Happy Anniversary From Ruidoso, New Mexico

I’ll Take A Little Cheese With That Wine

It’s not uncommon for me to travel to a place and immediately feel some sort of connection to it. I guess I’m just weird like that. No matter where we end up my first order of business is to explore my surroundings. In a nutshell, that means locating the nearest Walmart and Hobby Lobby.

However, high priority falls on finding Chick-fil-A and the local ice cream shop because if there is anything I can’t live without it’s the “number seven” (without tomato and lettuce) and my weekly peanut butter and hot fudge shake, heavy on the whipped cream.

My second undertaking is to begin what I do best…Googling stuff.   Did I mention that I “Google” everything and that includes, but is not limited to, restaurants, local points of interest, scenic hiking trails, and those one-of-a-kind “must sees.” That’s how I stumbled upon one of my all-time favorite places ever…Ruidoso, New Mexico.

The name, Ruidoso (which means “noisy) not only rolls off the tongue sweetly and easily but it’s also fun to say out loud. It’s a village in New Mexico (more of a tourist town) nestled in the middle of the Sierra Blanca mountain range. Although it’s an hour and a half drive from our campground, we’ve never minded because the drive is not only scenic, with multiple mule deer and elk sightings,  it’s also extremely peaceful because the highway winds through the mountains and the view are breathtaking.

Despite having experienced it before, there are just some familiar places that touch your heart so much that you want to go back and relive it. Ruidoso is that for us. When our second wedding anniversary strolled around this past December neither Wes nor myself, had to think twice about where we wanted to spend it. It was unanimous.

Trying to find something we had never done before was going to be challenging but after a lot of discussions, we both realized we had NEVER been to a winery so I began searching. The Noisy Water Winery and Cellars had a high rating so we ended up giving it a go and it did not disappoint. In spite of not knowing what to expect, we found that there was more to wine and cheese tasting than we thought.

First, there were endless choices of cheese to sample and I was drawn to the “garlic” and “green chile” ones. I can honestly say that I have NEVER SEEN so many different kinds. I was at the point I couldn’t make a decision to save my life. However, Wes and I managed to select several and ordered an entire tray, with crackers, to snack on. I will say that it was the BEST cheese I have ever put in my mouth. You can even buy it by the pound and yes…yes we did!!

Sampling wine is not exactly what I expected, though. When you walk in the atmosphere is a little intimidating.  Against the wall, behind the counter, is a diverse collection of wines to choose from and to begin the tasting you select three flavors that you want to try.  They give you a brief rundown of the wines…dry, sweet, red, white, customer favorites, and seasonal. I picked three. My husband picked three. I didn’t think that the small amount they put in the glass would give me buzz but boy… was I wrong!

Looking back it might have been because all we had that day was CHEESE to eat. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and we made some fun memories at that winery. Just about every review I read was five stars and our experience at The Noisy Water Winery was every bit of that and more.

We finished the day window shopping on the main drag in town.  I even stopped in a hiking store and picked myself up a walking stick and some trail medallions.  That’s another blog in itself that I will save for later.

Ruidoso is very popular and if you are ever fortunate enough to see it first hand you will instantly know why.  It has personality and warmth…an unexpected country charm in the mountains of New Mexico.  There are snow skiing opportunities, as well as casinos (Inn of the Mountain Gods and Billy the Kid Casino) and Ruidoso even has horse racing…Ruidoso Downs Racetrack.   

If you’re into hiking,  which we are, there are countless trails that range from easy to hard with unforgettable sights that you won’t see just anywhere. 

For me, winter is a great time to be there because although December is a colder month, the quaint little hamlet is a winter wonderland and perfect for the Christmas season. 

More than just a tourist stop, Ruidoso, New Mexico is a little slice of heaven.    I’ll always go back to visit when I’m in the area.   I’ll always carry a piece of it in my heart when I head back home and have to say goodbye.

Until the next time, New Mexico…ADIOS AMIGO!

xoxoxo,

Kelly