The Carrizozo Chamber of Commerce Invites YOU to Celebrate New Mexico’s Centennial

Take a guided Tour of Lincoln County
Friday and Saturday, January 6 and 7, 2012
New Mexico’s Centennial Tour of Lincoln County

Friday, January 6, 2012, Carrizozo, Capitan and Alto’s Spencer Theater

Saturday, January 7, Ruidoso Downs’ Coe Ranch, Lincoln and Fort Stanton

Thursday and Sunday spend time touring Ruidoso sites and general area.

Friday, January 6, 2012
The tour bus will pick up participants at their Ruidoso hotel starting at 8:30 for the drive to Carrizozo. Lincoln County resident Dennis Dunnum will be your host as he explains some of the history of the area on our drive.

Our first stop will be at The Carrizozo Woman’s Club as the members host you with a 10 am brunch* in their registered state and national historic site building. At
the brunch 93-year-old Carrizozo historian Johnson Stearns will share with you some stories of the early times here from his own personal experiences.

Next will be a visit to the Carrizozo Heritage Museum to see exhibits of old-time ranch life and browse the unique gift store full of items of all kinds
for all ages. Formerly this building housed an old ice plant, so this structure is really considered to be a pretty cool place.

From the Museum we will drive down historic 12th Street with a stop at the 408 Gallery, home of the Burros of the Southwest, and enjoy original art available from folks in Town as well as the surrounding area.

 

Then it will be on to Roy’s Gift Gallery and Olde Time Ice Cream Parlour — the other registered state and national historic site in Town. Enjoy a sample of Roy’s goods from the original fountain built in 1908 and still in operation!
* The Woman’s Club brunch will be quite filling, so there is no planned stop for lunch — only refreshments at Roy’s and a snack before our last stop of the day.

As we leave Town on Highway 54/ Central Avenue, on your right is McDonald Park named in honor of the first Governor of New Mexico, William C. McDonald. Although the Gov is honored here, his resting place is in
White Oaks at the Cedarvale Cemetery.

Capitan’s visit will feature a stop at the Smokey Bear Museum and Park where
you can see a short film about the bear’s life-saving experience and
growth into a national fire fighter. Note: it’s Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear.
As we leave Capitan, we will drive by the planned renovation of the old Capitan train depot. The final stop on our way back to Ruidoso will be a guided tour of the
Spencer Theater. The Spencer family has been longtime ranchers in the Carrizozo area, and there are several structures in and around Town that are attributed directly to their generosity and desire to help the community as they lived and worked here.

Your return to your hotel will be around 5 p.m. when you can relax and enjoy dinner on your own.

Saturday, January 7, 2012
The tour bus will pick you up again from your hotel at 8:30. If the weather is inclement, the bus will drive you to each site where possible; otherwise, please wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers for what could be a chilly, but often sunny day in this Land of Enchantment.
After a short drive to the Coe Ranch on Highway 70 east, we will stop at this landmark and hear Lincoln Historian Drew Gomber explain the history of the Lincoln County area starting with this large ranch, which is an important part of this history.

From there, we will go to the historic Town of Lincoln for Drew’s tour of various places, including the Tunstall Store and Court House. This is really Billy the Kid Country, as you will hear. You should enjoy Drew as he has ‘a million’ tales about these former locale wild westerners he will share.
Then we will proceed to Fort Stanton for a true Mexican lunch, a presentation about the Fort and a guided tour of their sites. If the weather is inclement, we will be
able to see the main areas from inside the building where lunch will be served.

Anticipated return to Ruidoso will be around 5:30 p.m. as you enjoy the rest of your time in Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs with Chambers of Commerce details on sights to enjoy.

REGISTRATION for the Guided Tour of Lincoln County
Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, 2012

In Celebration of New Mexico’s Centennial Per Person Covering:

  • Bus Transportation $48 To and from hotel both days
  • Tour Guide $10 Local Carrizozoan Dennis Dunnum
  • Woman’s Club brunch $22 Full and tasty food at historic site
  • Carrizozo Museum $10 Historical presentation of ranch life
  • Roy’s Ice Cream Parlour $10 Tasty treat at second historic site
  • Smokey Bear Museum $12 Historical movie of Smokey’s life
  • Snack before Spencer $ 5 Munch on bus; sodas at Theater
  • Coe Ranch $12 Old ranch with lots of area’s history
  • Tour of Lincoln $19 Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid
  • Fort Stanton $22 Tour and lunch
  • Total Cost $170 Per Person (less hotels)

The Lodge at Sierra Blanca is offering a special room rate of
$69.00 + tax Suites $79.00 + tax Phone: (575) 258-5500
Web site: http://www.lodgeatsierrablanca.com
More information re this Chamber Tour? Call 575-973-1607 or visit http://www.ruidosonow.com/festival-of-lights/ to register today! (scroll down to Jan 6 event for form)