Nomad Life - Day 63

Somehow, I was up early (0450) without an alarm.  I started teleworking by 0500 and continued dealing with issues connected with the Government Shutdown.  Not wanting to interrupt my good pace of activity, I ended up skipping breakfast.  Instead, meetings and other work continued until 1205, when I left the Regal Inn Las Vegas to find lunch.  Only a short distance away, I settled on a Taco Bell - I ordered the same "Luxe Box" I had a few days before.  Starting at 1215, I ate in the restaurant.  When I was done with my meal, I drove north from Las Vegas until I reached the little town of Hot Springs.  The girl at the Froyo shop last night had told me there some actual "hot tubs" for soaking there and, after getting distracted by a sign that indicated an upcoming turn, I found myself at United World College USA.  Not seeing the hot springs, I got some help from a friendly security officer, who told me to return to the "main drag" to locate parking.  Once there (1245), I checked out a couple of access points and eventually located a trio of tubs that had been cut into of the granite.  I placed my hand over the highest one and didn't imagine it would feel comfortable.  Continuing down the incline, I finally felt like the third one was "just right."  The Montezuma Baths were mostly deserted today, although I found one person, Katherine from Texas, had just finished changing clothing behind a primitive fenced area.  With a friendly smile, she courteously allowed me to use the same privacy shield for changing and then I joined her in the lowest (supposedly, the coolest) of the tubs.  The water was VERY hot and I was initially only able to put my feet in up to my calves.  Katherine noticed my AT tattoos and we ended up talking about her own hike (600 miles north of the MA/VT border) in the late 1990s.  We also discussed activities in the local area and our (apparently shared) life on the road.  The weather was wonderful (sunny, 70s, light breeze) and the contrast between dry mountain air and warm water felt quite good on my heel bursitis.  Following Katherine's lead, I then proceeded to soak the same parts of my legs in the cold water of the Gallinas Creek.  In this way, I was able to work up to immersing my entire lower body in the tub (and, later, the river).  I never tried to enter any of the other tubs but, after finishing this brief respite (1320), I explored the nearby area.  This investigation revealed about five other pools (in two more private locations) and it was clear that I could have had one of them completely to myself.  On the way back to Las Vegas, I talked with Trish about my upcoming stay in Albuquerque.  In the hotel home again (1345), I continued teleworking (more meetings) until 1630.  The weather was still wonderful so I decided that I needed to get some steps on a trail nearby.  The best idea (it would allow for a quick turnaround and return to Las Vegas Plaza for a drink) seemed to be that I finish the Cinder Road / Gallinas River Park Trail and I was parked at the Memorial Middle School ball fields by 1645  First, I walked south towards Mills Avenue and then backtracked towards the north.  Along the way, I saw lots of (loud) magpies in one field and many other types of interesting birds in the trees that lined Cinder Road.  As I passed my starting point, I nervously checked to make sure that the gate was not closed - fortunately, the kids were still playing soccer and baseball.  At about the same time, I was greeted by a few guys with cowboy hats, large trucks and farm dogs - they were building a long fence but were very friendly.  We ended up talking about the magpies and they commented that the birds seemed to be interested in carrion in the area for some reason.  Returning to my walk, I made my way to the northern end of the bike trail.  The sun was starting to dip behind distant mountains by that point, so I returned to my car and figured out I'd walked almost four miles in 90 minutes (also reached my 10K steps goal).  Leaving the school (1820), I continued a habit I'd been trying to build during the previous few days: avoiding use of Google Maps and trying to navigate with my own instincts.  This worked well again and I easily located the Las Vegas Plaza and a parking spot in front of Borracho's Craft Booze & Brews for drinks.  The establishment appeared to give me the best chance of sampling interesting local beers and, after I got over the sight of many dogs in the bar area (and the extremely loud music), I figured out I was correct.  In the end, I tried some good brews from Santa Fe and Albuquerque, including a Pecan Ale (wow!).  Once the early afternoon crowd had departed, I had the bar to myself for a little while before a new group arrived.  Throughout the evening, everyone was very friendly to me - I've really enjoyed the New Mexico amiability that I've encountered this week!  I talked a lot to the bartender (Darby) and learned that the bar had only recently opened.  Meanwhile, drinks were assembled right in front of me - Darby showed some artistry!  Along the way, she told me more about the "movie set" activity I'd seen a few days before, explaining that the work was related to a Netflix show called "Ransom Canyon" (Darby herself was an extra in several scenes during the first season!).  There were many temptations to get some food but I ultimately skipped dinner.  While sitting at the bar, watching and listening, I started to wonder if this place wasn't my kind of town for settling down someday...  We'll see!  I finished my fun at 2035 and, reluctantly, returned to the Regal Inn.  Upon arriving, I had trouble with my key but the desk clerk fixed it immediately.  Once in my room, I did some reading, updated the eBird website with some recent bird sightings, worked on Duolingo exercises and watched a few YouTube movies.  Finally feeling tired, I went to bed just after 2200.   With another hot springs experience, some good walking and friendly social interactions, it was definitely another great day in the High Desert!