Travel from Las Cruces to Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico

We drove our coach 122 miles, about three hours of driving, from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.

The map route, heading northeast:

Map route

Or an interactive version from my trip planning, with potential stops marked; we only stopped at the TA and the overlook:

Heading east on I-10:

East on I-10

Recycled roadrunner artwork:

Recycled roadrunner artwork

Heading down towards Las Cruces, with socked in mountains:

Las Cruces

The Rio (not so) Grande:

Rio Grande

A fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Fuel stop

Third of a tank of diesel:

Third of a tank of diesel

Giant chile:

Giant chili

High horse:

High horse

Always nice to see Dutch Bros coffee:

Dutch Bros coffee

Space Murals:

Space Murals

Peak:

Peak

A motorhome passing us:

Motorhome

We stopped at a nice viewpoint, the San Augustin Pass Overlook, for lunch:

Viewpoint

Rather cloudy, but still a nice view:

View

But partway through lunch, the wind suddenly picked up, rocking the coach, with sleet or graupel blowing:

Wind and sleet

So we decided to get moving, to get down off the mountain.

In passing, the US Army rocket exhibit:

US Army rocket

Rain:

Rain

Mountains:

Mountains

Passing by White Sands National Park:

White Sands National Park

An immigration checkpoint:

Immigration checkpoint

Immigration checkpoint

White Sands National Park visitor center:

White Sands National Park

A water tower:

Water tower

The world’s largest pistachio:

World's largest pistachio

World's largest pistachio

A tumbleweed on the road:

Tumbleweed

Tularosa:

Tularosa

Mountains:

Mountains

Mountains

Church

Elk crossing and view:

Elk crossing and view

Church

Snow on the ground:

Snow on the ground

Dogs on the road:

Dogs on the road

Actively snowing:

Snow

Snow

Our destination:

Our destination

The office:

Office

Amusing signs to pull forward:

Pull forward

Sometimes a golf cart guides us to our site; here, a car did that:

Car guiding us to our site