Red River Trip: Part 2

This is the second of a three-part article recalling our recent trip to Red River, New Mexico.

After leaving Eagles' Nest, New Mexico, Linda and I drove north to the town of Red River. The weather was clear, with blue skies, and the most refreshing air imaginable. It was invigorating just to stand outside the truck and breathe the air. We both thought the low humidity was a welcome treat after a humid summer in Arkansas. As our road climbed, we crossed and recrossed a beautiful mountain stream. After a while, I began to look for a place to pull over so we could take a little walk along this stream. Pretty soon I saw a place where there was a hiking trail that followed the stream, so we pulled over and got out to stretch our legs.

The fall foliage was awesome. The predominant color was bright yellow to gold. The aspens were the prettiest. The contrast between them and the evergreens made for a lovely sight. I took a few pictures of Linda beside the stream and next to some of the brightest trees. We didn't stop long since it was lunch time and we needed to get on to our destination.

As we entered the town of Red River, we saw on our left the ski lift going up the mountain with the town laid out below us in a picturesque fashion. You could tell it was geared for tourists, but it didn't look as commercialized as some places we have been. We drove through town to see what it had to offer and, upon reaching the north outskirt of town, we pulled over and turned around. The town is small with a population of just over 400. It appeared to have about that many businesses.

Most of the restaurants were closed for the season, but there were a few open. We found a place on the main drag called the Old Tymer's Café. We had to wait a little while, but were soon seated and gave our order to the waitress. I ordered a simple hamburger and fries. It was average, I reckon. Not bad, but not great either. I am always on the lookout for the Great American Burger. I have to say that I am often disappointed. I will put in a plug here for the hamburgers at Hugo's in Fayetteville. They have been doing hamburgers right at Hugo's since 1977. My friend, Bob Wilson, thinks the hamburgers at What-A-Burger are some of the best there are, but then Bob cooks his hamburgers on a gas grill which, in my opinion, disqualifies him as a judge of good burgers.

After lunch we checked out a couple of options for a place to stay and decided on a cabin at the Copper King Lodge. The cabin was located on the banks of the Red River, which at that particular point is about the same size as Flint Creek is behind our house at Gentry. The cabin was also right beside the base of the ski lift which happened to be closed for the season. We found out later in the afternoon that deer walk along the banks of the river looking for handouts from tourists staying in the cabins. They are quite tame and it is fun to watch them scarf up cookies and assorted treats they are offered. First they smell the item to be sure it is edible; then they take a nibble and then they eat the whole thing in one big bite. After that they will eat more of the same item without hesitation.

For an evening meal, we went to a place called Texas Red's Steakhouse. It looked interesting, but the prices were pretty high. I can't remember what I ordered. After supper we went back to the cabin and, feeling all worn out, we retired for the night.

The next morning it was 36 degrees. It felt good to me, but Linda needed a jacket. We went back to Old Tymer's for breakfast, which we found to be quite delicious. I had two eggs with bacon and hash browns and whole-wheat toast. I love a traditional breakfast, which I usually only eat when we are traveling. At home, I eat either one piece of plain toast or a bowl of cereal. Linda ordered a mixed-grain pancake. She ordered only one since they told her it was big. And it was. She loved it.

For an adventure, we decided to take an unpaved road up into the mountains surrounding Red River. It was another beautiful day as we headed up into the mountains. Pretty soon we came to a sign that said the road was only one lane ahead. I thought it sure looked wide enough to meet another vehicle, but who am I, right? The road grew steeper as we wended our way up the mountain. Occasionally, we got a good look out and the scenery was gorgeous. The foliage was about as pretty as anything I have ever seen. Linda kept saying, "It's so pretty!" which is a thing she usually reserves for the mountains of Colorado.

It didn't take long before I had to acknowledge that the road was only wide enough for one vehicle. I began to worry about meeting another car and trying to figure out what I would do if we did. I found that I was having to focus entirely on driving since there was no railing and the drop off was straight down. So I let Linda enjoy the scenery while I concentrated on the road ahead. Linda had mentioned earlier that this was supposed to be about a three or four hour drive. I wasn't all that excited at the prospect of having to be so careful for so long, but here we were and there was no way around it.

Finally, we got to what appeared to be the top of the mountain and began to go downhill. This was probably about as nerve wracking as going up had been, but at least it held the promise of coming to an end at some point. Which, in fact, it did as we came out to another road which ran east and west. We got on this road, headed west and in 10 or 12 miles came to the main highway north of Red River. From there we headed up to Ft. Garland, Colorado, and then west to Alamosa.

We had lunch in Alamosa at a little pub and brewery where I again had a hamburger. Sad to say, it was far from the Great American Burger. It was dry and so was the bun, but I had a wonderful bottle of Alamosa Amber beer to wash it down. The beer was so good I decided to have another one. Linda tried a different beer, but mine tasted better by far. As we both sat there eating, we came to the realization that we had eaten there before.

After lunch, we shopped awhile and strolled the sidewalks, as Alamosa is an interesting town. Then we headed back down to Red River. We took a different route back which proved to be more scenic than the drive up, so we were glad we had taken it. Arriving back in Red River, we fed the deer and then got ready for dinner. On the morrow, we would be heading back up to Ft. Garland and then east to La Veta and from there down to Trinidad and Raton, New Mexico, on the return trip back home. More on that next week.

Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 11/02/2016