Did you miss me last week? Mom and Dad were traveling, and with the 4th holiday, we didn’t get to my blog. I figure Mom deserves one week off a year! Once again, I’ll be sharing an adventure I didn’t go on. The temperatures have been too high, so I stayed at home in the cool house.
Mom and Dad went to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. What? They had a life before me? I find that hard to believe! I know life hasn’t been the same since I entered their lives. Awoof! Anyway, they opted to head East knowing hoards of people drive West to California, North to the mountains, or South to Arizona’s Beach, aka Rocky Point to escape the heat. They were right!
Their destination: Silver City, New Mexico. It is roughly a six-hour drive from North Phoenix. You have several options, and we encourage you to avoid the 10 freeway. It is always nuts and experiences closures often due to accidents. Silver City is located off the 180 and sits at 5,895 feet in elevation. Once a silver-mining mecca, copper mining is still quite active in the area.
Mom and Dad forgot about the one-hour time difference between AZ and NM this time of year, and arrived 
just as the downtown was closing. Yes, Silver City rolls up the streets at 5 pm on a Friday night. Who does that?
Thankfully, their hotel is relatively new, and they got a nice room at the Holiday Inn Express on Superior Street. Like most places, they struggle to get workers. This meant breakfast was fair and not replenished to keep the food hot. Rule number one: never run out of coffee at breakfast! Anyway, they got food and were on their way.
Silver City is nestled in the Pinos Altos Mountains and resides at the base of the Gila National Forest, which is where Mom and Dad were headed. Mom said Silver City reminded her of Cañon City, Colorado, back in the 1970s. A business associate of Dad’s suggested they head directly to the Gila Cliff Dwellers, a two-hour drive North on the 15 or the Trail of Mountain Spirits as they call it. It is a 43-mile-long winding, steep mountain road. Although paved, it is narrow with tons of switchbacks. Not everyone will feel comfortable driving up this mountain, and this keeps the numbers of visitors down.
Mom and Dad are mountain pros, so they enjoyed the beautiful, scenic drive. When the road ends, you will come to the Gila Visitor Center with plenty of parking and human restrooms. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Gila Cliff Dwellers a National Monument to protect them from all the silver miners who moved to the area. They don’t charge an entrance fee, but dogs are not welcome, thus why I stayed at home. Note: You need to bring your own food and drinks as this place is remote without any services. The Doc Campbell store is about 20 minutes South, so you could stop and pick up snacks. It serves campers and tourists.
Another deterrent to visitors is the hike up to the ruins. It is about one mile of constant hiking up at 6,000 
feet elevation. The trail is well marked but has little shade. The pay off was amazing, so I heard. This National Monument contains Mongolla and Publoan Indian sites, which are rapidly disappearing throughout the Southwest. Unlike other ruins, this one is in incredible condition, and you don’t just look at it…you get to walk through it.
Mom and Dad were able to climb up wooden ladders and get into the community of homes. Quite impressive to see how they carved their homes out of the rock back in the 1200s. The temperatures are a good 10 degrees cooler up there, and you have great views of the Gila National Forest.
Mom and Dad spent quite a bit of time in the ruins before heading back down. They found some picnic tables near the visitor center and had their lunch under the shade of a big cottonwood tree.
From here, they drove down the 15 to the Gila Hot Springs, located at the campground. The Gila Hot Springs allows daily use up until 5 pm then only campers have access. The fee is $7 per person, cash only.
Three natural hot pools are available, and Mom and Dad got one all to themselves. Happy Anniversary! No shoes are allowed in the hot springs, and you need to bring your own towel. A changing room with toilet is available. This isn’t fancy like Pagosa Springs in Colorado, but it was relaxing, just the same. The temperature was about 101 degrees, and they laid in that pool watching hawks soar above the mountains.
About 30 feet away is the Gila River, and Mom and Dad walked over to lay it it. Brrrr! It was cold but felt 
good after the hot spring. Mom didn’t last long, and back into the hot spring they went! The time limit is two hours per visitor, and that was just the right amount of time. They changed into dry cloths and finished the drive back down to the hotel. Yes, it really does take two full hours, and keep your eyes out for deer and elk.
Friday night dinner was a bust. Don’t bother trying the Chinese Palace restaurant. It was dirty, gross, and the food awful yet gets 4 ½ stars. Liars! Wrangler’s Bar & Grill was better with a nice salad bar and decent food. Silver City has a population of only 9,578, so what do you expect.
Silver City is a pretty area but rough around the edges like many places in New Mexico since it is the poorest state in the country. The people were nice, and if you are looking to get away from crowds, this fits the bill. Next week, I’ll share about their second day. Until then, stay hydrated and indoors. It is not fit for man or beast out there!
My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!
Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/kumas-great-adventures/
and be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kumathedog/ and Instagram: kumaitothedog
Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!
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