TOUR AMERICA 2019: DEMING, NEW MEXICO – LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   Dream Catcher RV Park, Deming, New Mexico

Oct 10, 2019

Temperature 81 degrees

Hatch – Chile Capital of the World

Sparky’s Restaurant

We had one more spot we wanted to visit before we left this area.  Well, actually two spots but more about about that later.

We were up early and on the road by 9 am.  We had a ride of about 55 minutes to our destination.  Hence, our early start.

One thing about traveling in this area, between point A and point B there is usually nothing but rough, rugged, desolate landscape.  It was no different on this trip.  Occasionally, here and there the odd item would pop up and we’ll get to them in a few minutes.

Soon enough we were at the first of our two destinations.

Hatch, New Mexico is a quaint and interesting little town tucked in along the Interstate 25 corridor and the Rio Grande River in south central New Mexico.   It’s not a big town by any means.  Here’s main street looking south,

and this is main street looking north.

Hatch has a history of being raided, abandoned, reclaimed, abandoned again, and finally settled for good. The village of Hatch wasn’t incorporated officially until 1928, and has since grown into a major player in the growing of chile, especially green chile.  Hence, it’s title as The Chile Capital of the World.  You really don’t have to look hard to find any number of roadside shops that sell chile peppers.

The smoking hot ones.

Everywhere you look, in every way possible you are reminded you are in chile land.

While in Hatch we decided to stop here first to see what we could discover about the town.

 

A nice little garden off to one side of the museum.

Come on, let’s go inside and see what we can find.  How about this, an eagle that met it’s end when it picked on some poor, little sheep.

A painting of Hatch in 1928.

Photos of the flood of 1921 which wiped out the town.

Two figures made from chile pods.

A very unique rock collection collected over many years by one couple from Hatch.

Some of the more unique rocks in this collection.

Anyone need a new TV in their RV?

I found this to be a very unique mural.

There’s much more to this small but very interesting museum but now we are going to move to the highlight of the day.  We’re going for lunch to Sparky’s. Proprietors Teako and Josie Nunn opened up shop in 2008.

They specialize in “Burgers, Barbecue, & Espresso,” but most people line up for their

This is their current menu

Here are some pictures from inside the restaurant.

Here is Sparky himself.

Who said pigs don’t fly?

Blast off

Keg man

Interesting

Halloween perhaps?

Mighty Mouse to the rescue

Now its

Yup, Green Chile Cheeseburgers and they are really that good

Of course when I found this I had to try it.  Trust me, it packs a punch

There is so much more inside to see and feast one’s eyes on but there is even more outside.  The Nunn’s started their acquisition of gargantuan pop culture figures from bygone decades in 2006. Teako purchased a Muffler Man bought to draw attention to their RV dealership.   He then found a small RV to put in his hand.

Within months of its opening, Sparky’s offered A&W Mama and Papa Burger statues on its roof,  a giant pig and chicken in its parking lot, fiberglass replicas of Colonel Sanders and Ronald McDonald on its sidewalk, and, off to one side, an Uncle Sam  towering 30 feet tall.

 

There’s more, weather report anyone?

Then there was this.  With gas going to close to $5 a gallon in California, take a look

Who, for instance, would have ever though what amazing sights would be in this small, obscure town in NM.  All one needs to do is slow down, open their eyes and what delights they will find.  We’re so glad and so fortunate to have had this opportunity to visit here.

Remember that odd thing I mentioned that pops up on the road from time to time?  Here’s a really unique solar farm.  These panels are huge, really huge.  And there are hundreds of them.  When we passed them on the way down they were all standing up

like this one.  Given their size its amazing to realize that they all rotate to follow the sun.

Hold on the day is not done yet.  We figured we’d go out in style and and have a pizza from

with an order of Honey Hot Barbecue Wings.  Oh they are hot and good.  I enjoyed each and every one of them.

Time to go.  It’s late and we have to pack since tomorrow is a travel day.  Hope you enjoyed your day with us.  We had a blast.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  We’ve had a wonderful time here in Deming.  So many new places discovered, so many new facts learned, so many wonderful places visited.  Add to that lots of time spent with friends old and new.  Who could ask for any more?

Thanks for joining us today and this month.  We’ve enjoyed your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow after we get to our new home.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!