Stepping Over to Ruidoso, New Mexico

While visiting Cloudcroft, we decided to swing over to Ruidoso while there. It is another village about an hour north of Cloudcroft. Originally, I only knew we were considering going to church there on Sunday morning. However, we learned of other things they have to offer that made them a must visit! (And we changed our mind about going to church there. Went to Alamogordo instead.)

Ruidoso's Winter Park is a recreation park with something that we really wanted to try - a mountain coaster! Sadly, it was out of our price range this time at $25 a person. And then we didn't know how the youngest would be on her own since she was just barely at the cutoff age for riding with an adult. But it is called the Screaming Eagle and looked like it would be so much fun! You could also go tubing, or they offered a couple other activities.  

We walked down Sudderth Drive to check out a bookstore and a couple other stores that caught our eyes as we went by. Books Etcetera was neat, but it was just new books. We had been hoping they would be more of a used bookstore. They did have cute souvenirs and gifts though. 

I really enjoyed Mountain Treasure Thrift, which was also on Sudderth Drive. They had quite the collection of things. The lady who checked us out was really sweet and helpful with items that didn't have prices on them. 

I'd say this is another village that is geared towards tourists. But it was fun to visit. Finding the thrift store was my favorite part. Ruidoso is about an hour north of Cloudcroft. Then you have Alamogordo, which was about 30 minutes west of Cloudcroft. That is a much bigger village (?) or town... Not sure what that one is categorized as. But it was big enough to have Walmart and Dollar Tree! And we heard there was some thrift store called Kings Treasure, but it was closed when we were there. Just a couple places to consider if you make the trip. 

I'd say all the roads were incredibly twisty through the mountains. I suggest having all wheel drive if you go in the winter months. Snow was everywhere. You could see the Salt Flats in the distance, which was awesome. We drove through a tunnel as well. While short, it was still cool. 

Cloudcroft, New Mexico!

Well, we made it! What a thrilling place to see. It was an amazing trip for sure. 

Cloudcroft Village is really something else. You have all these cute little shops. My youngest insisted on going to see the Tree-Rific Toys & Candy shop, that had a Fill-A-Bear & Friends Factory station in it. Which is where she ended up spending her money... The little ones where $20 and the larger ones were $27. They had a variety of models and other interesting toys. There were also candies of all kinds! 

We also stopped in at the Burro Street Bakery for some sweet treats. I really loved the Cream Cheese Danish. My husband and son both had the Bearclaw, but thought it was on the dry side. I'm thinking that may have been because it was getting closer to closing and also wasn't filled with cream. My other son had brownies (he was given 2 since it was close to closing) and he absolutely loved them! One daughter devoured her Apple Danish, while the other dug in to her Cinnamon Roll so fast, she made a mess of herself with it. I'd say they were all decently priced too. It was fun to eat and walk around the boardwalk. Honestly, you can probably walk everything in about 2 hours. And that is only if you are stopping to shop around too. If you were to just walk one end to the other, maybe 15 minutes? 

For dinner, we chose Dave's Cafe. It is inside one of the boardwalk locations. They have burgers and sandwiches mostly, but they offer other items too. I chose the Cordon Bleu Sandwich, which was superb. It came with kettle cooked chips. And was incredibly filling. I didn't hear any complaints from the rest of the table as we ate.

And even though it is almost February, there was still so much snow everywhere! We thought that with 40 degree weather, much of it would have melted. We were so wrong... But that was just more fun for us. 

As soon as we unloaded everything into the Airbnb, we were delighted to watch a family of deer come by and watch us, watching them through the windows. We also got to see a herd of horses wandering around. Before the sun had even set in town, we could gaze up at the full moon above. And the amount of stars definitely puts the town views we have had to shame.  

We learned a couple things too. First off, don't buy grocery items at the Allsup's convenience store if you can help it. There are Walmarts at Ruidoso Village (about an hour north) or Alamogordo (about 30 minutes west). The prices are what you'd expect for a gas station - high. However, if you are in a bind, they do have a decent grocery selection and even meats to buy. This was helpful for us to get something for the kids to have the next day as we can't be eating out the whole time we are here. There is also the Family Dollar where you have more of a selection. 

