Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all had a great week and are ready for the weekend.  I found an event that looks really fun for those of you with little ones in your life.  Sesame Street Live is coming to the Abraham Chavez Theatre in El Paso this Saturday April 7th.  Known as the a musical event like no other-monsters making music! Elmo, Zoe, Big Bird and all their Sesame Street friends are taking to the stage to share their love of music in Sesame Street Live "Elmo Makes Music." All the Sesame Street Live shows have great reviews.

Here is one review of the show I found online.

"My children are 3 and 4yrs old (boy and girl). They sang along and danced the whole time. The characters did very well keeping the attention of toddlers and the older kids. This was well spent money and time!"

This looks like a great event to spend with your children or grandchildren I know my grandbabies would sure have a blast! You can find more information about this event online >HERE<

For more information on local events, news, Real Estate news, etc... Visit our website at www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

Here is a video promo for the Live event!

Today I am going to highlight another great and inexpensive day trip option for the greater Las Cruces area.  The Gila Cliff DwellingsNational Monument offers a glimpse into the homes and lives of the Mogollon people who lived in this area over 700 years ago. The monument is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies within the rugged Gila Wilderness, the nation's first wilderness area. The wilderness designation means that the wilderness character of the area will not be altered by the intrusion of roads or other evidence of human presence.the Gila Cliff Dwellings were built in the 13th century by the Mogollon people. They formed the walls using chunks of Gila Conglomerate found within the caves. Mortar was required to keep the walls together. In some places you can still see the handprints of the builders. Activities in the monument include bird watching, fishing, hiking, interpretive programs, nature walks, stargazing, and wildlife viewing.

Activities in the wilderness include backpacking, bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, stargazing, and wildlife viewing.There are several popular hot springs in the area. The closest wilderness hot spring, Lightfeather, is a 20-minute walk from the Gila Visitor Center. The most popular is Jordan, a 6 or 8 mile hike from the Visitor Center, depending upon the trailhead used. Private hot springs are also located in the community of Gila Hotsprings, four miles from the Monument.  If you enjoy the outdoors and would enjoy taking a beautiful hike in nature then this is the perfect day trip for you.  New Mexico is a stunning place and it is always fun to get out and see what our lovely state has to offer.

If you would like to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings here is how to get there

Take State Highway 15 north from Silver City. Although the distance from Silver City is only 44 miles, the travel time is approximately two hours due to twisting and winding mountain terrain. An alternative route from Silver City is along State Highway 35 and goes through the Mimbres Valley. Even though it is 25 miles longer than Highway 15, it is less winding, wider, more level, and easier to travel; therefore it takes about the same amount of time to drive. NOTE: If your vehicle, travel trailer, or RV is over 20 feet in length, you should take Highway 35.

For more information about The Gila Cliff Dwellings please visit www.nps.gov/gicl If you are intested in other great things to do around town visit our website by clicking below.

Trinity Site
Open To The Public This Saturday April 7,2012

On July 16, 1945, at 05:29:45AM Mountain War Time (MWT) the world changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb. The explosion took place at Trinity Site which is on what is now White Sands Missile Range.

The 19-kiloton explosion not only led to a quick end to the war in the Pacific, but this devastating technology also ushered the world into the atomic age. All life on Earth has been touched by the event which took place here.

When he observed the test, Robert Oppenheimer (who could be called the Father of this Atomic Bomb), is quoted as saying “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” (A line from Hindu Scripture)

Trinity is a national historic landmark which is open to the public only twice a year on the first Saturday in April and the First Saturday in October. Open House dates in 2012 are 7 April and 6 Oct. I have visited twice, and no matter your feelings about “the Bomb” and its subsequent use, it is worth the long trip to see this historic site.
See How to Get There: Directions to the site for the biannual Open House.

The 51,500-acre area was declared a national historic landmark in 1975.

The landmark and what visitors are allowed to see includes: base camp, where the scientists and support group lived, the obelisk that marks ground zero, where the bomb was placed for the explosion, and the McDonald ranch house, where the plutonium core to the bomb was assembled. The fence around Ground Zero has a display of historical photos. (SITE MAP)

A few words about what happened seems appropriate here:

The device exploded with an energy equivalent to around 20 Kilotons of TNT. The heat of the blast vaporized the steel tower and melted the desert sand and turned it into a green radioactive glassy substance. It was called Trinitite, and it can still be seen in the area. It left a crater in the desert 10 feet (3 m) deep and 1,100 feet (330 m) wide. The shock wave was felt over 100 miles (160 km) away, and the mushroom cloud reached 7.5 miles (12 km) in height.

