Coffee T or C

Last weekend we went to T or C, Truth or Consequences, NM. Yes, it's a city. The town of Hot Springs renamed to Truth or Consequences in 1950 after the radio show announced they would air from the first town that renamed itself after the show. To say it's a sleepy town is an understatement. More like comatose. Eerily quiet.

The only people we saw were at the city park where we had a picnic lunch overlooking a pond.

The reason we went to T or C is because Von has had chronic elbow pain and he was anxious to see if a dip in the natural hot springs would help alleviate some of the discomfort.

There are several hot spring "spas" available in town and we stopped in the city's tourist info center to get a local opinion on which one is best - Artesian.

The outside looks like a small motel that's likely infested with mice and crusty bedspreads. But instead there are half a dozen cell blocks, each with a tiled pit and large tube and valve contraption that controlled the disbursement of 108 degree hot mineral water. A primitive bath house, fortunately private, for the bargain price of $5 per person per hour.

Von was so excited, I couldn't possibly tell him at the time what I was thinking, so I kept my mouth shut. Besides, looking around the town I could see there was no better alternative.

So we paid the man, closed the door and latched the hook and eye lock to ensure our privacy. Seriously, I'm thinking, scary movie. There's NO WAY I would be there alone. I wore my swimming suit the whole time and put a towel down where I sat in the tub.

The one amazing part about the experience was how buoyant we were in the water. Turns out the minerals increases the density of the water, making us float.

Despite the creepy spa, our trip was really fun. It was a gorgeous sunny day, we saw part of the state we had never seen before - including a drive through Elephant Butte, and we spent some quality time together. Relaxing, soaking up the surroundings. That's what it's all about.

A couple more pictures from walking around the town:

P.S. There is a coffee shop named Coffee Tea or C - so clever!