Hot Springs!

The drive into New Mexico was surprisingly cold. The mountains were covered with clouds, not snow,

but as we got further along, there was snow on the side of the road.

Good thing that our next stop was Faywood Hot Springs. Faywood has rough roads, expensive gravel sites, and the worst water pressure we’ve ever seen. Even full blast, this is all that come out:

But we keep going back because they also have Hot Springs!

“Rustic” is probably a kind way to describe this place, but that is part of the appeal. Once you get past the terrible state of the roads, and admit your faucets will just trickle water, it’s pretty interesting. Because it’s so undeveloped, rabbits and roadrunners are everywhere. The property is surrounded by fenced pasture, inhabited by cattle. Calves, like all baby animals are adorable. 

This cow won the price for the most unusual horns.

The local roadrunner was almost, but not quite, tame. If we were quiet, he would sometimes come up within a couple yards from us. 

We spent two nights here. The temperature probably never got above the mid-40s, so the walk to the pools was pretty cold. The walk back wasn’t too bad; we were very warm when we got out of the pool, and it lasted awhile. 

And it felt so wonderful to soak in those hot pools. There were a couple of different areas, and each one had 3 pools: warm, hot, and really hot. I relaxed in the hot ones, while Randy simmered in the really hot ones. The pools are all outside, surrounded by fences, and it's an amazing feeling to relax in the naturally hot water while cool breezes carry the steam away. It's almost addictive. 

The second morning we saw a beautiful sunrise; I don’t often see a sunrise, but I walked up the hill to enjoy this one. 

But the day quickly became overcast. It turned out to be a great day for getting in the hot springs and napping. It got colder because the wind picked up. I don’t know how it was that windy without blowing the clouds away, but it stayed overcast all day. I had hoped to sit in the springs under the stars, but the stars stayed hidden. Oh well, a dip in hot springs is always enjoyable.