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In Pictures: Las Cruces, New Mexico
By Tom Adkinson
December 1, 2023
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Bold colors – especially red, green and blue – tell much of the story of Las Cruces, a city of more than 110,000 people that spreads through the Mesilla Valley and showcases the peaks of the Organ Mountains as a backdrop. Red and green are for chile peppers, which you will encounter everywhere, and blue is for the brilliant desert sky. Las Cruces and the neighboring village of Mesilla are a solid visitor destination themselves, with museums, wineries and a farmers and crafts market, and they also are a home base for exploring the region. White Sands National Park, the White Sands Missile Range Museum and Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, are about one hour’s drive away. El Paso, Texas, is the air service gateway to explore this corner of the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico’s moniker for itself.
Blue sky and a big bird
A blue New Mexico sky sets the stage for one of America’s quirkiest roadside attractions – a massive roadrunner statue made of trash collected along the highway. It is in an I-10 rest area west of Las Cruces between mile markers 134 and 135. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Chiles galore
Chiles – mostly edible, but some purely decorate – are a huge part of the Las Cruces culture. These are ristras, strands of dried peppers, that could be used in cooking over many months, but more likely are for decoration. New Mexico food writer Carolyn Graham advises visitors to be prepared to tell your restaurant servers whether you want red or green chile sauce with almost anything you order. Image by Tom Adkinson
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World’s biggest chile pepper
This hunk of heartburn is a Las Cruces landmark. It’s a 47-foot-long, 2.5-ton chunk of concrete that marks the location of the Big Chile Inn on W. Picacho Avenue. Another big chile is a star every Dec. 31 when the Las Cruces New Year’s celebration features the dropping of a 19-foot-long chrome chile pepper decorated with 400 feet of LED lights. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Twice-a-week crafts fair
The Farmers and Crafts Market of Las Cruces is one of the city’s most popular events. Every Wednesday and Saturday of the year, farmers and artisans turn seven blocks of Main Street into a colorful shopping destination. Gourds are this artists specialty. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Barrel racer
This bronze barrel racer greets visitors at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. The museum explores the 4,000-year history of agriculture in the Mesilla Valley and features ranch animals, art galleries and ranch life demonstrations such as blacksmithing, wool spinning and quilting. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Mesilla’s landmark church
The Basilica of San Albino is on the north side of the plaza in the village of Mesilla, just a few minutes from downtown Las Cruces. The original adobe church was built in 1855 and was rebuilt in its current form in 1906. Among many stories from Mesilla’s history is that of outlaw Billy the Kid, who was tried and sentenced to death here in 1881. He escaped, but not for long. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Sand, not snow
White Sands National Park, one of the newest of America’s national parks, is 50 miles and a world away from Las Cruces. Wave-like dunes of gypsum sand, smooth enough for sledding, cover 275 square miles of desert landscape. The park is visible from space and is the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Trip-planning resources: LasCruces.com, MesillaNM.gov and NPS.gov/whsa
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com.)
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