The last week of autumn in Santa Fe has been snowy and cold, cold, cold.

On Sunday Dave and I escaped with a brief road trip to southern New Mexico. After a morning spent shoveling snow we took off late in the afternoon.   We sped south on I25 first passing Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, home to a small population of Mexican gray wolves preparing for life in the wild, and then Bosque del Apache, another wildlife refuge where wintering sandhill cranes were likely hunkered down for the night.  By the time we crossed into Sierra County, the waxing crescent moon had sunk below the horizon.

Sierra Grande Lodge
Photo By: Paula Nixon

Just a little over three hours after pulling out of our driveway we arrived at the Sierra Grande Lodge in Truth or Consequences.  The charming old hotel  sits on a  natural geothermal spring that “flows out of a rift along the Rio Grande that appeared more than 50 million years ago” according to the Sierra County website.

Wasting no time, we sank into the 107 degree water in the lodge’s outdoor tub and turned our eyes skyward pointing out constellations to each other.  December’s Geminid meteor shower was soon to be at its peak.

An hour and a couple of shooting stars later we climbed out, sore muscles soothed—refreshed and relaxed.

By the time we returned to Santa Fe Monday night, the next snow storm had blown in, palm trees and steaming, mineral-filled water a fading memory.