OUR HOMETOWN, T or C NEW MEXICO
Last October, our friend Sue, from RVSue http://rvsueandcrew.wordpress.net/
described Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
(known throughout the southwestern USA as T or C)better than anyone I know!
" It’s hard to explain. Take these ingredients: a cup of Southwestern, a cup of hippie, a cup of arts and crafts, a cup of cowboy, a cup of honest-to-goodness down-home, a cup of vagabond, and a cup of hot springs. Mix it all together and season to taste with a whole lot of what Chuck characterizes as ”laid-back.”
Chuck and I fell in love with our town Truth or Consequences NM when we came here in 2009 to workamp at Riverbend Hot Springs. I will admit, our first impression wasn't all that great. We came to learn that the people of this area is what makes it great! But then the whole town grew on us and we both are very glad we bought a small place here! We want to introduce you to this quaint little southwestern town!
Chuck and I love a lot of things, but we love eating out, so I wanted to show you our 3 favorite restaurants!
GROOVY GRITZ CAFE
Wow! Nothing fancy on the outside, but on the inside the dining area is divided into 2 sections. On the left you have your Hippie 60's style, complete with Sierra County's largest lava lamp! On the right side, it's all cowboy !!! The owners, Joyce and Rob are the reason, Joyce is the hippie chick and Rob is the cowboy! Most weekdays the menu consists of mostly amazing sandwiches and incredible salads and yummy home made daily soups! But Friday nights, Joyce gets busy in the kitchen with yummy specials! Filet mignon with huge shrimp, or Tuna Ahi, or Salmon ... heck she has to show off her culinary skills right? She taught at the University of New Mexico culinary school in Alburquerque for 20 years! She and Rob retired to Truth or Consequences NM and opened up Groovy Gritz Cafe! If you are ever in our town, do yourself a favor and pay them a visit! You won't be sorry! http://www.groovygritz.com/
HAPPY BELLY DELI
Our favorite place for breakfast! Happy Belly Deli is a small restaurant, maybe 6 or 7 tables inside and about the same on the outside patio, but the food is great! Huge breakfast burrito and they have our favorite, green chili bagels! They offer 3 kinds of coffee which you pour yourself from the pot. It's a homey place, you feel like you are in your own kitchen! Local art on the walls changes often. It's just a fun place to go wake up! The staff is always friendly and they take time to walk around talking to their customers. They also serve a great lunch but they close at 3 pm. Friday and Saturday nights are pizza nights and their home made crust is yummy!
MARIA'S MEXICAN
Chuck and I love good Mexican food! Maria's is another small restaurant with momma cooking in the kitchen! YUM! Their green chili sauce is soooo good on about anything! We go to Maria's about once a week and have never suffered a poorly fixed meal!
PAINTED TOWN
T or C is full of art studios and artists on every corner! These artists have left their mark on many of the buildings around town!
PAINTED BUILDINGS
This is the old 1923 Public School! Beautiful murals on either side of this building that has become the Sierra County Administration Building located on I-25 business loop.
If you look at the photo below, you will see a seal with a 1937 WPA embossed in the wall. The original school was built in 1923!
The designs are the same on both sides of the building, just one is brown and the other is blue. Notice the painted water tank behind the school?
This is the White Coyote Cafe. We have never eaten here because we can never find it open! Of course, Sunday morning when I am out alone taking photographs, the cafe is open! Maybe Chuck and I will go there next Sunday and give it a try! We love the paint job on the cafe! You can see this one if you take the I-25 business loop from the north through town!
This mural belongs to a cactus nursery! You can see this one if you take the I-25 business loop from the south!
This is another old school that have been renovated into a Civic Center. Local artist Delmas Howe painted desert flowers all around the building!
PAINTED WATER TANKS
This water tank sits atop a steep hill overlooking
T or C. This is the water tower you saw behind the Sierra County Administration Building. It is really hard to get a good photo of this tank, even though you can see it from every place in town! Well, maybe if I had a good telephoto lens it would be easier!
