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Hidden Gems

I’m on the hunt for yard art and stopped in at Casa Bonita. I just had to capture the interesting “lines” of sculptures as I roamed the grounds. Next stop was the San Albino Cemetery just a few blocks off the square in Old Mesilla. Like most southwest cemeteries simple wooden and adobe crosses dot the landscape not to mention a few brightly painted headstones. 

On Sunday a friend and I headed toward El Paso. From the Murchison Park overview off of Rim Drive you can get a view of sprawling El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. You can see a giant “X”  that sits at Plaza a la Mexicanidad. Created by sculptor Sebastian,  it represents Mexico’s indigenous people and the cultures of Spanish colonists. Some say it represents the letter X of Mexico as Benito Juarez changed the name from Mejico to Mexico.

We drove ‘Paseo de las Luces’ where the infamous Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa once walked. Now a major source of shopping for those crossing over from Mexico.

A hidden gem in El Paso is the Keystone Heritage Park and Botanical Gardens. Considered an archeologic site it was discovered in the 1970s by the Corps of Engineers while working flood control. They found an ancient pitch house dating back 4000+ years and may be one of the largest and oldest villages in the US even if most of it is unearthed. The gardens feature walking paths, sculptures, an amphitheater and of course desert flora.

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Lunch at Sparky’s

As I left Las Cruces, NM I noticed there was quite the line at a local Starbucks but I must say it wasn’t as long as the line at Sparky’s in Hatch, NM about 30 miles down the road! Even tho it was hot and dusty with social distancing and masks enforced the adventure was fun. The green chile cheeseburger was the best around and well worth the drive. I am always delighted with their growing collection of memorabilia – several of which I bet came from Las Cruces hangouts like the old Big Boy and Dutch’s Market. Thank you for the great food and your collector’s eye. I will return!