Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Hidden Valley Ranch, Deming, NM - Oct 24-29
On our prior stops at Deming, we have stayed at the SKP park; this time we thought we'd try one of the 3 Passport America parks in town, although "in town" is quite a stretch: the park, set on a 7700-acre ranch, is located at the end of a 5.5-mile-long dirt road that starts 4 miles north of town. This place defines "seclusion". There are quite a few long-term (3 to 11 months) and lease (yearly) lots in addition to 60 short-term sites, and with miles of hiking trails and nightly activities in the clubhouse, we were never at a loss for things to do. There are even petroglyphs nearby.We took a day-trip to Silver City and Pinos Altos, about 50 miles from Deming. Silver City was founded in 1870 when silver ore was discovered in the area. By 1890, the nearby hills had been completely stripped of trees, causing annual floods down Main Street, a natural channel for the runoff, despite annual attempts to divert the water. In 1902, especially heavy rains sent a torrent of water into town, washing away whole buildings and ripping others in half, creating an up-to-70-foot deep "Big Ditch", as the feature is now called. In the 1930s, depression-era workers transformed the ugly gash into a park and flood-control area, which still remains. Many of the Victorian houses have been preserved, including the Silver City Museum, which features the local history and changes in the area over the last 1000 years.
Pinos Altos, located 6 miles north of Silver City, was founded in 1860 by 3 frustrated 49ers who stopped for a drink in Bear Creek and discovered gold. Somewhat seedier than Silver City, Pinos Altos features Fort Cobres, a 3/4 scale replica of Santa Rita del Cobre Fort (~1804), a Spanish fort originally located above what is now the open-pit copper mine in Santa Rita; Pinos Altos Historical Museum where, for $1, you can view the contents of numerous locals' old barns; and the Opera House, a theatre for the local Melodrama Company. Fort Cobres, by the way, was closed and up for sale. Any takers?
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 7:17 PM 
