ON TOP OF THE WORLD! - by Dot

(Dan prepares his ammunition for a snowball fight at Cloudcroft!)

Yesterday we traveled about an hour and a half away from Las Cruces to Cloudcroft, NM. Cloudcroft is nearly 9,000 feet up in the Sacramento Mountains. We thought it was appropriate to be in the Lincoln National Forest on the 200th birthday of our 16th president!

There is an historic lodge at Cloudcroft where we used to go occasionally for Sunday dinner the first year we were married. Going there enabled me to see some green trees and helped me to feel less homesick for Virginia. It was a pleasant change from the desert landscape which I later learned to appreciate, too. The highway climbing the mountain provides wonderful views of the surrounding area for miles and miles.

Snow had fallen on Tuesday in Cloudcroft so the ground was still covered although the roads were all cleared. It was fun to experience a taste of winter knowing that we would return to the warmth of the valley in a few hours.

Last Valentine’s Day we had splurged on an overnight stay with all its amenities at The Lodge. This year we decided that was not really wise, so we just had lunch instead. We were not disappointed in our meal. The food is excellent here.

The Lodge is more than 100 years old, dating back to a period before New Mexico became a state. (It IS one of the 50 U.S. states even though some of our friends think we are in Mexico ---- or Arizona!) It has a proud history as a resort, hosting such notables as Pancho Villa, Judy Garland, and Clark Gable.

Another interesting feature of The Lodge is that it has a resident “ghost”, Rebecca, for whom the restaurant is named. Legend has it that Rebecca was a beautiful young chambermaid in the early 1900s with striking blue eyes and shocking red hair. She disappeared from her quarters after her lumberjack lover found her in the arms of another. To this day unexplained odd incidents are attributed to Rebecca’s spirit, though none of them are threatening or frightening, but more fun and playful in nature. There are some who believe that Rebecca is in search of a new lover or friend who might appreciate her flirtatious and mischievous ways! Her portrait hangs in the Lounge.

The crisp mountain air and another trip down memory lane energized and renewed us. It was good to revisit another New Mexico landscape. As we descended nearly a mile in altitude in 15 miles of travel back to Alamogordo and then back to Las Cruces we also went from a temperature of 43 to one of 64 degrees! It was good to be back in the sunshine.