New Mexico after Quartzsite

[PapaBeav]

We would like to see some of New Mexico and maybe Texas after Quartzsite for the month of February, but are not sure what would be available to see in the winter. For those of you that have been in the area in the winter, what would you recommend seeing. I have a list, but don't know about the winters there.
Rich

[randye]

We spend the Winter of 08 and 09 75 miles East of Alburqueque and its was 14 deq and some snow and a lot of wind.Feb Is not a good time to go site seeing. My DW said that the spriral staircase at the Catholic Church in Santa Fe is worth seeing. We also saw Carls Bad Caverns but that was in July. The White Sands are nice but also was Summer. The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa is also interesting its 80 ft deep and the water is around 60 deq all year around.

[HamRad]

A few years ago after a stay in Q we convoyed down to Ajo for a few days. Even took a day trip down to Puerto Penasco, MX. From there we headed east to Benson for another few days. Our destination was around the Carlsbad area in NM. Unfortunately a huge storm altered our plans. Most of the group turned back west from Benson. We proceeded east and stopped in Las Cruces, NM. Then we both caught the flu that was going around. Spent 10 day recouping from that. Also another storm came in and got everything really cold! It was at this point that we called it quits and headed home.

As has been said it is cold in NM in February. And we were at the lower elevations. Santa Fe and the northern area is much higher in elevation and thus even colder. We visited Silver City and there was considerable amount of snow.

If you do go south I'd recommend staying as far south as you can. But I'd certainly go again and hope for milder weather. Good luck.
Dennis and Mary Kay

[timandsusan]

My years of travels in New Mexico are that it is very cold until Mid April as far north as Santa Fe. We skied in Santa Fe the last week the ski area of open in 2008 while we were heading to the Spring Rally in Tucson. The temps were great with lots of sun but also LOTS of WIND. Further North of Santa Fe to Taos is very cold until May. We also stayed in Silver City but again the evening temps were cold. The elevation in NM makes winter linger into spring. The best place that is warm in West Texas in February and March in Big Bend National Park and Presidio. Both are in the desert. With all the problems in Mexico, I would not recommend crossing the border in either location.

[sreigle]

We've done the Carlsbad area, the White Sands area, and the Elephant Butte/TorC areas, all in January and February. Cool, but not bad the times we were there. You might also be able to spend some time around Lincoln, the Billy the Kid country, but I'm not sure the weather there. I wouldn't go any farther north than those places in the winter, though.

There's also the Las Cruces / El Paso area but we've only passed through them so can't help on what to see.

We have close friends in Elephant Butte we always visit in December or January when heading for warmer climes and heading generally west. There's not a lot of sightseeing to do in that area without going up into the mountains. White Sands and Carlsbad would be of more sightseeing interset. Also, a lot of snowbirds winter in Deming and take day trips from there.

[HamRad]

Just south of Deming (about 30 miles) is a great NM SP called Pancho Villa. It is about 2 miles north of the international border. Nice but very small little Mexican town called Las Palomas. If you go I'd suggest the Pink House. It is just a block from the border and have some really good food..... Plus a zillion tourist items you can bring back with you.
Dennis