There are things that we saw and didn't expect. Like a ski area where you can go sledding too. They have built a park near the school area where kids can let loose and play. This is definitely a tourist-type stop. Unless you are visiting to say you have been there, the only real reasons I would say to go are for the hiking trails and for the camping experiences.  

Osha Trail wasn't as clearly marked as we had hoped and thought. So we went for maybe 2 hours before turning around and walking back the way we came.

Parking for the trailhead was also full so many times when we went by. But it was worth the wait, because the views were fantastic! Like seeing the Trestle Bridge from above. 

We did go to the Trestle Bridge observation point after our hike. It has information on the history and was fun to take pictures in front of. I do recommend this for one of your stops if you go. 

What do you think? Is this a place you'd want to visit? If so, what is the draw for you??

Cloudroft, New Mexico - The Packing Process

Any time we take a trip, even for just a couple of nights, there is a couple weeks of planning out what to pack. Once I know the where, have the when, have the accommodations and vehicle figured out (if we are renting a car), then I need to know what we all need to bring. 

For instance, there's the car ride. Snacks and waters are a must. With this many people (4 of whom are kids), we always need to have that purchased at the grocery store before leaving. Buying such at the convenience stores are insanely priced! Not to mention, my husband eats snacks to help himself stay awake during long drives. 

Speaking of long drives... 

But what to do during long rides? How do the kids stay calm and not want to punch each other? For that, we often bring handheld game devices. Some of them will even nap. However, I'm adding a new element this time around. I had these dry erase game boards in a 'travel' drawer that I was cleaning out. I had picked them up one summer at the Dollar Tree, but I wouldn't be surprised if you can find similar ones online. I found this one on Amazon. I talked to my husband about turning them into tools for a friendly car ride competition.

We agreed to offer a prize for the first one who gets a bingo. Then a second (much bigger) prize to the first one who gets a blackout. I didn't think the kids would jump on such a thing. Maybe the girls... but I was pleasantly surprised when at least one boy agreed to join in the fun. This should help with the car ride a bit. 

Then comes the place we are staying at. Once we arrive, there are things that are needed besides just clothes and toiletries. For instance, my husband doesn't sleep on bedding provided. Hotel, Airbnb - doesn't matter! So I have to pack an extra large blanket that we lay on top of. And a couple blankets we use to cover up with. Gave up on trying to bring pillows too. The joys of being a germaphobe in your older years, I suppose. 

This has led to us deciding to rent a vehicle for the trip. Well, that and the fact that we need an AWD vehicle due to possible ice and snow while we are there. Lots of hills where we are going. Our SUV wouldn't be able to handle that. But since we are renting, we are going for a bigger SUV while we are at it. Something with space for the kids to spread out. And to have room for the luggage. 

Lastly, I also have to pack a hiking bag. Not a big one, but one that can hold things we don't normally take on vacations. My husband surprised me with wanting to actually walk/hike the Osha Trail out there! He knows I like that sort of thing. So I'll be lugging a backpack with hiking things as well.  

What are things that you pack for trips, that others might not think of? 

The Ice Queen and Her Lair

What happens when your daughters no longer want a blue haired Rainbow High doll? For me, I see Ice Queen in the making! 

It started with a box actually. A shoebox. And an Elsa doll who needed her ice castle. So I started renovating it. But then Elsa changed her mind and moved into the mansion with the rest of the dolls. Yes, my daughter is quick to change her mind. So things get redesigned pretty often. It seemed like such a waste to just toss the box though. So I gave it some more love and way more details! 

Next came the doll. My girls weren't as excited about Rainbow High as they were about the made-to-move Barbie or Monster High dolls. Big heads or something like that. I love their jointed bodies and soft, vibrant hair though. I have a couple set aside for future projects. This one just screamed for a bit of a makeover in a cold way.  

I had thought about repainting her face, but then decided against it. I'm not as proficient with that type of project and she was just too pretty to do that with. So I swapped out her outfit. I trimmed her hair. 3D printed a crown that is jeweled with beads. And gave her some handmade bling.  

The box windows are from My Froggy Stuff printables. I printed out a marble pattern for the floor and part of the walls. Tried to make it look like her castle leads to the sparkling snow-covered world outside. Used an empty perfume bottle with fake plant pieces to give her frozen world some greenery.

The chandelier actually glows in the dark too, thanks to glow-in-the-dark filament from a printed piece.