To be honest, I can't tell you how many times I've driven past Deming without stopping. On my way out to California this year I decided to spend a couple days in town to do some hiking and to check out the RV opportunities in the area.
Deming has around 14,000 folks living here year round. It's economy is mostly railroads, tourism and agriculture although the Border Patrol presence has increased significantly in the past 10 years.
After arriving in the late afternoon, I visited the Luna Rossa winery that lies on the frontage road just south and west of town. I'd stopped in at their restaurant in Las Cruces last month and wanted to pick up a couple of bottles to take with me out to California.
It's a nice sized winery that provides free samples of any and all of their varietals. I limited myself to just 4 samples of wines that I hadn't tried in Las Cruces and purchased bottles of Carmenere and Zinfandel to share with Bill and Sallie when I get to California.
During my conversation with a couple of the staff members I found out that Spring Canyon was the best hiking opportunity in the area so I decided that it would be my destination on Sunday.
Overnight showers from the Pacific storm that flooded SoCal on Friday and Saturday brought the temperature down to normal for February (mid 60's) with skies partly sunny and a few brief showers.
Spring Canyon State Park is pretty small and located just 10 or so miles southeast of Deming. It's mostly unimproved with 12 or so picnic tables with sun shelters. It has two trails, one up an abandoned road for 6 tenths of a mile and the other to Lover's Leap that's just a steep (850') mile in length.
Driving towards Spring Canyon you get a view of the Needles Eye on the northeast side of the range.
Looking back down Spring Canyon from the top of Lover's Leap.
Looking towards Deming.
Some of the sheer rock faces that line the canyon, they're all part of the Florida Mountain Range which is just 12 miles long. The Persian (Bezoar) Ibex was transplanted into the range and evidently has a stable population. I didn't get to see any.
A nice hike to start my day.
From Spring Canyon I headed south towards the border and Columbus, New Mexico.
Columbus is best known and probably it's only claim to fame, as the site of Pancho Villa's raid in 1916, the first by a foreign power since the war of 1812. Lying just south of town, Camp Furlong (the site of Pancho Villa State Park) was built to patrol the El Paso and Southwestern Railway line on the border.
Why Pancho Villa decided to attack Columbus is unknown. Nearly a hundred of his men were killed by a machine gun manned by Lt. Lucas while only 10 or so soldiers and civilians were killed. In reaction to the "invasion", President Wilson sent over 10,000 troops to Columbus to hunt down Pancho Villa (they didn't) and Camp Furlong became a huge military installation during the campaign.
The original train station that served Columbus. Now a city museum.
The view from the top of the signal hill in the park. In the foreground the nice RV/Camping park that costs only $14 for a electrical site (less for a tent spot). The Mexican border is just three miles away in the distance.
Inside the museum are reconstructed versions of a J-3 Jenny airplane, a AWD troop truck and a touring car. All of these were used by General Pershing in his pursuit of Villa 400 miles down into Mexico. It was the first time the American Army used motorized vehicles rather that cavalry.
Just a short 3 mile drive down NM Highway 11 is Puerto Palomas. Didn't need any cigars or tequila so I didn't walk across though the parking lot was pretty full since it was a Sunday.
Part of Mr. Trump's beautiful wall. I'm sure it's going to be way taller with a nice paint job in the future.
Off to Tucson tomorrow with stops along the way.
Hasta luego.
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