Solo Senorita in New Mexico: El Paso to Truth or Consequences

The time finally came for me to take my first solo trip - and a road trip, nonetheless. As someone who isn’t a HUGE fan of driving, a road trip through New Mexico wouldn’t have been my first choice for a solitary adventure - but when a work trip brought me to El Paso, Texas, right on the border of New Mexico, I couldn’t resist heading for the desert landscapes, art galleries and hot springs.

Day One: El Paso — Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks — Truth or Consequences

Miles Driven:

• 158 Miles

• El Paso to Las Cruces to Truth or Consequences

• Fun fact - while driving through New Mexico you won’t have to worry about paying for tolls!

• Rental car pick up was pretty smooth - other than the fact that once I added coverage to the reservation it costs me over $500 for the week from a rental company called Payless. False advertising. I got my GPS mount set up, my Bluetooth connected and Armchair Expert playing and set out for Las Cruces, New Mexico - a quick hour drive from El Paso.

Miles Run/Hiked/Walked:

• 8.8 Miles

• Pine Tree Trail

• The drive to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument was actually not bad at all - and I feel very comfortable in my little Hyundai Range rental. Eventually I drove through a mountain pass and found myself fully in the mountains. I turned down the 6 mile winding road to Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and had stunning views of the eastern side of the Organ Mountains. The range really reminded me of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.

  When I made it to the campground and parking area - I realized I had given my last $5 to the hotel shuttle driver for helping me with my luggage and I wouldn’t be able to pay the permit fee (I understand people that work for the parks departments are typically crunchy granola back-to-basics people but can we get with the 21st century on things like your websites and permits? Can I Venmo you my parking fee?).

  I decided to risk it - and ripped off the parking permit portion without actually paying and stuck it in my windshield - I felt bad, and I would have been happy to pay, I just physically had no money (and uhm, who travels with their check book?)

  I found the start of the Pine Tree Trail and set off for a trail run! The up hills were steeper than anticipated and I did a decent amount of hiking as opposed to running but the views were stunning and there were so many butterflies! There were also a LOT of dinosaur-sized crickets hopping all over.

• The second half was a fun downhill and though I saw a snake tail slithering away at one point - overall it was a great time. Looking at Strava afterwards, it seems like a lot of trail runners combine this 4 mile loop (that was actually more like 5 for me) with the Baylor Canyon Pass trail I had also considered doing for a total of 15 miles.

• I wrapped up with some running around the campground road for a total of 6 miles and hopped back in the car to check out another trail. I was looking for the Tortugas Mountain Trail but after driving up a dirt road for a bit, I came across a big “CLOSED” gate and had to turn around. I was pretty tired and hungry at that point anyway, so it was fine.

• I stopped at a state park in Radium Springs - Leasburg Dam State Park - and had some carrots, hummus and apple on a picnic table before continuing my journey to the town of Truth or Consequences.

  Biggest observance on my drive? There are bugs so large I can see them cross the street. This is horrifying to me.

Elevation Gained:

• 1,250 Feet

Accommodations:

• $126.60 for a night at the Hot Springs Glamp Camp in Truth or Consequences

• Truth or Consequences, what a name, right? T or C (TorC) for short - earned its name thanks to a radio show contest (kind of like when my town asked a bunch of school kids to name the new park and we landed on The Wedge).

  The town is known for its natural hot springs - and I arrived at the Hot Springs Glamp Camp and was immediately in love with my trendy little glamping tent with string lights, a fridge (“swamp box”), fans, French press, and heated mattress.

• The best part about the Glamp Camp? 4 private hot springs open 24/7. The camp host greeted me and gave me a quick tour (he and his wife got here two weeks ago from Brooklyn) and I headed out on foot to check out the town and grab some groceries.

• Sadly, it was a Tuesday and nearly everything was closed but there was such a cute downtown street with a coffee shop, second hand store, book store, and a ton of other places I would have loved to check out.

• I bought a premade salad at the grocery store and a few other things and made a pit stop at the only other place that was open - T or C Brewery! I asked for the haziest IPA and bought a crowler to bring back with me to my tent.

• Back at the ranch, I was greeted by some people sitting out in the communal area with their dogs and said a quick hello before changing into my bathing suit and filling up one of the private tubs. It filled up pretty quickly and was the absolute perfect temperature. I obviously captured some #content as best I could without a tripod and then soaked and read on and off for about an hour.