The Alamogordo Air Base issued a 50-word press release that "a remotely located ammunitions magazine containing a considerable amount of high explosives and pyrotechnics exploded," but that "there was no loss of life or limb to anyone." A newspaper article published the same day stated that "the blast was seen and felt throughout an area extending from El Paso, to Silver City, Gallup, Socorro, and Albuquerque.

Though the actual cause was not publicly acknowledged until after the August 6th Bombing of Hiroshima, the people of New Mexico knew what had happened.

The following references are well worth your time.  Take a few moments to read and learn more about this historic event and site that make up an important part of the very fabric of New Mexico and the United States. You will get some insight into WWII, the Manhattan Project, and especially important is the theory and reasons behind the bomb.

http://www.wsmr.army.mil/PAO/Trinity/Pages/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_%28nuclear_test%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project

INFO:

There is no admission fee for this event. Food and souvenirs are sold there. Cameras are allowed at Trinity Site but their use is strictly prohibited anywhere else on White Sands Missile Range. There are no ceremonies or speakers.

For more information:
Contact the missile range Public Affairs Office at (575) 678-1134

See How to Get There: Directions to the site for the biannual Open House.

Whether you're in the market or just looking for a way to make your home more comfortable, visual tricks are a very important tool of interior design.

Colors, light, furniture and decorative pieces can be arranged to make any room appear bigger than it really is! Here's a list of simple tips to follow:

Color 

Light hues will open up the space, and painting the walls white will definitely maximize that effect.*Go monochromatic. If all white doesn’t work for your lifestyle, try painting the walls, trim and detailing in different shades of one color. Pick from off-white, beige, any pastel or neutral color.*Match the color of the furniture with the color of the walls. Stay away from contrasting colors, especially in big pieces such as the sofa.

Decoration 

Medium-size furniture pieces work better than a big, prominent one. Avoid having many small pieces scattered all over the room, and arrange furniture at an angle to add visual interest to the place.*Track or recessed lighting works best for small spaces. Use a torchiere lamp to bounce light off the ceiling, and get rid of heavy drapery. Let the natural light come in as much as possible.*Mirrors are also a great way to make a room feel and look bigger. A big wall mirror right in front of a window will reflect light and color; so will a collection of smaller ones, distributed along one wall.

Organization 

Any small space will look bigger if it's clutter-free. Get rid of little furniture dispersed all over, and move around pieces that block the view and walkway space.*Designers recommend getting pieces of furniture with open arms and legs, as well as small glass-top tables, so the light can filter through.*Make the most out of the space with multifunctional furniture. Invest in good quality pieces such as drop-leaf orremovable-leaf tables and ottomans for storage and sitting purposes, among others.

I hope that you have found this information helpful and I look forward to your comments, questions, and suggestions. 

Hi everyone!

Romance is in the air next week! What is your favorite spot for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner? I think a lot of you might say a home cooked, candle lite dinner, but the rest of us want something fancy! 

My choice is Double Eagle!

It's reportedly haunted by the ghosts of two starcrossed lovers who died tragically but still found a way to hang out in a romantic setting. There are cozy nooks, a lush garden room, an elegant dining area with a gold-plated ceiling, a comfy Victorian bar and even a room spiced with furnishings that once graced the Silver City bordello of the notorious Madam Millie.

Whatever your idea of romance, you're likely to find some aspect of it in the rambling, historic and elegant old adobe that houses the Double Eagle on the Mesilla Plaza.

Take your Valentine for luscious margaritas, hors d'oeuvres (try the green chile wontons for a love-enhancing endorphin rush), lunch or a snack. Get big Valentine's points by springing for the Sunday buffet, a gourmet supper or see if you can get reservations for the special annual St. Valentine's Day Wine Tasting Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

They match wines with foods and prepare a wonderful event. 

For reservations and more info: (575) 523-6700.

See everyone next week!