D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
November
2008
Glenwood Getaway
Page: 2From May-October, you can head from the hatchery to the historic ghost town of Mogollon. Businesses in this quaint village of just 15 permanent residents shut down seasonally.
Back in Glenwood, it's time to think about dinner. I've eaten at the Blue Front many times (11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; bar opens 3 p.m. weekdays, 12 noon weekends, Hwy. 180, 539-2561; see full review, November 2007). It's a casual, family-and-friends kind of place with pool tables and a full-service bar, also offering take-out and package liquors. Their barbeque is as good for lunch as it is for dinner and the "good times" always roll.
This trip, though, I choose Mario's Pizza, a simple, hole-in-the-wall Italian eatery with incredible neighborhood charm (Tuesdays 2-8 p.m., Saturdays 4-8 p.m., Hwy. 180, 539-2316; see full review in this issue). Mario's also rents videos. This is the friendly sort of place you bring the kids, meet friends or chow down alone, choosing from among a plethora of pizzas, simple spaghetti dishes, hot and cold subs (I haven't seen the word "grinders" since I left the Philadelphia area!), burgers and fries. Order up at the counter and the food is delivered to the table — no-frills and fast. Long story made short: I have the best calzone of my life here tonight.
Now it's time to bed down. Brought your tent? There's the Bighorn Campground, its entrance right on Hwy. 180. In an RV? Pull into the Glenwood RV Park, with full hook-ups, electric and propane (Hwy. 180, 539-2324). If you've forgotten some essentials from home or just need some easy camping food, the Glenwood Trading Post has you covered. Right on the highway, this centrally located general store and gas station carries all travelers' necessities, including OTC medications and simple toiletry items, as well as the essentials of life, like drinks and jerky, chips and sweets.
I've got neither tent nor mobile home and so will check into one of the town's handful of overnight accommodations.
Just two miles south of downtown Glenwood, at mile marker 53, is D&D's Organic Haven, which bills itself as "a healthy bed and breakfast." Technically, it's in Pleasanton (13 Heron Lane, 539-2483). This charming new B&B has just two guest rooms, but they are spacious and lovely. The bathroom for guests is a "European-style" shared arrangement. I've never minded carrying my toiletries case or waiting a couple of minutes for another guest to finish brushing his or her teeth. The place is a unique combo of strawbale and adobe construction, which owners Dan and Deb Nordquist built themselves. There's a hot tub on premises, a sunroom dining area to hang out in and read, and breakfast is home-baked, whole-grain continental. No WiFi or TV — this is a place to leave it all behind and really retreat. The inn itself is open April through mid-November, so this month is your last chance to stay at D&D's until next spring.
Right in town and on the main drag is the Whitewater Motel (Hwy. 180, 539-2581, www.gilanet.com/whitewaterMotel) Newly renovated rooms face out over the creek. It's a comfy, quiet sort of place where you'll enjoy peeking at the stars overhead one more time, then hit the hay for a good night's sleep. It's a short and pleasant evening walk to the town's eateries. Guest rooms are equipped with satellite television.
Just across the street are the Crab Apple Cabins (Hwy. 180, 539-2400). The quaint accommodations with pleasant grounds, however, are only a seasonal option, as the place shuts down at the end of October.
Up the road is the Lariat Motel, featuring nine clean and comfy rooms, singles and doubles, as well as three suites with adjoining bedrooms (Hwy. 180, 539-2361, 539-2321, wperalta@gilanet.com) In business for more than 20 years, the Lariat is open all year.
Continue up 180 a little farther and make a right turn onto Catwalk Road (Hwy. 174) and you'll find the Double T Homestead (539-2812, www.doublethomestead.com) This facility offers everything from one- and two-bedroom adobe haciendas to cabins to an RV park. Brought your horse along for some trail riding? Double T has a horse motel. The grounds are quiet and pleasant, accommodations spacious and welcoming. And I don't know about you, but I find the gentle neighing of a horse or two to be pleasant music to fall asleep by.
Having had a good night's rest, it's time to enjoy some hiking on one of the area's most famous attractions: the Catwalk. Approximately five miles from downtown Glenwood, at the end of Hwy. 174, this Forest Service hiking area offers picnic areas next to Whitewater Creek, a challenging one-mile trail along the historic water line route from the 1890s, a thrilling swinging bridge walkway, trailhead access into the Gila Wilderness and a sense of place that provides a real brush with local history. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise. In warm weather, a walk down the rugged — but solid and safe! — stairway allows a dip in the refreshing pools far below with a spectacular waterfall overhead. Much of the facility has been renovated so it is accessible to people with disabilities. To gain access, you fill out an envelope at a kiosk in the parking lot — $3 per vehicle, per day.
It's a little chilly this visit for a dip in the Catwalk's waters, but my hike is invigorating, the sunny skies crisp and blissfully blue. As always, I meet the best kind of people along the trail — folks enjoying the fresh air, willing to stop and chat or, at the very least, flashing a knowing "Yeah, this is paradise" kind of smile.
I take my time, enjoy a snack back at the picnic benches, and it's late afternoon as I start my drive back home. Happy with all I've done — and not done — I realize there are other attractions and activities I didn't fit into this trip.
Next time I'll make sure I pack my binoculars and a couple of birding books to take advantage of the chance to spy some of my brilliant feathered friends on New Mexico Birding Trail 14.
I also want to check out U-Trail Gila Wilderness Horseback Vacations (Wild Horse Road, 539-2426, 800-887-2453, www.utrail.com) They offer everything from day trail riding to extensive pack trips, with fishing and hunting destinations, too. There are clinics to learn the art of mountain riding and packing.
Next time, I think, as I point the car south. The sun is setting, my mind quiet and my gut relaxed, enjoying the sound of silence I am bringing home with me.
Catron County Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 415, Reserve, NM, 533-6116, www.catroncounty.org
Donna Clayton Lawder is senior editor of Desert Exposure.