One of my “Bucket List” destinations was to explore the Gila Cliff Dwellings.  They always held a fascination for me since I was a little girl and I finally convinced my husband that we should visit there in our Minnie Winnie.  I read the article about Burro Mountain RV Park in your newsletter article about Silver City and we decided to stay there.  The combo of ancient ruins and a funky town with art galleries and restaurants sounded perfect to me – and it was!  Thanks for the suggestion!

Burro Mountain was only about 7miles from Silver City and was sort of rustic – but we like rustic!  It’s an old historic ranch way up in the mountains on the edge of the Gila National forest.  The setting was beautiful with trails to hike and there were deer and birds galore!  We like bird watching and always carry a sack of seed and a hummingbird feeder to put out to attract them to our RV site.  I was amazed at how many species of hummingbirds we saw there!    

The day after settling in, we took the trip to the cliff dwellings.  A one mile-long trail leads across the west fork of the Gila River to the Gila Cliff Dwelling caves, which are about one hundred and fifty feet above the canyon floor. The site today is eerie and beautiful: brick barriers and catwalks are still intact; sunlight plays dramatically off rock walls making for some fantastic photos; the sound of the stream running through the canyon below echoes gently like murmurs in a church. The mystery of why these people chose to live in these cliffs is eclipsed only by the mystery of why they appear to have abruptly left after about 25 years.  The hike can be difficult, especially if you’re not used to the altitude but is so worth it!

Next day we ventured into Silver City and had a great day!  Loved the art galleries.  Had to eat at Jalisco’s after reading so much about it.  Thoroughly enjoyed the chile rellenos (some of the best I've ever had!) and the tortilla soup was yummy - but the best was the crab tostadas!  You simply must try them if you go there!

We will definitely go back to Silver City for more exploring and fun - and crab tostadas!

Bobbie Kelton

Farmington, New Mexico