Ruidoso vacations and travel

Outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, horseback riders, fishers and hunters are attracted to the nearby Lincoln National Forest. The area also attracts skiers to the best skiing resort in New Mexico – the Ski Apache, located near Ruidoso. The nearby Mescalero Apache Indian reservation is also interesting for those who want a taste of history and culture. It also houses the Inn of Mountain Gods Resort and Casino. Also nearby is the historic village of Lincoln, which recalls the Wild West days of Billy the Kid.

During summer, you can enjoy the fast-paced world of horse racing in the Ruidoso Downs home of the world’s richest quarter-horse race - the All American Futurity. It is a major horse racing spot in America. Nearby, there is also scope for hiking, camping, fishing and mountain biking.

Ruidoso is home to some world-class artists and galleries including the famous Museum of the Horse. Outside the Museum of the American West in Ruidoso stands a bronze masterpiece, 'Free Spirits at Noisy Water', a monumental realistic sculpture of eight galloping horses, fashioned by Dave McGary, a leading American sculptor. Galleries of two major artists can be viewed in Ruidoso. The McGraw Studio in Alto shows his bronzes of American Indians. East of town in the Hondo valley, Michael Hurd displays his works at Hurd La Rinconada Gallery. Adding luster to Ruidoso is an annual art festival that attracts the best talent from across the country.

The Museum of The American West in Ruidoso is an extraordinary museum which contains the remarkable Ann Stradling collection of equine art and paraphernalia. It contains saddles, sculptures, carriages and all things related to horses, collected by Stradling. An example of the collection is a restored Butterfield stagecoach, which carried passengers from St.Louis to San Francisco on a 27-day ride.

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Nearby you must explore the White Sands National Monument, which has 275 square miles of dunes, formed from shifting soft gypsum sand crystals. The dunes resemble a snowscope and look lovely at sunrise and sunset. Animals adapt by changing to a white color and plants are rare to come by here. One natural trail, the spectacular Big Dune Trail is one mile long. Lake Lucero is the origin of the white sands, producing millions of crystals that grind themselves into gypsum.

Remote lodges run by Mescalero Apaches, namely the Lodge at Cloudcroft and the Inn of the Mountain Gods, attracts many visitors. The latter is a modern lakeside lodge, which has an extensive forest cover around it, rich in elk and trout. They have a Ski Apache downhill facility that is popular in winter. Highway 244 between the two lodges offers spectacular scenic views. Valley of Fires Recreation Area celebrates a massive lava flow that occurred about 1,500 years ago. It is now colonized by different species of plants.

Another tourist attraction is the Three River Petroglyph Site, which shows 20000 figures of lizards, mountain sheep, the sun and lightning, which the American Indians etched on the stone surfaces of the caves. The town of Lincoln goes further back in Indian history to 1878, to the Lincoln County war which pit the Irish Murphy faction against the English Tunstall clan, both vying for lucrative beef contracts to feed the military outposts. One of the famous outlaws of this event was Billy the kid, who escaped from jail only to be finally gunned down.

Ski apache, is the biggest attraction of this area. Sierra Blanca, the area’s 12,000 ft peak acts as Ski Apache’s centerpiece. From there, over 55 trails for skiers and snowboarders stretch down. Ski apache, also features New Mexico’s only gondola as well as triple and quad chairs. You can get a view of the White Sands National Monument from atop the Apache Bowl.

The stream of Ruidoso is believed by the area’s original inhabitants-the Apache Indians, to have magical properties . These days the area has an important role to play in US space exploration and defense research. Alamogordo’s Space Center Museum, and NASA’s White Sand’s testing facility are located nearby. The space center museum has a variety of interesting displays like rocket sleds outside the entrance and a collection of historical out-of-space artifacts. The five-story structure displays technological discoveries and personal stories of people who made space travel happen.

Lincoln County is blessed with natural resources including vegetation like pine, oak, juniper and spruce, and fauna including black bear, elk, deer, mountain lion, quail etc. Fort Stanton Cave is worth a visit to view million-year-old rock formations. Bonito Lake is famous for fishing and filled with trout annually. Many horse trails, shared with hikers, lead to the rim trail overlooking the desert floor from an average of 10,000 ft.

The Smokey Bear Museum is another not-to-miss spot. The real Smokey Bear was an orphaned cub who was found clinging to a charred tree after a 17,000 acre forest fire in 1950. He was found by a crew of fire fighters. The cub was taken to the house of a local rancher and soon became an international symbol for forest fire prevention.
The Smokey bear museum is in Capitan, which hosts an annual festival that includes a parade, BBQ, western dancing and a popular rodeo.

In the fall, autumn is welcome with an Aspen Fest with a chili cook-off, an arts and crafts fair, street vendors, a parade and the Run to Ruidoso road run show. Also in September, Ruidoso is host to annual Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally, when around 14,000 motorcyclists congregate and enjoy the scenery and culture.

Last but not the least, Ruidoso has over 50 restaurants dishing out homely and exotic fare-like chicken enchiladas and countless chili dishes. Chili and wine are celebrated in various cook-offs and festivals. Ruidoso has literally a variety of experiences to tease the senses.