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BEST TIME TO GO

Aug – Nov

START

Las Vegas, NM

END

Truth or Consequences, NM

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Start your stargazing explorations in America’s original sin city, Las Vegas, NM. At one time a true-blue outlaw town, this is where Billy the Kid and pal Vicente Silva (who once killed 40 people at one time) held court and Doc Holliday owned a saloon (although his business ultimately failed after he shot at too many customers). Today, Las Vegas is an elegant, sienna-tinted city that serves as a backdrop for many a star-studded Hollywood Western, including recent Oscar-winner No Country for Old Men.

But enough about silver-screen stars; you’ve come for stars of the night sky. Take Hwy 518 north for 13 miles to tiny Sapello and the Star Hill Inn, your home for two nights (the required minimum). Sitting on 200 remote acres high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it is one of the state’s top stargazing retreats with little light pollution, so when owner Phil Mahon introduces you to the night sky’s grandeur, you really see a million stars. The eight Southwestern-style cottages are decorated with fireplaces and kitchens. Bring food. Spend day two hiking through the surrounding wilderness area or just relaxing in the high desert sunshine.

Backtrack to Las Vegas on morning three for breakfast at the Super Chief Coffee Bar. Organic food is prepared to order and the coffee is the best in town. It’s 250-plus miles from Las Vegas to Cloudcroft, your next stargazing destination. We won’t lie: the first half of the drive, on Hwy 84 south, isn’t all that interesting, but the scenery improves drastically after merging with Hwy 54 south. Here the road climbs through forest and over mountain passes before descending into the otherworldly-looking realm of gleaming white dunes in mysterious White Sands National Monument. By this point you’ll be ready to stretch your legs. From the monument visitors center, drive the 16-mile scenic loop into the heart of the dazzling white sea of sand – actually not sand at all, but granulated chalky gypsum rock – stopping frequently to climb, romp, slide, roll and hike (and maybe pretend you’re on another planet).

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WHAT’S WITH THE NAME?

In 1950, TV game-show host Ralph Edwards wished aloud that a town somewhere in the US liked his show so much that they would name themselves after it. And, by a margin of 4 to 1, the 1294 residents of Truth or Consequences – called Hot Springs at the time – voted to change their name to match the show. That same year, NBC broadcast its first live game show ever from… (where else?) Truth or Consequences, NM to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary.

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From White Sands it’s a short trip to Cloudcroft and then a gorgeous 20-mile drive south on the Sunspot Scenic Byway (Hwy 130) to the Sacramento Peak Observatory, one of the world’s largest solar observatories. Though it’s primarily for scientists, tourists can take self-guided tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm June through August. Double back to Cloudcroft after touring the observatory, and grab a beer on the outside deck at Rebecca’s, which has distant views of the dunes at White Sands. After the sun starts to set, head inside for an elegant menu covering everything from steak tenderloin to cheese enchiladas. There is more star peeping in store for the evening. Sleep at New Mexico Skies, which rents high-powered stargazing equipment to guests for night-sky viewing – the place is virgin when it comes to light pollution. Ask the staff for help if you are an astronomy amateur.

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DETOUR

Drive 50 miles northwest of Socorro to see New Mexico’s strangest attraction, the Lightning Field (www.lightningfield.org). The work of sculptor Walter de Maria, it was laid out in 1977 by setting 500 stainless-steel poles in a 1 mile by 1km grid. The poles attract electricity during violent summer thunderstorms, and when lightning strikes it creates a crackling, brilliant, white strobe light and sound show. Sleep in basic digs by the field ($150 to $250 per person). It’s expensive, but