• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 825 0

stop in at the excellent Hubbard Museum of the American West. It displays more than 10,000 Western-related items including Old West stagecoaches and Native American pottery, and works by Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell. An impressive collection of horse-related displays, including a collection of saddles and the Racehorse Hall of Fame, lures horse-lovers. Head west into Ruidoso proper and look for the plain red fading adobe structure with a big 20ft waterwheel attached. This is Dowlin’s Mill, one of the only remaining buildings on Ruidoso’s main street that actually dates back to Billy the Kid’s time. It was a supposed favorite haunt of the outlaw teenager, although it’s unlikely he visited for baking supplies. The proprietor was also known for selling moonshine and throwing wild dance parties. The mill still functions today; and its flour is sold at the onsite gift shop.

Grab a bite at Casa Blanca, home of to-die-for chile rellenos and the best margaritas in town. If you’re not in the mood for Mexican, there are burgers and perfectly crisped chicken fried steak. After lunch take an easy 20-mile cruise through bucolic countryside on Hwy 70 east to San Patricio. The tranquil country village in the Hondo Valley boasts the kind of golden glow and gentle scenery that’s been drawing artists to New Mexico for more than a century now. Check into the Hurd la Rinconada Gallery & Guest Ranch. The 2500-acre property is your destination for the night. Owned and run by artist Peter Hurd, the gallery portion showcases Hurd’s own work, along with that of his relatives NC and Andrew Wyeth, his mother Henriette Wyeth and his father Michael Hurd. The six casitas are stylish with original art and modern conveniences. Pets can stay for $20 per visit. Also visit the well respected Benson Fine Art Gallery inside an impressive 130-year-old adobe building. The gallery showcases contemporary sculpture and paintings, along with less usual findings like jewelry, pottery and even a few pieces of antique furniture. Drive a few miles down the highway to Tinnie, a tiny town at the junction of US 70 and US 380, for dinner. The Tinnie Silver Dollar Steakhouse & Saloon is so good that folks come all the way from Ruidoso to eat here. Enjoy an old-fashioned fancy night out and a big juicy cut of steak at this one-time general store that’s been converted into a rather posh steakhouse. Check out the German stained-glass windows from the 1950s and the shiny hardwood bar transported from Chicago. If you drink one too many whiskeys there are two guestrooms set up for romance with hot tubs and big, sink-into-me beds.

* * *

RACING RUIDOSO DOWNS

Dedicated nearly entirely to quarter horse races (most tracks cater to the more delicate thoroughbred), Ruidoso Downs, on I-70 just outside Ruidoso, is one of the region’s biggest racing venues. The season begins in May and runs through Labor Day weekend, when the big event takes place. The All American Futurity draws nearly 20,000 people, and is known as the world’s richest quarter horse race – it offers a $1 million purse to the winner of the 21-second sprint.

* * *

More of a museum than a town, Lincoln is the most famous stop on the Billy the Kid Byway. This is where the gun battle that turned Billy the Kid into a legend took place. Favoring authentic over Hollywood, Lincoln is about as close to 19th-century reality as it gets. Some say it’s the best preserved Wild West town in America. Modern influences, such as souvenir stands, are not allowed in town, and the main street has been designated the Lincoln State Monument. It’s a pretty cool place to get away from this century for an afternoon. Start at the Anderson Freeman Visitor Center & Museum, where exhibits on the Buffalo soldiers, Apaches and the Lincoln County War explain the town’s history. The admission price includes entry to the Tunstall Store (with a remarkable display of late-19th-century merchandise), the courthouse where the Kid escaped imprisonment, and Dr Wood’s house, an intact turn-of-the-century doctor’s home and office. The