Exploring Cloudcroft, New Mexico With Friends from The Netherlands

Monday, May 9, 2016

Our friends, Eveline and Gerrit from The Netherlands, enjoyed breakfast at our home before we drove to the mountains to explore Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Breakfast was our normal weekday fare including a plate of various fresh fruit and steel cut Irish oatmeal w/raisins, coffee and tea.

We did some visiting and my husband, Doug showed them around the backyard. Our new fence gate did not meet with Gerrit's professional specifications and I am inclined to agree with him. However, it took three attempts before they made one that fit so we have decided to live with it.

We took them to one of our favorite stores in Cloudcroft, Off the Beaten Path, and they thoroughly enjoyed all of the wonderful art on display. Eveline purchased a cap to keep her hair out of her eyes. It was quite windy this day. I could tell she was keenly tempted to buy one of the fabulous cutting blocks created by Thomas Thorp of La Luz, New Mexico and sold in this store.

We than toured The Lodge. How can one visit Cloudcroft and not go to at least see The Lodge. It is such a beautiful old hotel and even has a ghost named Rebecca, also the name of their magnificent dining area.

From there we went to Big Daddy's Diner for lunch and to introduce them to the wonders of posole. They both enjoyed the posole very much and we had a lovely time enjoying this repast.

On our return to Alamogordo, New Mexico, we stopped at the lookout point at the tunnel and they very much enjoyed this. They are both hikers and kayakers, so this area really intrigued them.

Gerrit listening to Eveline and Doug after breakfast

Eveline and Carla inspecting a fabulous Thomas Thorp cutting board

Eveline and Carla listening as one of the owners explaining how the cutting board is created

L to R: Gerrit, Eveline, Carla and an owner of Off the Beaten Path

Eveline, Carla and Gerrit

The Lodge at Cloudcroft

Carla, Eveline and Gerrit

L to R: Doug, Carla, Eveline and Gerrit at Big Daddy's Diner

Gerrit, Carla and Eveline at the lookout point near the tunnel (the only highway tunnel in New Mexico)

Gerrit and Eveline (It's a long way down from where they are standing)

We had a grand time showing Eveline and Gerrit around and we were all properly tired by the time we returned to Alamogordo. Time to rest up for another day of exploring.

Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photography for the great pictures and to the waitress at Big Daddy's Diner for manning the camera so all of us could be in the picture there.

This is all I have to say for now.

Carla's Children Visit From Springtown, Texas

Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15, 2015

Carla's son, Russ and his wife, Kelley, came to Alamogordo, New Mexico to visit from Springtown, Texas.  The weather was perfect except for a bit of wind and we had a great time sight seeing and catching up on all the grandkids and great grandkids.

When they arrived at the house Friday morning, I had a breakfast awaiting them consisting of blueberry-sour cream pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee. We then drove to Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountains and explored and shopped in the many cute little stores. For lunch, we went to Big Daddy's Diner and Russ and I had their "all the catfish you can eat" special while Kelley opted for barbecued pork. We traveled back to the house with leftovers and a to-go container of posole soup for Doug. After visiting for a while, the kids went to their motel as we had all risen early and were more than ready for sleep.

Doug and I met Russ and Kelley at the IHOP for breakfast Saturday morning and Doug stayed home while we went to White Sands National Monument. It was a gloriously beautiful day and we took off our shoes and socks and climbed a huge sand dune and enjoyed the feel of the cool sand on our feet. Kelley took many pictures of the area, of which, I'm sure you will be seeing on face book. Afterward, we picked up Doug and drove to Tularosa to our favorite Mexican Restaurant, Casa de Suenos, for lunch. The food, as always, was absolutely delicious. Kelley and I each found a couple of bracelets we couldn't live without in their gift shop which we promptly purchased.

We took a short break in the afternoon (as Russ says, "nap time") and then went to the Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts where we enjoyed seeing the Sons of the Pioneers, a group that has been pickin' and grinin' since 1934 (they do some fine fiddlin' too). What a nostalgic trip this was. They played and sang Tumblin Tumbleweed, Cool Water, Ghost Riders in the Sky and Happy Trails, just to name a few. They are consummate entertainers and we enjoyed every moment of their concert. The Flickinger was packed and the crowd loved them. If you ever get a chance to see this group, don't hesitate--they are worth every penny of the ticket!

Sunday morning, I made scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns. We also had fruit and coffee and it was too soon time for them to leave for El Paso for their return flight to Ft. Worth, Texas.  They promise to return to see even more of this beautiful state of New Mexico. I miss them already!

Kelley and Russ at IHOP

L to R: Doug, Carla, Kelley and Russ at IHOP. Thanks to waiter for the shot!

Russ and Kelley at White Sands

Kelley and Carla

Kelley and Russ

A view of the sands lit by the sun from top of a sand dune

Kelley, Russ and Carla taken by a passerby from El Paso

L to R: Kelley, Carla, Doug and Russ dining at Casa de Suenos in Tularosa, New Mexico. Thanks to the waitress for the shot.

L to R: Carla, Russ and Kelley Sunday morning as they are getting ready to head for El Paso to fly home.

L to R: Carla looking at a New Mexico Magazine, Kelley catching up on email and Russ reading AARP Magazine while Doug is trying to get a DVD copy of a play to start on the television

I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of our shopping in Cloudcroft, but I just get too much into shopping to think about my camera! It was such a wonderful treat to see them both and spend that precious time with them. Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photography for the photos he took.

This is all I have to say for now.