We drove west today to spend the night at a Harvest Host site just outside of the Village of Tularosa, New Mexico. The landscape started off flat, but we could see mountains in the distance, including the snow-capped Sierra Blanca Peak at 11,500 feet. We drove by a large reservoir called Brantley Lake where they have dammed the Pecos River. As the terrain started to get hilly, we pulled over at a roadside stand, Runyon Ranches, where they offered clean bathrooms, a chance to fish and a variety of snacks made locally.

As we drove through the Lincoln National Forest, the environment changed from desert to pine tree forests. The mountain town of Cloudcroft had a ski slope that is already closed for the season, as I’m sure it’s too warm now. When we stopped just after the tunnel on US Hwy 82, we saw rock climbers at play. We hope to go back to this area for some hiking later this week. This was a beautiful drive!

Our destination for this evening was the Tularosa Winery just north of the Village of Tularosa at the base of the Sacramento Mountains. This town uses an old irrigation system to maintain shade trees and has the National Register of Historic Places designation to preserve its Spanish architecture. We had a wine flight to sample their wares while we played Gin Rummy and talked with the owners. We bought a bottle of dry Zinfandel to take with us, as we certainly didn’t need more wine after that large flight. Our parking spot was nice and flat, and they do have optional sites with water and electricity for $40/night. After driving all day and the weather being cool, we didn’t need the extra cost, but it would be most welcome in the summer. We took a walk before sunset down the short dead-end road to stretch our legs. I love staying at wineries!