Southern New Mexico - American Southwest - page 334

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The Aguirre Springs Recreation Area ( & 575/525-4300; www.blm.gov.nm), off US
70, on the western slope of the Organ Mountains, is one of the most spectacular places
I've ever camped. Operated by the Bureau of Land Management, the camping and picnic
sites sit at the base of the jagged Organ Mountains. Visitors to the area can hike, camp,
picnic, or ride horseback (no horse rentals on site). If you'd like to hike, don't miss the
Baylor Pass trail, which crosses along the base of the Organ peaks, up through a pass,
and over to the Las Cruces side. Though the hike is 6 miles one-way, just over 2 miles
will get you to the pass, where there's a meadow with amazing views.

WHERE TO STAY IN & AROUND LAS CRUCES
Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Spanish Colonial elegance defines this seven-
story hotel on the east side of town, about a 15-minute drive from Mesilla, with an
incredible view of the city and the Organ Mountains. The hotel was built in 1986, and
implemented a major remodel in 2006, including new bedding and furnishings, all with
a lovely old-world Mexican/colonial motif. The lobby has a tiered fountain, colorful tile,
and museum-quality furnishings. Rooms are spacious and outfitted with hand-crafted
furniture and comfortable beds with good linens. Photography by the noted artist
Miguel Gandert dresses the walls. Bathrooms are medium size, with granite countertops
and Aveda bath products. Some rooms flank the pool and have little patios. The service
here is excellent. Café España serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in an elegant Spanish
Colonial ambience, and the Azul Nightclub offers drinks with a contemporary South-
west flair.
705 S. Telshor Blvd., Las Cruces, NM 88011. & 866/383-0443 or 575/522-4300. Fax [phone]. www.
hhandr.com. 203 units. $109-$159 double; $179-$199 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Pets welcome ($15 per
night). Amenities: Restaurant; bar; health club; Jacuzzi; heated outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C,
TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.

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La Quinta Five minutes from Old Mesilla, this chain hotel provides relatively quiet
and very comfortable rooms with plenty of amenities. The clean and well-designed
rooms range from medium to large, all with desks and medium-size bathrooms. An
outdoor pool sits within a comfortable courtyard, an important addition in this warm
climate. Guests eat their continental breakfast in a bright garden room off the lobby.
When you reserve here, ask for one of the “annex” rooms, which are the largest and new-
est. Also, be aware that trains pass near this area at night. A few new casual dining res-
taurants have opened across the street.
790 Av. de Mesilla, Las Cruces, NM 88005. & 800/531-5900 or 575/524-0331. Fax [phone]. www.
laquinta.com. $78-$97 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets welcome (free).
Amenities: Health club; outdoor pool. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.

A Bed & Breakfast
The Lundeen Inn of the Arts This inn is a late-1890s adobe home, with
whitewashed walls, narrow alleys, and arched doorways. It's a composite of rooms
stretching across 10,000 square feet of floor space. There's a wide range of rooms, each
named for an artist. My favorites are in the main part of the house, set around a two-story
garden room, with elegant antiques and arched windows. Most rooms are medium size
with comfortably firm beds dressed in good linens. Bathrooms are generally small and
simple but clean. The inn is also an art gallery, displaying the works of about 30 South-
western painters, sculptors, and potters. Breakfast includes fresh fruit and such specialties
as pumpkin pancakes and huevos rancheros.