The World College Near Las Vegas, NM

If you travel the state of New Mexico you see names that make you wonder if the locations were named by visitors from other parts of the United States or the world.  For example you will find San Antonio, Pecos, Chili, Milan and Midway just to name a few.  Then there is Montezuma, New Mexico just a short drive north of Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Montezuma is home to the World College, that offers an International Baccalaureate to a global student body that has the opportunity to live and learn through an experiential curriculum. 

I visited the World College as a member of the 2019 Leadership New Mexico class.  The World College does offer public visits on pre-scheduled days through out the year.  During our visit we had the opportunity to meet with students over lunch in the cafeteria.  When I entered the cafeteria I was immediate struck by the amazing Chihuly glass feature.  The feature is classic "Chilhuly" with glass extensions protruding from a center structure.  The feature glistened in the well lite eating area. The dinning area included many windows providing natural light to highlight the blond wood paneling surrounding the room.  A fire place anchored the north wall, reminiscent of the days when the room was heating by wood. 

Much of the Castle that demands attention was remodeled through many generous donors from many countries throughout the world.  Various parts of the interior memorialize the generosity through name plates or photos of the donors.  The Castle is surrounded by a large deck, complete with chairs to allow students opportunities to socialize or just set a while a gaze out on the beautiful countryside that surrounds the grounds.  I found myself rocking in a chair while being warmed by the sun reflecting on how such a place would be a wonderful opportunity for students to study with a diverse set of colleagues.  I image that any graduate would be well prepared to work within any international setting. 

Our Leadership class toured The Castle.  The rooms were small, but cozy.  The decor was amazing.  Talking with students provided a wonderful window into the depth of learning that occurs.  Many students have hobbies that they cultivate while attending the school.  The flexible schedule allows students the time to explore their interests in depth while providing the foundational education necessary for all learned citizens.  I couldn't help buy wonder how our educational system would be different if we abandoned standardized tests and allow students to study their interest and passions in a similar depth. 

Las Vegas, New Mexico: The Historic Plaza Hotel

Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The city of Las Vegas is not only in Nevada, but also in New Mexico.  When I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas, NM I was looking forward to visiting the historic downtown.  I was not disappointed.  I also discovered there was more to see in Las Vegas than I expected.  I book my stay at the historic Plaza Inn named "The Belle of the Southwest" after opening in 1882.

The historic charm is still visible today.  When I entered the hotel my mind quickly flashed back to the late 1800s.  I quickly learned Las Vegas and The Historic Plaza Hotel was a popular location for Hollywood film crews.  Filming in Las Vegas began in the early 1900s with silent movies.  Since then films such as Speechless (1994), Red Dawn (1984), Convoy (1978) and Easy Rider (1969) are just a few movies to use Las Vegas, New Mexico as a backdrop when filming a movie.  The Historic Plaza Hotel places pictures of important guests and starts outside their quest rooms to inform others about who has stayed in the various rooms.  Most recently form first lady Michelle Obama stayed at the Historic Plaza Hotel.  To learn more about the films shot in Las Vegas you can visit the Las Vegas film site.

The first floor of the hotel is home to the reception desk, a makeshift store with local jewelry, books, and collectibles.  The first floor includes a dinning area and bar.  As I walked into the bar I could picture cowboy travelers from "back in the day" drinking, sharing stories of the travels, or playing cards at a table.  The current hotel captures the charm of history beautifully while allowing modern day quests the amenities they have come to expect when traveling.

My room was on the third floor, accessible by both elevator and stairs.  The stair cases are beautifully done and certainly hint at the time before ADA required accessibility for all quests.  I can imagine early 1900s quests traveled with less luggage than I did.  However, I could resist taking the stairs and wondering through each floor to look at the pictures of previous, famous guests.
The hotel is set in the center of the historic downtown Las Vegas city.  The hotel sits in the middle of a public space in that the surrounded by historic buildings on each of the four sides.  The area reminds me of the "city-center" spaces common in the east and western European cities.  Today the area is a wonderful location to sit and watch the coming and goings of guests and citizens of New Mexico.  I visited in the fall when the leaves were turning color.  The fall backdrop made for some lovely sites during the sunny, cool day.  I enjoyed my stay and look forward to sharing more about the other discoveries in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort: July 4-7, 2018

Elephant Butte, New Mexico is a small resort town located just north and east of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico off I-25.  Elephant Butte Lake is the largest lake in New Mexico.  The Rio Grande River runs into Elephant Butte from the north and exits the lake in the south.  However, the lake and river are controlled by a dam built in 1916 by the U.S. Reclamation Service (Bureau of Reclamation today). When built, Elephant Butte Lake and reservoir was the largest at the time. 

On July 4th we boarded our RV and headed for Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort to enjoy a long weekend.  One would have thought that this weekend the area would be over run by tourist, but it was not.  June 30th Elephant Butte Lake held its famous fireworks show, the largest in New Mexico.  During that weekend over 75,000 people were in the area.  Consequently, this weekend it felt like we had the area to ourselves. 

We arrived at noon and checked in on July 4th.  The people running the office are very friendly and kind.  They made us feel like family.  We were assigned lot 64 in the lower bowl which was a pull in site for our 38 foot Tiffin Allegro red.  Pulling into the site was easy.  The hook ups were easily accessible and well placed.  The site included a picnic table which we always appreciate. The park was clean and quite.  The park is pet friendly. This included a number of well placed pet paths and stands with bags and baskets for cleaning up after your pet. It was clear that a number of the RVs were parked for the long haul a fact confirmed on Friday night when a number of cars pulled in by their campers and unpacked for the weekend. 

The area has a number of opportunities to enjoy the beauty of New Mexico.  There are bicycle paths Tahoa speed boat with tube from Sports Adventure near Elephant Butte State Park.  The rental price was reasonable. The staff was friendly.  The boat was well used and worn, but the motor was well kept and ran very well.  The boat allowed us to enjoy the large lake and sunshine without sweltering in the July New Mexico heat.
around the little city of Elephant Butte.  Traffic is light if you wish to roam on back roads.  There are a number of ATV trails, something we did not try.  We decided to spend an afternoon on the water on Friday.  Thursday, July 5 we rented a 16 foot

Sports Adventure includes Paparonis' Pizzeria which is only open on Friday night , Saturday and Sunday, a fact not well published.  Went went to Sports Adventure early to have a pizza only to find out that the Pizzeria was closed and would open Friday night.  Snacks would have to tide us over while we spent the afternoon on the water. 

Friday we went to Riverbend Hot Spring Inn and Spa and took advantage of a two hour special to enjoy the mineral hot springs and relaxation area.  I needed the hot springs to easy sore muscles from tubing the day before.  The staff was friendly and accommodating.  This is certainly a place we plan to revisit in the winter months of New Mexico. 

Saturday came before we knew it and it was time to pack up and head back home.  However, this is clearly a camp ground and location that we plan to visit on a regular basis.