I found the road that took me to the top of the hill to the tank! Here you get a better look! But so did I! Wow! What a view of Truth or Consequences from up there! The photo of the town at the top of this blog was taken from here!
We have two painted towers in town. The one above sits right in the middle of downtown! The one below sits just past WalMart, west of Interstate 25!
This water tank is much easier to get to than the downtown tank! Well, at least I got two sides of it!
Below is the story of the area, the painted tanks and the artist!
BOONDOCK CAMPING
For those of you who are not campers, Boondocking means camping without any hook-ups No water, no electric and no sewer! Right between T or C and Elephant Butte and right on the Rio Grande River is a great little campground that is a part of the Elephant Butte State Park system!
Looks pretty sad right now, but in a few weeks, those sad looking Cottonwood trees will be full of bright green leaves and in the autumn the leaves will turn a brilliant gold! This is a beautiful little park with about 20 shelters, a nearby restroom with showers and as I mentioned the Rio Grande River and a great riverwalk trail!
Maybe these directions will help you find this great little. The boondocking campground is very easy to find. Not sure if you are coming in
from the north exit 76 or the south exit 75 off of Interstate 25, but either way
will get you to the campground on the Business 25 loop. We have 2 traffic lights
in town. One at WalMart right off the I-25 north exit and the main one at
Highway 51/ 3rd street. Turn there and go past the Elephant Butte road. In fact,
go 2.1 to the first bridge and the second bridge crossing the Rio Grande River
is at 3.1 miles and as soon as you cross the second bridge on your left you will
see the campground!
We have pretty adobe gates...
WE RECYCLE !!!
Is this cool or what? I have never seen a recycle center like this one and it is very popular with locals!
Sure saves space at the county dump when everybody recycles!
PROOF! THERE IS A TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES NEW MEXICO !
And we have a beautiful metal sign welcoming you into our town!
We have a police department...
We even have super cool old RV's still on the road exploring! Truth or Consequences is such a unique place to live and visit! I haven't even mentioned the hot springs we have here! T or C sits on a huge aquifer of hot mineral springs and we used to be named Hot Springs New Mexico because of all the health spas that flourish here!
Wikipedia says... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences,_New_Mexico
Our two favorites places to soak are Riverbend Hot Springs http://www.riverbendhotsprings.com/
and The Blackstone Hot Springs, http://www.blackstonehotsprings.com/
You can look them up on this blog as I have done several blogs about them all ready!
Here is a yahoo link to the hot springs:
I hope I haven't bored you with our quirky little town, but maybe you can get a bit of the urge to visit here and see it all for yourself! You won't be sorry!
The MotherShip is still getting repairs done, the electrical problem has been repaired but the repair man discovered a cracked grey water tank that was cracked and leaking! Hopefully Evergreen will cover that under warranty. The Evergreen people have been so good to deal with whenever a problem arises! Well, guess I will sign off now....
Geri, Chuck and the Hound Herd!
Great pictures. Love Sue's description - it is so true and that's what makes it such an interesting place to be at. Am working on it . . .
ReplyDeleteGeri, you have done a fabulous job describing T or C ! It is most definitely on my list of places to see - and yes, Groovy Gritz is too! AND you and Chuck and the Hound Herd. What a wonderful post with great photos. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete--Jool
We will be here until Mid April.... Texas ain't that far away!!! You are welcome anytime!
DeleteNot at all boring, well writen and informative also loved the pics. Looks like a cool little town, we will have to see it someday. Glad your getting the trailer taken care of, and hope you have good weather. Scott
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the virtual visit to T or C! I will be so glad to get the MotherShip fixed! My Gypsy Feet are itching! :-)
DeleteLike the blog look too. Great one for showing off the pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank for the great tour. Will put it on our "to do" list.
