Day Trip 3 - Alamogordo, Space Hall of Fame, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, White Sands National Monument
Alamogordo was established in 1899 as a railroad town, and the proximity of Holloman Air Force Base has caused the town to grow substantially. The NM Museum of Space History in Alamogordo includes the International Space Hall of Fame, Museum, Stapp Air & Space Park, Astronaut Memorial Garden, and the Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater & Planetarium. Displays relate to mankind's exploration of space and experimentation in the field of rocket science. (575) 437-2840 or 1-877-333-6589. The Toy Train Depot, on White Sands Blvd., features rides on miniature trains through the park, and a model train display. (575) 437-2855. The Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum, located next to Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, contains many historical items of the area. (575) 434-4438. Alameda Park Zoo, established in 1898 with a small collection of animals, is now home to 300 species of animals and has a picnic area and playground for children. (575) 439-4290. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is located 12 miles South of Alamogordo, against the base of the Sacramento Mountains. Oliver Lee came to the Tularosa Basin in 1885. His ranch house at Dog Canyon was restored and authentically furnished in 1987. (575) 437-8284 for info. on ranch house tours. White Sands National Monument, 15 miles West of Alamogordo contains the world's largest deposit of gypsum sand dunes. The visitor center has exhibits detailing the origin of the dunes. Summer activities include a Sunset Stroll, Nature Walk, Full Moon Nights and Lake Lucero Tours. (575) 479-6124.
Day Trip 4 - Cloudcroft, Sunspot, Apache Point, Timberon, Trestle Vista, Tunnel Vista.
Located south of Ruidoso, Cloudcroft was settled in the late 1800s, when the Southern Pacific Railway ran a spur up the mountain from Alamogordo to transport lumber down the mountain. The Sacramento Mountain Historical Museum, on Hwy. 82, has many interesting relics of the pioneer days. (575) 682-2932. The Lodge was originally built by railroad magnates in 1899 when Cloudcroft was a booming lumber town. The ghost of Rebecca, a pretty chambermaid who met her death at the hands of a jealous lover in one of the rooms at the Lodge, is said to inhabit the premises. Enjoy fine dining, golf and more at The Lodge. Phone: (575) 682-2566. Sunspot National Solar Observatory and Apache Point Observatory are located about 20 miles south of Cloudcroft. The site affords a fantastic view of the Tularosa Basin. A visitor's center is open to the public and visitor's may take the self-guided tour or guided tours. (575) 434-7000. Turn south off Hwy. 6563 onto Hwy. 537 (unpaved) to get to the beautiful community of Timberon. The legacies of the wild west live on here where Oliver Lee's elegant Circle Cross Ranch House still stands. The ranch is now privately owned. Trestle Vista, one mile west of Cloudcroft, offers a spectacular view if the what remains of Mexican Canyon Trestle from the turn of the century Cloud Climbing railroad tracks. Further west on Hwy. 83 is Tunnel Vista. A lookout point on the West side of the highway offers a view of the Tularosa Basin and the White Sands. The tunnel is the only natural rock tunnel formation in the state.
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