You definetly need to do the byway, thing...the byway center is next to the Hubbard Museum, and you can get a good map there to follow.

Yes, please go to the Flying J Ranch...that place is awesome!! It's well worth the price you pay, you will have a blast there.

I've had my hotel room booked since April, otherwise the pickings would be slim in Ruidoso by now!

Last year the curator of the Lincoln Courthouse allowed me to bring in my dog, so that he didn't have to sit out in the heat while I went in...the majority of places don't do that! (I wouldn't recommend bringing a dog along in that heat, but in my case I have to if I'm going, because my dog is diabetic and I'm the only one he allows to give him his shots. I do my best to make sure he's nice and cool and not in the direct sun)

If you can, and if he is still giving his Lincoln tours, catch up with Drew Gomber, he gives this little tour of lincoln with details of the LCW that you probably wouldn't know otherwise...ask him about the feller who was poisoned by his wife and keeled over during the LCW...that is a pretty funny story, especially the way he tells it.

I don't remember Lincoln or Ruidoso being that cool during the summer unless it rained, but definetly bring a jacket along, and some sunscreen LOL Last year I got a horrible sunburn that is just now beginning to fade.

If you get there before the Old Lincoln Days start, or after it's over, take a night and sit in front of the Courthouse for a while, and stare at the stars. You'll be amazed at how bright they are and how dark Lincoln is.

Otherwise, looks like you have your time in the area very well planned!  

this will be my 5th trip and the things listed are stuff we usually do.  I was hoping there was something new or something i missed that i need to do..

 

I havent done the by-way...is that a hiking, horseback, car tour or what?  I will try and find this guy in lincoln, sounds like a hoot. 

 

If anyone is there during the Lincoln Days the first weekend in August, let me know, would love to say hola!

 

Liz

quote:

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Originally posted by:
"What are the top Billy related things to do? I really can't do much of anything else, I can't walk that much and will have to wait until it cools down, maybe October I hope. It's too bad that Maxwell house is long gone. Is the Lincoln Courthouse still a courthouse?"

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You dont have to walk that much to enjoy Ruidoso and Lincoln.  Lincoln is such a tiny town that it takes about 5 minutes to walk from one end to the next lol.  The courthouse is virtually unchanged.  My husband sat at the judges bench who sentenced Billy to die, die, die.  The orginal chain holders used to hold Billys leg irons are still there, and the hole in the wall that was made when Billy killed Bell is still there covered by plexi glass.  Its truley amazing.  There is a Drs home thier that has all his orginal "tools" in it, and the Tunstall store still has alot of original merchandise in it.  Very cool.  Lots of neat stuff.

Ruidoso is just beautiful, completely different look from Lincoln.  Lincoln is a rough town, lots of dust, and the mountains are more like large hills.  Its much warmer thier then in Ruidoso, however since there is so little humidity I rarely notice the heat(nothing compared to Dallas).  Last year in Ruidoso it was in the 90's in the summer, which the town folk say was an odd thing, it was a hotter the usual summer.  Usually the days dont get much out of the 80's maybe touch 90.  But like i said there is always a cool breeze and no humidity.  Hardly anyone even has airconditioning in thier homes.  At night you need a blanket.  If you wait till fall to go you will need a jacket or coat, and it can get quite chilly early on. 

Go to www.ruidoso.net for an informative site full of photos of the area and neat things to do, it also will list Lincoln activities, which for the most part Lincoln doesnt have many special activities except for the daily operations like museums.

 

Hope this helps.... that ruidoso.net site has always been in my farvorite list...i visit it all the time.  sigh...wish i could live there.

we stayed at casa de patron during christmas vacation 2003.  cleis and jerry jordan, the owners, are wonderful hosts and very informative.  the house is restored and looks wonderful.  my mom and i had the house to ourselves the first night.  we had just gotten settled in, explored the room where billy was held "prisoner" in the deal with lew wallace, and the lights went out.  it was about ten o'clock at night and a full moon. we lit candles and played the grand piano in the living room and sang songs until about one a.m.  for awhile we felt like we were back in the old days with billy!

You can find the Casa de Patron address by going here: http://www.casapatron.com/ 

To answer an earlier post, the byway center is next to the Hubbard Museum, not far from the Casino. They can give you a map with all the interesting Billy the Kid related points that you can visit while in the area. You can check out their website here: http://www.zianet.com/billythekid/ 

They used to have an online version of the map, but I don't know if they still have it.