Las Cruces, NM - 11/10/19

Las Cruces ("the crosses") is a city in New Mexico, on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Las Cruces is the second-largest city in New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County.
As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385.
The Las Cruces metropolitan area had an estimated population of 213,849 in 2017.

Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the Mesilla Valley, the agricultural region on the floodplain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch to the west side of El Paso, Texas.

Las Cruces is the home of New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico's only land-grant university.

The city's major employer is the federal government on nearby White Sands Test Facility and White Sands Missile Range.

The Organ Mountains, 10 miles to the east, are dominant in the city's landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains, Robledo Mountains, and Picacho Peak.

Las Cruces lies 225 miles south of Albuquerque, 42 miles northwest of El Paso, Texas and 41 miles north of the Mexican border at Sunland Park.

Places to Visit
The interactive New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum features livestock and gardens.
On the Rio Grande, Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park has trails and birdlife.
The Museum of Nature and Science includes desert animals and hands-on displays.
In an old depot, the Railroad Museum has model trains and explores the local impact of railways.

Space Travel
Spaceport America, which has corporate offices in Las Cruces, operates from 55 miles to the north, and has completed several successful manned, suborbital flights.
The city is also the headquarters for Virgin Galactic, the world's first company to offer sub-orbital spaceflights.

Travel Itinerary:
11/10/19 - Sunday
Depart From: Meade, KS
Depart: 9:05 am
Odometer: 124,498
Arrive: 9:05 pm
Odometer: 125,062
Trip Mileage: 564
Trip Time: 12 hr 0 min

Destination:
Walmart #5155 1550 S Valley Dr
Las Cruces, NM 88005
GPS: 32.28950, -106.782978
Google Maps: 431 miles - 6 hr 46 min
Campsite: WM
Cost: Free

Gas Expense:
Pilot #1083
Stratford, TX
Price/Gal: $2.349
Gallons: 20.299
Amount: $47.68
Odometer: 124,631

Corona Mini Mart
Corona, NM
Price/Gal: $2.999
Gallons: 20.079
Amount: $60.22
Odometer: 124,890

Comments:
Spent a very long day driving. Will try not to do this again!

While driving through a mountainous area of New Mexico on US-54, we encountered a 2 x 4 piece of wood on the highway. It was at night. It was too late and dangerous to avoid hitting it. Our Ford E-150 cargo van and trailer ran over it. Fortunately, no damage was done to either vehicle. Just one more reason I try to avoid driving at night.

I made a note to make sure the next time we travel to Las Cruces, NM on US-54 we have a full tank of fuel. While traveling south on US-54, south of I-40 to Las Cruces, we only encountered one fuel station, which was located in Corona, NM. We did need fuel and were fortunate to find the one in Corona.

The Walmart, located a short distance from I-10, is a popular place for RVs to spend the night. Only downside was the constant noise from traffic on I-10.