On the Road in Southern New Mexico: Rugged Beauty and the Final Frontier

Program Registration: 3:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. The activity level for this program is “Keep the Pace.” Participants should be able to walk up to two miles over uneven, sometimes slippery terrain. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We’ll check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and ride to Roswell, 200 miles southeast of Albuquerque. This drive will provide us with our first look at the arid, high-desert terrain of southern New Mexico.

At a local restaurant.

Next, we’ll go to the Roswell Museum and Art Center, founded in 1935 through an agreement among the City of Roswell, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Federal Art Project (FAP), the Chaves County Archaeological and Historical Society, and the Roswell Friends of Art. It first opened in 1937 with its initial support coming in the wake of the Depression through the WPA’s project dedicated to supporting public art through federal establishments across the country. Other than the Roswell Museum and Art Center, only a few of these Federal Art Centers remain open. It is home to the largest public collection of works by Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth, painters who lived in the nearby Hondo Valley and made the distinctive local landscapes of southeastern New Mexico famous. Next, we’ll visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center for a self-directed exploration. Best known as the home for information about the 1947 Roswell Incident and other UFO phenomena, the museum works to fulfill the mission of educating the general public on all aspects of the UFO phenomena. The museum asserts its position as representing the serious side of the UFO phenomena. Then, we’ll ride to the hotel for a late afternoon check-in.

At a local restaurant.

After returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

After breakfast, we’ll board our motorcoach and ride to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Carlsbad Caverns, one of the oldest and most famous cave systems in the world, include several vast underground chambers, up to 250 feet high, filled with amazing formations of many colors and shapes, all formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes. Upon arrival, we will have some time to explore the Visitor Center independently and watch the introductory film, “Hidden World.” It features high definition photography of cave natural wonders, bats in flight, cave explorations, and a fly-over of the Natural Entrance. We will then take the elevator down for a self-directed walk through the Big Room, home to some of the most well-known features in the caverns. It is more than 30,000 square yards in total size. We will each make our way along the well-lit, mostly level trail at our own pace and then take the elevator back up to regroup in the Visitor Center.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Carlsbad Caverns Trading Company at the west end of the Visitor Center offers hot and cold choices cafeteria style.

We’ll have some more time to explore the Caverns and the museum at the Visitor Center independently. We’ll then reboard the motorcoach and return to Roswell for the night.

At a local restaurant.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We’ll check out of the hotel this morning and travel to Lincoln, New Mexico, center of the famous Lincoln County Wars. It was during this conflict between rival cattle barons in 1878 that Billy the Kid earned his place in history. Our Group Leader will take us on a short walking exploration of the town, including a visit to the Lincoln County Courthouse, complete with bullet holes, and some other historical buildings nearby. We’ll also enjoy an expert-led visit to the Lincoln Historic Site, a state monument encompassing 17 historic structures that capture the territorial architecture and Wild West community of the 1870s and 1880s.

Boxed lunches.

After lunch, we’ll head to Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. This 50-acre preserve was set aside by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect some 21,000 petroglyphs created by the Mogollon culture between 900 and 1400 CE. We’ll set out on a walking field trip to see some of these rock carvings. We’ll ride on to Alamogordo and check in at our hotel late in the afternoon.

Dinner will be your choice at any one of the restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Your Group Leader will give you a stipend to cover your meal.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We’ll board the motorcoach and drive to White Sands National Park, where we’ll stop first at the Visitor Center to explore the museum and enjoy an orientation video. We will then embark on an 8-mile scenic drive through the stunning dune landscape.

At a local restaurant.

Next, we’ll board 14-passenger electric vehicles for an expert-led exploration of a working farm where pistachios and wine grapes are produced. We’ll ride through the orchards and vineyards and learn about growing techniques, then return to the hotel.

At a local restaurant.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

After checking out of the hotel, we will set out on a field trip to the New Mexico Museum of Space History. The mission of the museum is to educate visitors from around the world in the history, science, and technology of space. During a docent-led exploration, we’ll learn about the significant role the state of New Mexico has played in the development of the U.S. Space Program through the collection, preservation, and interpretation of significant related artifacts. We’ll then drive north to Socorro, stopping briefly at Carrizozo.

At a local restaurant.

Next, we’ll drive to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, situated between mountain ranges to the east and west. Established in 1939 to provide a resting stop for migrating waterfowl, the refuge is well known for the thousands of sandhill cranes, geese, and other waterfowl that winter here each year. The 60,000 acre refuge includes a wild stretch of the Rio Grande, a “bosque” of cottonwood and willow trees that provide for the diversity of wildlife. While in the refuge, a local expert will lead our exploration and describe the birds and unique ecosystems we’ll see at several spots.

At a local café.

After dinner, we will continue on to Socorro, where we will check in at our hotel. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

After hotel check-out, we’ll board the motorcoach and ride 50 miles west to the Very Large Array, one of the world’s premier radio astronomy observatories. The array comprises 27 radio antennas — each 82 feet in diameter — configured in a Y-shape and set on moving tracks on the Plains of San Agustin. Our expert-led field trip through the facility will begin with a 20-minute video presentation that will provide an overview of radio astronomy, interferometry, and the VLA itself. We’ll then examine exhibits to learn more about radio astronomy and the role the Very Large Array and other NRAO telescopes play in current research.

At a local restaurant.

We’ll ride on to Albuquerque and check in at our hotel with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

We’ll gather for a wrap-up session to touch upon highlights of the program and say farewells. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!