For 16 years I livwed in Silver City, NM, just an hour north of I-10 between Deming and Lordsburg. Do you like to hike? You could stay in Silver City for a month and not see all the really neat places in that area. Being January the higher elevations will not be accessible but, there is lots to see and do lower down. Only about 20 miles north of Lordsburg is an area called the Lower Box. It's along the Gila River. Here are a couple pictures scanned in from slides. Not the greatest quality but you get the idea. They are taken from the same spot, one looking downstream the other up. From the vantage point to the river is 600 to 700 feet. if this looks interesting I could email you specific directions for getting there. This isn't a place listed in any guide book. I lived an hour away for 5 years before I ever heard about it.

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In this same area is evidence of Native American habitation.

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Also between Lordsburg and Silver City are the Burro Mountains. This is Knight Peak. A fantastic place to explore.

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Ron

At Odessa you can visit the meteor crater there, nothing near like the one in Arizona, but if you like that kind of thing, it's alright.

El Paso has the Franklin Mountains, and the Intermountain HWY, which is nice, but there is a natural rock formation there that resembles an Indian head, if you know where to look and at the right time of the day, it is awesome.

Las Cruces is a beautiful city with it's painted roadways.

North of Silver City are the Gila Cliff Dwellings, in the Gila Wilderness Area and it's like a miniature Mesa Verde, very isolated and a short hike, but a long drive through some beautiful country. Indian petroglyphs and housings. Gila Hot Springs. Also, the City of Rocks.

You will pass by the silver mine there also outside of Silver City. It's hard to explain how deep this mine is, it is so vast, it's hard for my mind to comprehend, size-wise.

There are some ghost towns along the New Mexico-Arizona border area that you might like to visit.

Before Tucson, you will want to visit Tombstone and the Boothill Cemetery.

You also need to go visit the Saquaro National Parks, one on each side of Tucson. I have a saquaro growing here, but seeing how they only grow about one inch per year...I figure in only about 120 years, I will have a nice size one.

I've got countless pictures of these areas and other surrounding areas. You won't be able to see everything in one trip, so plan on going back.

Once you've been there a while, you will need to travel to northern Arizona, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Monument Valley, Meteor Crater, Vermillion Cliffs, Kaibab National Forest, blah blah blah...doggonit, all this talk, now I have to go on vacation again!

Kt

Thanks for the suggetions!

KT - you can have the couch when you come through.

Zjoe

Wow, looks like a great place to be, good luck Zjoe.

WOO-HOO!!!! A new couch! Thanks, I can always use another one of those! I'll be sure and bring my pick-up truck.;)

Kt

Oh, and by the way, I sleep on the couch here most of the time, so it will be like sleeping here at home. I(we) may have to stop by and say hello sometime, anyway, but thanks for the offer just the same.

Kt