If you are bored and want to try something different. Ted Turner is starting eco-tourism on his ranches in New Mexico. Turner is the biggest private land owner in New Mexico, second biggest in the country. His Vermejo Park, Ladder, and Armendaris ranches are worth a look.

Vermejo Park was owned by Pennzoil back in the mid-70s, and is on the Colorado border. It's a stunner. It was like stepping back in the 1800s when I was there in '76. Mule deer, elk, coyote, turkey were in your way on every trip. They stood and stared at you like they had never seen a human before. One trip I took coincided with Billy Martin of the Yankees being there fishing.

The Ladder and Armendaris ranches are in southern New Mexico. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico would be your jumping-off point. We stayed at Turner's Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa.

http://www.sierragrandelodge.c...etectCookieSupport=1

This is a definite couples trip. We bought the Tour & Relax package, and toured the Ladder Ranch. The rooms were comfortable. The restaurant was excellent. The spa facilities were also very good.

We saw mule deer, but missed on the bison and pronghorn. Saw a lot of ring-tailed cat sign and some bear sign during a four mile hike.

There is nothing to do in T or C. Elephant Butte Reservoir is only 10% full. (My dad used to take us fishing there when I was a kid.) They do have a new golf course that looks nice. If I was to go back, which I probably won't, I would take my golf shoes and play it. I would also try to plan my trip to coincide with their annual bison roundup.

I would like to go back to Vermejo Park some time to show the wife.

The Armendaris Ranch has the second largest bat flight in the U.S., and the chance to spot bison, and oryx that have come off White Sands Missile Range.

We enjoyed our three-day jaunt.

The Vermejio is beyond impressive !
I killed a bear there in 82-3. I would LOVE to go back----------ESP on an Elk hunt.

My first trip in to the rig working on the Vermejo Ranch was a thrill. I got to the locked gate in the dark, stopped and visited with the ranch foreman for about an hour, until the sky started to lighten, then started my drive thirty miles into the ranch, up the Vermejo River. Once I got into the mountains, I was all eyes and ears, and just creeping along. Suddenly a 6X6 bull elk jumped out of the riverbed and crossed right in front of me. He ran to the tree line, spun around and stood staring at me, about fifty yards away. He was in his prime, looking like a mount in Cabela's. After a few minutes of neither of us making a move, I rolled down the window and slapped the outside of my car door to see what he would do. He dropped his head a little and started rolling his rack. Then he started pawing the ground, throwing dirt and debris back behind him like a fighting bull about to charge. Scared me enough to shift from Park to Drive, just in case. As he calmed-down I slapped the door again, and he went back into full-threat mode. It was so cool. I eased my foot off the brake and started rolling forward. He didn't act threatened. He acted like, "I'm tired of screwing with you too". He spun around, raised his nose high, which laid his rack right along his rump, and just trotted into the trees. What a thrill!