RUIDOSO- A 'cool' Town For Pups and their People too!

Just back recently from a Wintertime getaway to the mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico....one of this Dawg's favorite New Mexico spots!  Why you ask.....well, there's probably a dog-zillion reasons but here are some of MY favorites!

First stop.....the fire hydrant.  Ya know...when a dog's been ridin' shotgun for a couple a hours....duty calls!  So let me tell you....what a find this dog-reporter came up with when what to my wonderin' eyes did appear a handy-dog-dandy hydrant right out my hotel back door!  Yup-Pup....that's right.  This is ONE super-duper pet friendly hotel for sure!

And where is that  you're askin?  Well it would be none other than the Lodge at Sierra Blanca  .  It's not named "Ruidoso's Finest Hotel" for nothing....and I'm addin' my two-cents barks to it!  It 'hits the mark' (if ya get my drift!) for a Pet Friendly hotel...and tops on my list of favorites!

   I'll tell you why in a few...but right now...ON with the Adventures! IT'S SNOW TIME! 

 Now...here's another exciting dog-scovery that Travelin'  Jack has made....and sharin' with you now!  How many ski resorts do you think are Dog-Friendly?  Not many, eh?  Well, right here in Ruidoso New Mexico...I'm here to dog-spel that myth.  Ski Apache is PET FRIENDLY!  On the slopes even!   

First Stop....Ticket Booth at Ski Apache Ski Resort.  Not only did I get a few good pats and hugs from the friendly staff...but they sold me a ticket to ride the Gondola on the Ski lift!  WoWee Dog-zowee!  Too cool!  Since I am a bit of a dog-celeb, I wanted to make sure that this wasn't some special treat just for Travelin' Jack.  And I'm happy to report....they are JUST that dog-friendly to ALL dogs who want to ride the Gondola!  Yippee!!!!!!!  Let's go....Pretty COOL ride if ya ask me!  Look at that view wouldja?  Dog-dazzling!  

 And Safe too!  Why...it's totally enclosed with a handy little bench to sit on and check out the passing action on the slopes!  YEP...this is FUN...no dog-doubt about it!

 

And here I am at the TOP of the lift!  Thanks guys!  You're the best to us dog-guests!  'Preciate it!

 
WoW.....take a look at this view!  PRETTY doggone PRETTY!  Now I see why skiers wanna come here!  This is one FAB ski resort.  And who wudda thunk southern New Mexico has great skiing!  But we DO for sure!  And it's Ski Apache's 50th Anniversary...so there's 50 and more reasons to visit Ski Apache----Right NOW dog-nab-it! 

 I'm just dog-dazzled by this view.  LUV it here!  It's soooooooo cool!

 Back down at the base.....see how I've got this skiin' lingo in?  I'm just the Ski-Dog Dude!  And that's especially true when I discovered this cool-dude  Ski Chair!  I'm thinkin' they made it JUST for me!  Lookin' too cool if I do say so my dog-self!
But boy-o-boy am I pooped out from all those dog-ventures on the slopes!  Back to the hotel....for a dog-nap!  Sure do love this dandy little suite I'm callin' home in Ruidoso.  The Lodge at Sierra Blanca has it all!  Our own little sitting room....well maybe "lying room" for this pooch...with a cozy gas fireplace.  What better way to rest up for the next round of Ruidoso dog-ventures, eh?

 OK...back on the trail now that I've had my little snooze!  We headed straight to the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway Visitors Center  so we could get info on all the fun things to do off the slopes.  Ya know that bad-boy Billy the Kid roamed these parts in his day!  Pretty fun history to discover too!  And I took a little walk-about around the Visitor Center while there.  Got the low-down (get it...I'm a low-down dog with my short legs!  That's one of my bulldog jokes...don't ya just love it? I do-HA!!!!)  But back to the story.  There's all sorts of fun things to discover at this visitor center.  I just learned about all the different animal tracks I can look for in these here parts......and speaking of that......

 I got taken on a personal Geo-Caching Treasure Hunt with my Ruidoso buddy...Mr. Steve.  If you wanna have some fun.....check out geo-caching!  You have to follow coordinates...then look for the hidden treasure box......

 and VOILA...we found it by-doggie!  I even left one of my NM Kids passports inside for the next treasure hunter!  And THIS year...Ruidoso has a special geo-caching festival in June. It's the 3rd Annual Billy the Kid Geofest...and it's been named a Centennial event!  Too doggone cool, eh?  I may have to come back for that this summer!   They have all the details and maps at the Visitor Center too!

OK...now that I've found the treasure box on the geo-caching hunt...I'm hunting for some more rare and old things in Ruidoso.  Ya know..I'm workin' on this "GET THE PICTURE" contest with the New Mexico Tourism Department...and I'm thinkin' there might JUST be some photo ops here in town!  Yup...think I just got another match here at the old mill!

There's lots o good shoppin', eatin, and other dog-scoveries to be had in Ruidoso too!  Just too doggone many to list here.  Think you oughta hop in your own car...and take a little trip down Ruidoso way!

But for now..we're headed back to the hotel.....this is how Travelin' Jack reviewed the hotel on TripAdvisor...and here are the reasons WHY the Lodge at Sierra Blanca gets a PAWS-UP review from Travelin' Jack.... 

1) Large comfortable rooms with outside patio area.  Nice furnishings. 2) Choice of rooms in entire lodge (no designated pet-friendly rooms). 3) We chose a ground floor room with an exit door down the hallway...easy outside access for the active pup.4) LOTS of grassy walking areas surrounding the property. The Lodge is set in a beautiful area that is comprised of green grassy areas, nice shade trees in the immediate area...a wonderful area for the visiting pooch to roam in comfort and safety.

5) One of the nicest attributes to the Lodge is its location next to a golf course and a public park
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The best part is the very well kempt Doggie Park located directly behind the Lodge. The dog park is EASY walking distance from the property, it has separate large & small dog areas...lots of trees, grass and even the occasional frisbees in area for the visiting pup to play with. The location of this park is a WONDERFUL amenity for pet travelers staying at the Lodge.

Yup..it's been another dog-dandy day in Ruidoso! Time for this workin' pup to get some down time.....so while I'm snoozin...I'm recommendin' to you...get your paws in gear and head on up to Ruidoso!  You'll be glad you did..and make sure to take the pup-kid with ya too! That's my Dog-vice for the day!

Doggie Hugs & Slurpy Kisses!