5/15/25: Las Cruces' Quirkier Sights!

After several days on the road, Steven and I were happy to call Las Cruces in southernmost New Mexico "home" for the next ten days, even though neither of us had ever heard of the state's second-biggest city before we planned this road trip! Situated in a broad basin beneath the striking eastern peaks of the Organ Mountains, the combination of desert lowlands, red mountains, endless blue skies, a vibrant downtown, numerous hiking opportunities, and interesting day trips suited us perfectly.

The roadrunner is the official state bird of New Mexico, which explains why artist Olin Calk built a giant, 20-foot-tall and 40-foot-long recycled roadrunner in Las Cruces in 1993. Made exclusively of items salvaged from the landfill, it remained there to call attention to what Calk called "consumption, recycling, and just looking at stuff we throw away." The Recycled Roadrunner got a new lease on life in 2001 when the old junk was removed, replaced with new junk, and moved just west of Las Cruces to an award-winning rest stop along Interstate 10. There, perched on a boulder and gazing over the city below, the roadrunner can be seen for miles and has gained a broad new audience of fans. 

Commanding views of Las Cruces and the Organ Mountains from the rest stop:

I got a kick out of examining the detail of the head as Calk used old shoes to provide the appearance of feathers, and Volkswagen headlights and bicycle tires to form the eyes! Calk described his work as largely about perception. “From a hundred yards, you can’t really see what materials have been used to create the work. As you approach the work and get closer to it, things become clearer.” 

Calk stated that, "The black-and-white palette of most appliances matches the colors of a roadrunner, giving a wide selection of materials to work with."

I read that the sheet metal used to form the bird's shape came from old tool sheds, roofing materials, and other secondhand sources. In addition to these items, I also spotted a lamp, keyboard, and a badminton racket. Think about how much fun it would be to compete with others to see who would be the first to find twenty or so objects on the roadrunner!

Several days later, Steven and I returned and took these shots of our son, Zachary, and his fiancée of one day, Noora, who had just arrived to stay with us after flying into El Paso, Texas, an hour south of Las Cruces. 

Calk made me think twice about my consumption habits, the amount that is discarded into landfills, and the pressing need to recycle.

Outside the Elephant Ranch beer garden was a purple polka-dotted pink elephant! I had to wonder if it was possibly alerting customers to what they might see if they drink too much!

A cute, if cheesy, shot of Steven 'holding' up the world's largest chile pepper at the Big Chile Inn & Suites, which once hosted Clint Eastwood, who stayed there while filming Hang' Em High. The 47-foot-long chile pepper was made out of two and a half tons of concrete and became an instant roadside attraction.

Trail of the Whispering Giants was a series of Native American head statues sculpted by Peter Toth. This 57th statue honored all the Native Americans in New Mexico. Steven and I had seen another Toth head a few years ago, while on a road trip in the Midwest. After seeing this one, we talked about taking a road trip to see as many of Toth's other head statues as possible. 

Pat Garrett, the Lincoln County Sheriff who shot and killed William Bonner, more famously known as Billy the Kid, at Fort Sumner in 1881, was himself murdered at a remote site near this spot outside Las Cruces in February 1908. Wayne Brazel, a local cowboy, confessed to shooting Garrett but was acquitted of all charges. The motive and circumstances surrounding Garrett's death are still being investigated. 

 A few shots of our stroll around the Desert Trails Community Park, which was also home to mountain lions, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and much tamer animals! Fortunately, we only caught glimpses of a roadrunner that afternoon.

Residents in the nearby subdivision were exceptionally lucky to have a series of groomed trails at their disposal.

Steven and I whiled away many a hour most days at the condo's pool. We've never stayed anywhere that was as quiet as this complex. Only twice was there ever more than one other person in the pool area - we felt like it was our own private getaway!

Like many towns and small cities throughout the American Southwest, large cylindrical water tanks are visible in nearly every scenic view of Las Cruces. Each 32-foot-tall tank holds about two million gallons of water to support its people, farm animals, and fields. Instead of being considered eyesores that could disrupt otherwise panoramic views of the southern New Mexico city, local artists have turned the curved canvases into works of art. The water tank murals share the rich history of the area, recounting the stories of the Native Americans who first inhabited the region and the subsequent settlers.

The talented artist behind the vast majority of the water tank murals is local Tony Pennock, who completed his first water tank mural as a high school student in his hometown. Since then, Pennock has painted more than ten water tank murals, including one in Nienburg, Germany, Las Cruces’ sister city, where Pennock painted a mural on a municipal swimming pool building, keeping with the water theme.

Surrounded by desert dirt, the Agua Fria Water Tank Mural featured the early farmers and settlers of the Mesilla Valley outside Las Cruces in the early 1800s. In this piece, the Rio Grande supports them, their livestock, and their crops.

The Valley of the Moon Water Tank Mural told the story of Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the “new” world. As we drove along Roadrunner Parkway, we spotted a pod of dolphins cavorting in the open ocean. 

Though it seemed that everything in Las Cruces was called roadrunner this or that, it appeared like Gambel’s quail were an even more prevalent animal in the Las Cruces area. Quail Morning, featuring a family of Gambel’s quail painted on the giant water tank at the Las Cruces Water Reclamation Plant. The rich colors in the background reminded me of the purple hues that Las Cruces' sunsets cast on the Organ Mountains at the end of another sun-drenched day. Hint: Look at the last photos in the post!

The Journey to Tlalocan Water Tank Mural was another impressive outdoor mural painted by Pennock. It featured Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain, who lives in Tlalocan, an Aztec version of paradise. Tlaloc is portrayed as wearing a crown of heron feathers, being surrounded by clouds, and carrying rattles to make thunder.

Although we failed to see Tlaloc when we got closer, the heavenly mural was framed by the gorgeous Organ Mountains. 

Views of our walk along the Rio Grande riverbed that evening:

In the background were the Organ Mountains, which we'd hike a few days later. 

Next post: Texas-bound for the day!

Posted on June 6th, 2025, from our rain-soaked home in the Denver area. I don't recall Denver ever experiencing such heavy rainfall and cool temperatures this late in the year and for such a prolonged period. It's certainly nippy when I walk to our neighborhood pool for my outdoor swim aerobics class at 8 a.m. each weekday! I hope the skies are sunnier and the clouds are devoid of rain where you are. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.