Night in Santa Rosa, N.M.

Our vacation began in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, a small town we had passed by on numerous occasions traveling along Interstate 40, though we had never taken the brief detour onto the historic Route 66 running alongside the highway. This time we stopped for a night.

On this occasion we opted to spend the night at the Days Inn. We were pleasantly surprised that the room priced $20 below the La Quinta was quite adequate in every respect. We used the money we saved to eat that evening at Joseph's Bar & Grill, a choice we would take back were we given the opportunity. The bland New Mexican cuisine was not what we were hoping for.

But what we would not take back was our drive to Blue Hole, which was a wonderful surprise discovered right in the heart of Santa Rosa. A round swimming hole without a floor, it is fed by an underground river which keeps the lake's temperature at a constant 61 degrees, the sign there told us. Blue Hole is a natural lake dug into the native rock terrain of the area, a scenic marvel.

The next morning before leaving town, we stepped through the breezeway to the back of the Days Inn and found a delightful little vegetable garden being cultivated, apparently by the operator of the motel. There were also numerous wildflowers in bloom. All in all, our visit to Santa Rosa was quite enjoyable.