  The rest of the night was spent reading, blogging and - if we are being honest - catching up on Bachelor in Paradise. I didn’t manage to shower, oops.

• Why I’d recommend the Hot Springs Glamp Camp:

  • Idyllic canvas tent with a seating area, bed (with heated mattress), coffee station, swamp box and fans – true aesthetic GOALS.

  • Communal bathrooms – super clean, with showers

  • Communal outdoor space with fire pit, grills, and seating

  • Private hot spring-fed tubs to soak in!

Highlights:

• I started the morning with one of my favorite things - a breakfast buffet.

• I had a weird but wonderful experience of three separate people reading my mind/knowing what I wanted before I even knew I wanted it.

  • The first was when I asked for a bellman to help me down to the lobby with my luggage - not something I ever request, but I had a ton of stuff with me and couldn’t really manage it all. When he loaded up the cart I said I would be down in a few minutes to get an Uber to the airport and he goes, “we have a shuttle, do you want a ride?” Uh - YES - had no idea they had a shuttle.

  • The second was when I was seated and ordered a water and the waitress goes - “do you want ice in that?” and I was like you know what - wow, I don’t want ice - no one ever asks that!

  • Last was when I was getting ready to leave and the waiter goes, “do you want a coffee to go?” and I said uhm, yep - that would actually be amazing.

• First solo trail run and escaping without a parking ticket

• Hazy IPA from the Truth or Consequences Brewery

Accomplishments:

• Driving!

• I found two MASSIVE black beetles I found scurrying around my tent - only to realize the bottom zipper hadn’t been sealed all day! EEEEEEK. I chased them down and crushed them with my “Wild” book only to Google them and realize they apparently can release a noxious smell when threatened - double EEEEK! So far, not smelling the remains of their crushed carcasses but who know what the morning will bring!

Hours of Sleep:

• 9 Hours 41 Minutes - can you tell I was coming out of a work event? Wowza!

Corsica's the Next Big Thing: Under the Radar Travel Destinations

On my desk there is a very tall tower of travel magazines. After flipping through them, I almost always have a new destination to add to my bucket list - a place I’ve either never heard of or never wanted to visit until an article or a picture captured my imagination.

In this new weekly series, I’ll share some of the lesser known destinations that have tickled my fancy in the recent months!

I’m always looking for under the radar travel destinations that have a lot to offer but aren’t yet “all the rage.” Imagine being one of the tourists who visited Iceland prior to 2016? Before the “Blue Lagoon” was featured in every twenty-somethings dating profile? That’s always my goal - to find the latest up and coming travel-worthy countries before they’re overrun with Instagram influencers.

So here’s week one of “Under the Radar Travel Destinations” - we’re kicking off with a popular destination among French travelers, but lesser known by Americans.

FRANCE - CORSICA

instead of paris or nice, consider a vacation to france’s mountainous mediterranean island

language: french

population: 330,455

inspiration: this article in national geographic

when to visit: may - september

where to stay: hotel napoleon in Ajaccio, the capital city

what to do:

• You’ll likely arrive in Corsica’s main port town, Bastia. Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, once lived here. Stop by the Mattei Concept Store and pick up a bottle of Cap Corse, a wine infused with orange and other local fruits.

• Make your way from Bastia to the capital city of Ajaccio (where Napoleon was born) via train. Once you arrive and check-in, walk down the bustling Roi de Rome and stop for a drink or meal at popular places like Le 20123, L’8 Dicembri and Bar a Vin 1755 (temporarily closed due to COVID).

• Be sure to take a walk to Pointe de la Parata at sunset to see Illes Sanguinaires (“The Blood Islands”) which turn a stunning red hue at the end of the day.

• Plaza Foch is an open air food market worth a visit - keep an eye out for local specialties like clementines (November - January) and chestnuts (canistrelli biscuits are a biscotti-looking treat made from chestnut flour). If you’re craving something more savory, opt for a beignet au brocciu - a pastry with cheese in the middle.

• Head to the town of Banifaio for a day relaxing at Plage de Sutta Rocca and take in the limestone cliffs.

• Other places on the island worth a visit include the fishing village of Erbalunga, the resort town of Porticcio and another sea-side stop, Tiuccia.

kick it up a notch:

• If you’re really up for an adventure on this mountain island, you could set out to complete the GR20 - a 112 mile backpacking trip that travels north to south down the center of Corsica.

can’t get there right now? Read this: The house at zarzona by vanessa couchman