ReplyDeleteT or C is really worth a visit! We love it here!
Deletethanks for your spot on depiction of T or C!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome!
DeleteI really enjoyed your page. As an employee of Happy Belly Deli i think your description fits us to a T! I also wanted to mention that in the birds eye photo on the top page, my brothers blue ford mustang with silver flames is parked in the sunset grill parking lot and it makes me feel a little bit famous. :)
ReplyDeleteGrin....... We love Happy Belly Deli, you might be pleased to know that this blog is viewed worldwide! So now you are world famous! :-)
ReplyDeleteLove you guys! Love this blog post! I shared on Facebook and it's getting shared by everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jake, we love you too! Will be in for a soak soon! Thanks for the Facebook mention!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful rustic NM town! Love all the local art everywhere. Your photos capture that "special light" that seems to be there. Guess that is why that call it the Land of Enchantment. Thank you for the tour and your excellent photos.
ReplyDeleteVirginia
Thank you Virgina! Glad you enjoyed your virtual visit!
DeleteThanks for the tour of T or C. We have passed thru but never stopped, next time around stop for sure. I lived in a small village on Ontario for 25 years (800 people), owned and operated small Diner (7 tables) for 10 of those years. And really appreciate the small town life and the locals that use the facilities. Now that is real living!
ReplyDeleteNext time you are in the neighborhood, you should drop by for a look see. It really is a unique area!
DeleteOh my...Did you get my attention! How have we missed T or C on our way to Albuq and Santa Fe. And Elephant Butte sounds right up our alley. Love all the murals. Great job....Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNext time you are on Interstate 25, you should take the business bypass through T or C and maybe stay for a few days! It's an interesting place to visit!
ReplyDeleteLoved your post on T or C. I see I have to get working on mine. I have every intention of posting additional photos, and just today as I headed down the main street I kicked myself for not having my camera with me. Working full time it is hard to squeeze everything that I want to do in. But today would have been perfect, ah sucks.
ReplyDeleteYour story made me want to make a stop in your town. I have never been off the interstate to meet your town, I will try to do so once our RVing adventures begin in March. I hope to have lots to post about the places we visit. Take care.
www/tripswithtwo.com/blog/
When we first came to T or C, it wasn't love at first sight! But the unique quality of the town soon made itself apparent! The cost of living here is certainly an advantage too! Friendly smiles and good restaurants... what more could we ask?
DeleteThis is an amazing little place - how did I miss it last time I was in New Mexico? Great photos and thanks for the comment on my blog, you're now on my blogroll. :)
ReplyDeleteChinle
Everybody seems to just head on past us! Something about driving on Interstate Highways makes us all just want to get from point A to point B without stopping and taking a look at what's in between!
DeleteT or C has a special "flavor" that appeals to us! Hope you get to visit soon!
Really enjoyed this post! T or C is definetly on my "to see" list!!
ReplyDeleteGREAT! I hope you do stop by and look us over!
DeleteWhat a great post about T or C. We've stayed at South Monticello Campground several times and always enjoy visiting your quirky little town. In fact we will probably be stopping there for a few days in a month or two. What road is the camping area on that you mentioned on the Rio Grande? Seems like we remember passing it but thought it was just a picnic area.
ReplyDeleteHi Jim and Gayle! The boondocking campground is very easy to find. Not sure if you are coming in from the north exit 76 or the south exit 75 off of Interstate 25, but either way will get you to the campground on the Business 25 loop. We have 2 traffic lights in town. One at WalMart right off the I-25 north exit and the main one at Highway 51/ 3rd street. Turn there and go past the Elephant Butte road. In fact, go 2.1 to the first bridge and the second bridge crossing the Rio Grande River is at 3.1 miles and as soon as you cross the second bridge on your left you will see the campground! Very easy to find!
