New Mexico’s Past

The murder of Ovida Coogler, better known as Cricket Coogler, is one of Las Cruces’s oldest cold cases. She disappeared on March 30 or 31, 1949, and was found in the desert 17 days later. While her murder has never been solved, the aftermath has made history.  Coogler left work at the Deluxe Cafe, now… Read more: The Mysterious Death of Cricket Coogler

The Gila Cliff Dwellings are undoubtedly one of my top five New Mexico trips. The former dwelling place of the ancient Mogollon indigenous people is carved into a shelter cave in the side of a cliff about 45 miles from Silver City. The way there on Hwy 35 took us through the verdant Mimbres Valley.… Read more: The Gila Cliff Dwellings

We explored the ancient fortified ruins complex of Quarai, ten miles northwest of Mountainair off Highway 60. The Quarai State Monument preserves the old mission, which is in remarkable shape, considering that it is several hundred years old. This impressive and imposing structure below was once part of the Salinas Pueblo Missions of central New… Read more: The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument: Quarai Unit

I have the admittedly weird hobby of scanning Google Earth for oddities that I then go explore. One example of this would be when I found a place labeled “UFO Alien Crash Communion Wall” on Google Maps, near the ghost town of Arabela. So I drove out there to investigate. First, we drove to Ruidoso,… Read more: Arabela and the UFO Alien Crash Communion Wall

Have you ever wanted to visit the Glenwood Catwalk Recreation Area? It is truly amazing. You get to experience the raw beauty of the Gila Wilderness and the engineering ingenuity of the Gold Rush and more modern times, all in one. The Glenwood Catwalk is a fun adventure that will fill an afternoon. It is… Read more: The Glenwood Catwalk

We decided to take a Sunday jaunt to Chloride and Monticello, old ghost towns in Sierra County between the Gila and Truth or Consequences. I fell in love with this area and I want to share it with you, dear readers. There is an indescribable magic lingering in these ghost towns of Sierra County. The… Read more: Afternoon in Sierra County: Chloride, NM

We decided to take a Sunday jaunt to Chloride and Monticello, old ghost towns in Sierra County between the Gila and Truth or Consequences. I fell in love with this area and I want to share it with you, dear readers. You can read about our visit to Chloride the same day here. I was… Read more: Afternoon in Sierra County: Monticello, NM

Have you ever stayed at the Lodge in Cloudcroft? This historic hotel has a special place in my heart, as it’s where my husband and I have gone for two of our anniversaries. It is a gorgeous place that has done its best to preserve its history.  But many people swear the Lodge is haunted.… Read more: The Lodge in Cloudcroft: A Night with Rebecca

New Mexico has had its fair share of serial killers over the years. But one of the first documented serial killers soiling our beautiful state was Charles Kennedy. Kennedy was the owner of an inn in Elizabethtown, near Cimarron. The guests who checked in there never left.  By 1870, New Mexico was in the midst… Read more: Charles Kennedy of Elizabethtown: New Mexico’s First Serial Killer

With nothing better to do on an unseasonably warm February day, I decided, “I want to go explore Geronimo’s Cave.” So off I went. Geronimo’s Cave is in the Robledo Mountain Wilderness Area near Dona Ana. It’s the same area where the Prehistoric Trackways Monument is. There is so much history in these mountains, including… Read more: Geronimo’s Cave

I grew up in the shadows of Red Hill, a dormant dome volcano between Quemado, NM and Springerville, AZ. It is part of the larger Quemado Volcanic Field, which features Zuni Salt Lake. The hill is in a crater but it still rises prominently  7264 feet above the surrounding mesa. Its sides are bright red… Read more: The Red Hill Treasure

The 1974 Indian Rolling incident revealed Farmington’s long history of racism, going back to colonial days. There have been improvements but a lot still can be done.

You may have heard about the Fountain Murders…one of New Mexico’s oldest known mysteries. But you probably haven’t heard about Frenchy’s murder in Dog Canyon, which is believed to be orchestrated by the same person as the Fountain Murders. Here are these two old mysteries, revealing that crime and greed are not new but instead… Read more: The Fountain Murders and Frenchy’s Cabin

My wonderful friend, KC Bonnell, sold me the perpetual digital license to this photo: I want to thank KC for this. KC is a talented New Mexico photographer and artist, with a deep love for the Sacramento mountains. I highly recommend his photography and digital art. You can look at his cool art and photography… Read more: The Pinto Train Depot

The Lost Adams Diggings is one of the most enduring gold legends in New Mexico. Since 1864, it has captivated the adventurer and treasure seeker in many of us. Growing up near Pie Town, my mom had a bumper sticker that said, “Where is Pie Town, NM? Somewhere between Gut Ache Mesa and Adam’s Diggings!”… Read more: The Lost Adams Diggings – Lore or Legit?

“Welcum to the church of fornication” “How I got out of a parking ticket.” “Today I had my way with my baby brother” “01/12/2014 HPT was positive! Pretty sure its my dad’s baby! So excited!”  “Dick sucked for a ride to Tucumcari.” “Brother sister cream pie” “Came back to Santa Rosa again and got fucked… Read more: The Church of Fornication: Welcum to Cuervo, NM

Did you know that there is a town in New Mexico known as “Bloodville”?  OK, not really. That’s just what the locals call it. Bloodville is actually Budville, a sun-drenched ghost town about 50 miles west of Albuquerque along I40 off Exit 104, just before you hit Gallup. Budville falls along the historic Route 66,… Read more: Bloodville, NM