Seniors Enjoy a Stopover in Deming

Deming, New Mexico, located 60 miles west of Las Cruces, is only 33 miles north of the Mexican border,  with a population right at 15,000. Senior visitors will find Deming rich with history, atmosphere, and sunshine, all in great abundance.

The desert with the Florida mountains in the background offer spectacular views year round. The local state parks are diverse from one end of the desert to the other and into the mountains of the Black Range. The water and the agricultural influence make Deming a true oasis in the desert.

Deming is named after Mary Ann Deming Crocker, wife of Charles Crocker, one of the Big Four of the railroad industry. The city, founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1902, was an important port of entry on the US-Mexican border until the Gadsen Purchase of 1853. A nickname was given to the city at the time of its founding, “New Chicago”.

Seniors Enjoy The Mimbres Museum

At the Luna Mimbres Museum, senior visitors can enjoy a replica of the streets of pioneer Deming, a cowboy exhibit based on the Diamond A Ranch and military history.

They will also find a gem and mineral room, an art gallery, automobiles, dolls, books and toys from past generations. Then there is the  Hispanic room; and Mimbres Indian pottery and basketry.

For senior oenophiles, Deming has some fine wineries and vineyards to be enjoyed that include the St. Clair and Luna Rossa Wineries.

While copper mining and refining have been a primary source of wealth in the surrounding area for most of the twentieth century, Luna County has a proud and successful heritage in farming and ranching producing chilies, pecans, cotton, melons, sweet onions, and grapes.

 Senior Rockhounds Take Note

For you rock hounds like my daughter, the Rockhound State Park in the Little Florida Mountains, with elevations that range up to 7,700 feet, offers access to silica minerals, quartz crystals, chalcedony, blue agate, and white and pink common opals.

Senior rockhounds are invited to gather up to 15 pounds of rock to take home with you. The park offers picnic facilities, hiking trails, wildlife including Persion Ibex and attractive gardens. You will discover a variety of rock formations that make Deming a beautiful scenic wonder.

Deming’s downtown commercial buildings retain much of their historic integrity and remain part of a historic zone. Presently, 16 buildings have been placed on the State Historic Register and four of the 16 buildings are on the National Register of Historic places. My wife and I love those old historic buildings.

There are numerous ancient Native American sites around Deming. The Mimbres and Casa Grandes cultures made pottery of remarkable quality, and the Deming area is rich in native pottery artifacts, as well as beads, stone implements, stone carvings, graves, etc. I feel you will find Deming to be to your liking.  Senior travelers can easily spend a few days there.  -jeb