Southern New Mexico for winter?

[bluvalley]

Hi,

I'm looking to escape upstate NY for the winter, Dec through March and would like to spend it in southern New Mexico. Don't want to go as far as Arizona or California. I realize the elevation is a risk for freeze up, even in the south, so just wanted to know of any experiences, good or bad. I'll be working remotely and could really use a break from S.A.D. and I love that area of the country.

thanks in advance!!!!!!!

J

[Genebuilder]

Bluvalley
Mesilla, NM, is one of our favorite winter stops. Next to Las Cruces, and close to a Blake’s Lotta Burger!!

[mojo]

Ditto on Las Cruces. Also up the road at Caballo Lake for a more rural feel. Also check out Carlsbad. Southern NM does have some cold spells and can hit freezing but it warms up in the day.

[bluvalley]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[kdfulsome54]

And if you get to Blake Lotta Burger be sure and try their onion rings. Some of the bet I've ever bought.

[Genebuilder]

We are getting ready for another Western swing. Putting Blakes onion rings on our to-do list. Once a NM only treat, I’ve noticed Blakes in Tucson… NM is on of our favorite states to roam around in.

[Genebuilder]

If one is barrelling thru El Paso on I-10 headed toward Las Cruces, get off the freeway at Canutillo, pick up Road 28, and enjoy a scenic, leisurely drive along small Villages, vineyards, and vast expanses of pecan orchards, with some trees forming canopies over the road. You will end up in Mesilla. Visit the town square, enjoy some authentic Mexican food, and pick up I-10 again if you wish.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by bluvalley

Hi,

I'm looking to escape upstate NY for the winter, Dec through March and would like to spend it in southern New Mexico.
J

Spent some time this past winter in the Las Cruces region. Did some boondocking and hiking by the Organ Mountains above Las Cruces (see photo), and also at the Las Cruces KOA which is on the other side of Las Cruces, with a view of the mountains and the valley. The KOA folks were friendly, the site was well maintained and wifi was pretty good if I can recall. Given it's altitude, we had to delay till April our time spent in Santa Fe which is a great place to visit and spend time.

[Mike1997]

Cloudcroft, NM is near the NM/TX state line north of El Paso and is a beautiful area. However, its in the high platau at about 8600 ft above sea level. Keep in mind that El Paso is in the desert and its at 4500 feet. Lots to see and do in that area with plenty of camping areas and casinos nearby. Warm in daytime but cold nights for sure in winter.

[bluvalley]

All great suggestions, thanks again!

So for those cold nights do most people disconnect the water lines or use a heated hose? I've read they can sometimes be unreliable. . .

[57Wanderer]

Keep in mind that Southern New Mexico is essentially the northernmost reaches of the Chihuahan Desert, and because of this, it gets extremely cold. And very windy. I am not sure I would call it a winter destination for our 3 season trailers. My experience of it is cold and windy. Sometimes unrelenting wind. which adds up to a wind chill factor. You will need electricity for sure, to power the fan on your furnace; our experience was that our really good solar ran out of juice around 4am, and we had to hook up the trailer to the truck and keep it running to power the furnace.....we were boondocking, and the next morning we headed out to find a park with 50 amps to hook up to. There are so many warm and friendly places to camp a little further on in Arizona.......the area around Tucson is beautiful in winter.

[maryfrances]

Make sure all is secure in the Airstream and you will still have items move about! The roads in NM are atrocious!

[Bauerg]

Try Yuma, AZ for the winter. Prices are very reasonable and the temperatures in the winter are similar to going as far south as Naples.The weather is dry meaning arthritis is less of an issue (my wife will second that) and you will be within a 20 minute drive to cross the boarder to Mexico (very safe and if you need medications, they are real and they are so much cheaper than in the US). Plus, Yuma produces most of the fresh produce for the US in the winter months so the produce is very good and reasonable and very, very fresh.

[Doug2009FC]

Love southern NM and grew up in Albuquerque. When my wife and I lived in Colorado, we would go to Tucson just about every Jan-Feb to escape the brutal cold of the Rockies. Deming was our usual overnight spot since it was a 18 hr drive. Many times it would be in the high 20s or low 30s at night. Tucson is only five hours or so more and highly recommend staying there instead. So much more to see and do and still wear shorts in the afternoons.

[1StreamDream]

Can't offer first hand experience on New Mexico, it is one of only 3-4 states I have yet to visit, but regarding a winter destination, don't overlook southern Texas. We have spent several months each of the last 2 winter seasons in the Harlingen/Brownsville area, very affordable, very friendly folks, lots of RV parks/resorts in the region. Can't compete with the natural beauty of the mountain west, but winter weather is very good, and there is the South Padre national seashore area if you like solitude, and/or beaches. Seems like its about the same driving distance from upstate NY but probably depends more on your exact location in NY. Remote working from our trailer is also a need we have in the winter, so we accept that we need to be in a more densely populated area, good cell signal, ideally dedicated high speed internet, etc. Very difficult for us to pull off reliably working remote from the more isolated (but beautiful) locations we prefer to visit when remote work is not a factor.

[bluvalley]

Thanks all. I'm going to look into places in Tucson. I've been there once before many years ago and loved it, although I was staying in a nice hotel! This will be my first attempt at being a snowbird in the Airstream (with 2 dogs!)

[DebH]

Strongly recommend southern AZ. NM altitude means winter is cold. Same for anywhere in AZ, above a couple thousand feet and temperatures go down. Tucson got snow a couple of times this winter. I have a place in Casa Grande, at the junction of 8 and 10. Lot of places to stay there, also greater Phoenix area. My winter retreat is at Rover’s Roost SKP park. You must be a member of the Escapees club to stay. Super friendly folks. We have 5 leaseholders who own airstreams. Even though you can't make a reservation, renters do stay most of the winter as not all leaseholders are on site much of the time. I love the Southwest!

[cdanj]

Tucson is your best choice. Lots to do, great winter weather. Good base camp for day trips. Nice RV parks

[jondrew55]

We go to Las Cruces all the time to see family. But we’ve yet to make the trek in our camper because of the distance. We love NM and have often thought about retiring there. Mesilla, Cloudcroft, Santa Fe are great. Spend a day trip at White Sands national park if you have young’uns, bring snow saucers and sled down the dunes.