their son Michael Hurd, Andrew
Wyeth, and N. C. Wyeth. Many of the works capture the ambience of the land-
scape in the San Patricio area. In addition to original works, signed reproduc-
tions are available. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to
5pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Several rooms and guesthouses are also
available by the night or for longer periods.
From San Patricio, continue east on US 70 for 4 miles to the community of
Hondo, at the confluence of the Rio Hondo and Rio Bonito, and turn west onto
US 380. From here it's about 10 miles to
Lincoln,
a fascinating little town that
is also a National Historic Landmark (see “Lincoln Historic District: A Walk in the
Footsteps of Billy the Kid,” above). Heading west takes you to
Carrizozo,
the
Lincoln County seat since 1912. The
Outpost,
415 Central Ave. (
&
575/648-
9994
), serves one of the best green-chile cheeseburgers in the Southwest. To
continue the loop tour, turn south onto US 54 and go about 28 miles to the
turnoff to
Three Rivers Petroglyph National Recreation Area
(
&
575/525-
4300
), about 5 miles east on a paved road. Some 20,000 individual rock art
images are here, carved by Mogollon peoples who lived in the area centuries
ago. A trail about .75 mile long links many of the most interesting petroglyphs,
and the view surrounding the area, with mountains to the east and White
Sands to the southwest, is outstanding. The day-use fee is $2 per vehicle. Over-
night camping is $10. The U.S. Forest Service also has a campground in the
area, about 5 miles east on a gravel road.
Continuing south on US 54, drive about 2 miles to Tularosa and turn east
onto US 70, which you take for about 16 miles to the village of
Mescalero
on
the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. From US 70, take the exit for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs and follow the signs to the imposing
St. Joseph's
Apache Mission
(see “Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation,” p. 308). After you
return to US 70, it's about 19 miles back to Ruidoso.
11
LINCOLN HISTORIC DISTRICT: A WALK IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF BILLY THE KID
One of the last historic yet uncommercialized 19th-century towns remaining in the
American West, the tiny community of Lincoln lies 37 miles northeast of Ruidoso on
US 380, in the valley of the Rio Bonito. Few people live here today, but it was once the
