I've Fallen in Love With Goat Cheese.

#3  Goat cheese.

I've talked about how delicious New Mexico cuisine is in previous posts, but I haven't mentioned "goat cheese." I don't like goat cheese. In fact, I typically hate goat cheese - it's just so "goaty." So, when Bonnie wanted to buy goat cheese at the farmer's market I was skeptical... even when the Luna County goat cheese vendor said it didn't have a strong goat flavor - something to do with using - or not using -  "rennet" and possibly because their goats live blissfully on an organic farm. I really wasn't too interested, but being a good sport, I tasted the cheese. Surprisingly, the goat cheese sample was smooth, nutty, a little salty, with absolutely no tangy, goaty, bitter, goatyness. I fell in love with it! I have since returned to the market to buy more and I plan to freeze some to bring back to Iowa. 

#4 The Organ Mountains. 

The Organ Mountains still surprise me when I look up and see their towering mountain peaks “peeking” over the top of a house, or when I catch a glimpse of them in the distance while driving around Las Cruces. I never get tired of seeing this picturesque rugged backdrop to the city. I have yet to hike on an Organ Mountain trail, as I lack hiking boots and was told they were a must, or maybe I'm just waiting for the rattlesnakes to hibernate for the winter.

#5  Historic Old Mesilla. 

The Mesilla Plaza is a National Historic Landmark located in the heart of Mesilla, a small village on the western edge of Las Cruces. I love exploring the adobe buildings surrounding the plaza that house unique shops. The thick adobe walls were initially built to protect the early settlers from the Apache. So much history! It's cool to roam the streets of old Mesilla where Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa once walked. Mesilla is a popular tourist destination complete with a historic Catholic church - pretty much every small town and city in New Mexico has an old Catholic Church.  We've been to Mesilla many times to shop, eat, and sight-see. Currently, some streets around the plaza are blocked off while Mel Gibson (or Bruce Willis) shoots a film. They may both be there making a movie, or they may be in the same movie - the facts are unclear, either way, Mesilla Plaza is a bustling hub of activity and security right now. 

Our Minnesota bestie, Ellen, watched a program about a famous haunting in old Mesilla, so of course we had to check it out. Turns out there are lots of ghost stories and hauntings associated with old Mesilla (there's been much blood shed there), but the most famous haunting allegedly occurs at the Double Eagle Restaurant, built in 1849 by a wealthy family who owned a import/export business. We stopped by the restaurant to look around, and even though we didn't experience anything remotely creepy - the dark paneled, heavily ornate, antique ladden, Victorian-era former mansion turned restaurant, definitely set the stage for supernatural activity. Google the "Double Eagle Restaurant" to learn more about the hauntings there - it's scary stuff!