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Rick and Josie Ashley at the Golden Aspen Rally
Ruidoso, New Mexico
September 20-21, 2000

My wife, Josie, was thrilled with her first major roadtrip -- from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Laughlin, Nevada for the Laughlin River Run.  Ever since, she's been ready to go again.  So we planned and readied ourselves for the Golden Aspen Rally in the town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, about 550 miles from Scottsdale.

We left September 20 and headed for our summer home in Pinetop, Arizona, about sixty miles from the New Mexico border.  The next morning, we headed out for Eager, Arizona, then crossed the border into New Mexico and followed an always pretty, sometimes winding route 180 through Silver City, then Deming.  At Deming, we joined Interstate 10 to Las Cruces.  From Las Cruces, we took New Mexico 70 across the White Sands to Alamogordo and then climbed up to 7400 feet before dropping down into the village of Ruidoso (itself at 6900 feet).  A beautiful area.

Here's Josie outside our rustic (to say the least) cabin at the Idle Hour Lodge, Ruidoso.

Josie atop a small hill looking down on thousands of bikes at the Ruidoso
Convention Center, Rally Headquarters.  Early reports announce over 30,000 in
attendance.

Saturday is the day of the bike parade through the village.  Here's Josie and our bike at the parking lot for the pre-parade rendezvous.

An LC rider and passenger from Mexico, preparing for the parade.

Inside the Convention Center, it's Peter Fox of Las Cruces Motorsports at his booth -- cutting good deals (15% off or 20% over list for RLC members) as usual.  Very busy.

Back to the parade: the view from the pillion pad.  Can you see the Silver Gold Wing just ahead and to the right.  The passenger is shown . . .

. . . in the picture just below.

Was it a great trip?
We'd definitely do it again!