Raton, New Mexico

Jill's Journal: Maybe our first clue should have been that “Raton” means “rat” in Spanish, but this is a crazy little town (population under 8,000) and not the most appealing by any standards. It’s dilapidated and looks like a ghost town (complete with tumbleweeds bouncing by) in many parts. The 35mph winds with 50mph gusts are brutal and cut through a person like a knife. And the people we’ve seen here definitely qualify as characters. When I said to Rob that at least they were friendly, he cracked me up by saying that it was only because we hadn’t discovered where they’d hidden the bodies.

Just kidding – not to disparage this town too much, but it’s definitely eccentric and a little downtrodden, to be honest. I’m sure it has many redeeming qualities and we just haven’t found them, right? And after being out of the Southwest for so many years, the 5 lb. 13 oz. cans of menudo and jalapeños at the grocery store definitely signified we’d returned. :)

The girls did get to visit a handmade tortilla shop and the sweet couple in there gave them a brief explanation of how tortillas are made. Fresh handmade tortillas…yum.


Two interesting notes for racing fans: Chip Woolley was born here! He was the trainer of 2009 Kentucky Derby longshot winner Mine That Bird, the little New Mexico gelding whom he drove 1,700 miles to Louisville in his horse trailer for a shot at greatness. That may not sound too unusual to horse people in other disciplines, but it’s unheard of in racing. Horses good enough for the national spotlight are more accustomed to flying or being vanned first class in a plush tractor trailer, not being pulled along in a regular horse trailer behind their trainer’s Ford. It was awesome.

And, New Mexico’s first-ever racetrack was right here in Raton, just down the street from our campground. La Mesa Park opened in 1946, was apparently wildly popular in the 1970s, and closed for good in 1992 when racing in New Mexico was hurting. It’s shuttered up tight now, with fencing all around and ominous “No Trespassing” signs. It’s overgrown and the grandstand looks to be falling apart. A shame, especially since the town is embroiled in controversy over a $50 million racetrack and casino that was scheduled to be built in the last year or two but hasn’t materialized.

We’ll leave Raton tomorrow and take with us a smile every time we remember this wacky little town. A blessed Thanksgiving to anyone reading.