Riverbend Hot Springs Resort, New Mexico

How many Buds does it take to cross Texas? I have a friend who once measured distances between towns in Wyoming by the number of six-packs of beer he consumed while driving from one town to the other. He was serious, but that was in the old days. How would he measure the breadth of Texas? Cases! From Orange, TX to El Paso, it’s almost 900 miles, one-third of the distance between the west and east coast of the US.

BAM has navigated almost 1700 miles of I-10 starting in Florida, across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, spending time in New Orleans, then San Antonio, Texas at Freightliner and visiting brother Tom. Bonnie and I just wanted to put some miles on the Moho. Texas interstate rest-stops are overnight-friendly, so we drove until dark and parked at one, an hour or so from El Paso.

Truth or Consequences (T or C)

Walls and buildings artistically painted, bringing color to this otherwise dull-colored town.  

Towns like Hot Springs, NM grew in the 30’ & 40‘s due largely to the “healin’ waters”. As modern drugs and procedures were developed, spa-based towns gradually lost their allure. So what does a dying town do to put itself back on the map? Enter a contest (actually more of a challenge) from the game show, Truth or Consequences. The first city to officially change its name to the game show’s title would be rewarded by having an episode televised from that city. T or C, as the locals call it, got its 15 minutes of glory and back on the map - but apparently it wasn’t enough.

Many small ma and pa motels line the streets, now vacant, sinking slowly back into the desert. However, if you look past the blight, there is a tight community of artists showing their wares along Main Street, some baby boomer hippies (or maybe just ol’ farts without a retirement nest egg) cruising by in hunks of junk, worthless even in older Mexico 120 miles south. The city has two supermarkets; one called Bullocks which is located downtown, and a fairly new Walmart located at the north end of town. Surprisingly T or C has several good restaurants. Did I mention the hot springs?

The entrance.

We were parked at Riverbend Hot Springs Resort on the Rio Grande River. The word “eclectic” could have been born here. Riverbend began back in the 40s, formerly a minnow bait store, a youth hostel and now what looks like a T or C favorite day spa and 12-unit motel.

Deck over looking the Rio Grande River.



  

It is breaking in its second generation family. Lee, the father, passed the resort’s reins onto son Jake a few years ago. Did I mention the hippy influence here? Lee has an infectious smile, wears tie-dye shirts and sports a nice goatee and ponytail. His son Jake is educated, smart and has good tastes. He still hired Bonnie and me, tho. For our hook up, Bonnie worked 3 mornings each week doing the laundry for the units. My responsibilities looked like the honey-do list from……… for which I received cash.

This place is somewhere between an electrician and plumber’s challenge and.nightmare. Most of the motel units are either 50’s vintage wood-clad mobile homes or frame cabanas built during that same era - with electrical and plumbing the same age. Then there is the combination of solar and low voltage lighting around the hot tubs. The place looks spectacular at night. A half-dozen water fountains each have their own plumbing and lighting issues.

Eight 2-4 person hot tubs, plumbed with 101-108 degree geothermal hot water - and not a hint of sulphur smell! The pools overlook the banks of the Rio Grande River, a unique feature in T or C. It’s the only resort on the water. Although the weather was terrific during our short stay, 75-80 degrees, most of the vegetation seems hesitant to emerge from the winter.

Outside hot springs and patio over looking the river.  Ahhhhhh!

We reluctantly left our favorite workamping group and hot springs the end of March to arrive at our next workamping gig in Camp Verde, AZ , near Sedona, April 1st.  We'll be here for 3 months, so stay tuned to more news and photos.