ReplyDeleteHi Moon Creatures,
ReplyDeleteSure wish you were joining us in Aqua Caliente, CA for our gathering. All the usual crazies will be there. After your terrific travel log I definetly want to come see you guys. The fall sounds wonderful. What months are you all home there? The boondocking camp is lovely. CAnt beat $8.00
Love from the Rizzo's w/ Pixley,Reba & Tootsie too.
Is this Rosemary from Quartzsite???
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place, and I just love all the photos of it. I am having a happy time looking through all your other posts which should keep me going for quite a while. Thanks for hooking up with me via Al's amazing blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks! We love the southwest and T or C is in a very interesting area! We have become rockhounds since moving here and beautiful stones are everywhere! The country side is never boring! Lots of places to go! Enjoy the blog!
DeleteHi Chuck and Geri, Hope everything is good with you two.
ReplyDeleteSteve and Tali
To my life savers.... Chuck and I are doing great! Looking forward to working in Utah this summer!
DeleteGrowing up in T or C --Hot springs, 74 years ago when I was a small chap -- was, like much of small town American, pretty nice. I left Hot Springs and moved to San Francisco when I was around ten, after my mother remarried.
ReplyDeleteI returned to T or C in my freshman year, finished high school and moved to California in 1956.
Your new home town was mine, all those yeas ago, so her's a bit of historical background for some of the buildings pictured in your post.
The 1923 Public School:
I walked from my home to this school every morning during my early school years. The school had a bell that rang at, as I remember, 8 or 8:30 am. If you weren't in class by then you would be late.
Murals on the water tank:
The tank is definitely more attractive now than when I lived there. In November of 2006 my wife and I parked our fifth wheel at the Lake Side RV park for a few days. And the noon siren brought back memories, it was as loud as ever.
White Coyote Cafe:
My high school friend, lived here with his parents all through high school. His father repaired radios and small appliances. The radio shop occupied the front portion of the building with living quarters in the back.
High School, now the Civic Center:
Not shown in this photo, was the foot ball field, which would have been to the left. It may not be there now.
Painted Water Tanks:
No radio towers in my day. Some nights, when the atmospherics were just so so, I could park next to the tank and pick up a jazz radio station from Redondo Beach California.
The old movie theater:
In grade school, tickets were ten cents. Saturdays featured the latest action serial, world news, March of Dimes collection and of course the latest flick. The steamiest movie I remember coming to the silver screen, was Duel in the Sun. Youngsters weren't allowed in the balcony, but in high school, it was, for some reason, a favorite teenage spot.
Geronimo Springs Museum:
Back in the day, a hot mineral water spring occupied this area. My grand dad and his old cronies would gather there, drink the water and swap stories. One day, he forgot he had driven his 36 Chevy coupe, and left it parked, with my cousin and myself, waiting for him. He walked home and so did we.
More information here:
http://lostrambler.typepad.com/rvlog/2006/11/index.html
What an interesting history to add to our favorite town! Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us!
DeleteThank you for your article. We have just arrived today in Truth of Consequenses, and we happy surprised of the good atmosphere here, it feels llike a happy place! We are going to follow your tips for breakfast and mexican food! Adrian & Rosi from the Netherlands
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a very good visit here! We love our hometown!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you'll read this since your original blog entry was so long ago. I like to read different travelers blogs very much. These past few days I've been getting a message saying "RVSUEANDCREW.BLOGSPOT HAS BEEN ARCHIVED OR REMOVED DUE TO TERMS OF SERVICE VIOLATIONS". I know you met up with her recently so that's why I'm posting here. Hopefully this is temporary and we will be able to follow her blog when the problem(s) get straightened out.
ReplyDeletethank you
Mark Watson
canyonwhizzer aol com
Hi, There was an Al Stovall Restaurant in T&C at one time. Is it still there? If not, is it run by someone else? Is the family still there? I have a glass from his restaurant that I found at an estate sale in Pittsburgh. Maybe the family would want it. Contact me at froghollowdays@yahoo,com
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