Whether you find something to hang on your walls or not, the 36th Annual Mayfair is a fun activity for the whole family, and it’s one of Cloudcroft’s main events. It makes a great prelude to Memorial Day weekend cookouts, and if you have small kids, it’s a great way to wear them out so you can relax with a cold beer or a glass of wine in the evening. All in all, about 2,000 people come from all over to browse paintings, glassware, jewelry and other arts and crafts, and you’ll want to allot plenty of time to meander past all the booths—between the art, food, and live music you’ll find, it makes for a memorable way to spend the Saturday.

The event starts on Saturday, May 26th and continues through Sunday, running from 10am to 5pm both days. In addition to the art on display, you’ll also be able to catch Cloudcroft’s light theatre company’s melodrama performance on Saturday at 7:30. Hope to see you there!

Some of the sales tricks a first-time seller (or a second, third, fourth, etc.) can use are as simple as giving the outside trim a fresh coat of paint. You want to do anything that will make your house more attractive from the street; re-stain the door, weed the flower beds, spruce up the lawn, power wash the exterior—whatever improves your home’s curb appeal can make the difference between a buyer saying “let’s see what’s down the block” and “let’s see what the inside looks like.”

As for the inside of your home, whatever you can afford to fix, fix it. Got scuffed or peeling/bubbling linoleum? Deep clean or replace it. Are there dings or scratches on the walls? Touch up the paint. Keep your home vacuumed and clean, and keep the clutter to an absolute minimum if people are coming by regularly to take a look at your home. You want them to imagine living in your home, so put your personal effects (photos, papers, family-specific décor) in storage and replace them with neutral wall art.

In addition, you can turn your social network into a sales network. Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist are all great places to spread the word about your house, and sites like Zillow.com or trulia.com are great places to list, and you can even get your own URL, like 4100Elmstreetforsale.com. The more you get the word out, the more people will come looking.

Found behind the Chamber of Commerce, the Spruce Cabins have been a fixture in Cloudcroft since the mid-20th century; not too long ago, Amigo Realty acquired the properties, and we’ve recently finished “sprucing” them up. They’re now ready for guests, and for a quaint, affordable place to stay on your southern New Mexico vacation, they’re perfect. Whether you’re visiting the town or traveling to places like Carlsbad, Alamogordo, or exploring the Lincoln National Forest, our Spruce Cabins make a great place for launching your day trips. And with close, walking-distance proximity to Cloudcroft’s main drag, you’ll have access to our village’s main hangouts, shops, and eateries.

The Spruce Cabins are ideal for families looking to see the outdoors on their vacation, and we have units that sleep from two to six people, and each cabin has a bathroom, with the larger ones coming equipped with fireplaces and kitchens. Cloudcroft’s plethora of outdoor activities await you, so come stay at a place that’s close to them all!

From a variety of over 200 different birds (like the pygmy nuthatch robin and several types of finches) to deer, raccoons, skunks, and even bears, you’re likely to encounter many furry and feathered acquaintances. While you should never feed the wildlife (they’re pretty good at finding their own food, despite what they might try to get you to believe), keep your distance and take a picture.

One particular creature you’ll want to capture on film or digital memory is wildlife. The checkerspot is endemic to a single patch of forest, about 30 miles square; this is the only place in the world where this butterfly lives. Like most butterflies, this one feeds on and pollinates plants, and it’s partial to sneezeweed. However, it only lays eggs on the New Mexico penstemon, which only grows in the Sacramento and Capitan mountains. In other words, Cloudcroft is basically the only place where you can see these rare insects.

As you may imagine, these butterflies are in danger of extinction, and Otero County has created a conservation program with the Fish and Wildlife Service to help the species continue and thrive. As such, you should be aware while you’re tramping through the meadows and forests around Cloudcroft that you could encounter an endangered species. Be careful not to harm them, but should you find one landing on your shoulder or resting on a flower (the checkerspot has a beautiful orange, brown, and white pattern on its wings), be sure to snap a pic. If you use Instagram, tag it with #checkerspotbutterfly and #cloudcroft—we love seeing pictures of the things that make living here really special!

This Easter weekend, for example, is the annual Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt held at Zenith Park. The Kiwanis will be laying a thousand eggs all over Zenith park, waiting for eager little ones to find them. The event kicks off at 10am, and there will be lots of goodies from the Easter Bunny—even Smokey the Bear is going to be there! If the kiddos don’t get their fill of scrambling for Easter eggs on Saturday at the Kiwanis’ event, the Lodge has its own Easter egg hunt on Sunday, starting with Easter brunch at the resort’s restaurant, Rebecca’s, where the Easter Bunny will make a special appearance. Then at 1:30, the Easter egg hunt kicks off, and there will prizes awarded to the kids who find secret, special eggs.

All in all, Easter weekend is just one of the many fun things for children in our little mountain village. Cloudcroft might be a small town, but growing up here offers lots of rich experiences—if you and your family want to check it out, please get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to show you around, and hopefully find a place for you to set down some roots!

Up in Lincoln County, there’s a place called White Oaks. While a few people live and operate businesses there, it’s kind of a ghost town; at one time, White Oaks had a population of around 5,000 people and was the second-largest city in the state, but then the gold mines dried up, it fell into decline. Nowadays you’ll find some arts and crafts, the famous “No Scum Allowed” Saloon, plus historical sites like a miner’s house, historic grave sites, and some old mansions. As for the wild part of White Oaks, the town is associated with none other than legendary outlaw Billy the Kid.

According to historic sources, Billy the Kid spent the latter part of his short life rustling cattle, and he would sell his haul at White Oaks, no doubt attracted to the town’s brothels and casinos. Pat Garret, bought the lumber to make Billy’s gallows from a lumber mill in White Oak, right as the gunman made his famed escape through the chimney of the Lincoln County jail, shooting a Deputy named Bell in the process. Deputy Bell is buried in White Oak’s Cedvale Cemetery.

More than the graveyard, however, you’ll want to visit White Oaks for a drink at the No Scum Saloon. It’s one of the last truly great cowboy bars in the state, even making American Cowboy Magazine’s Top Cowboys Bars in the West list. Stop in for a beer and make friends before heading back to Cloudcroft. They’ll probably remember you the next time you visit!

If you’re visiting Cloudcroft for the first time, you’ll definitely want to make a stop at the Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum and Pioneer Village. Here you’ll find how our little town got its start as a projected lumber source that quickly turned into a vacation spot. That was in the late 19th century, and we’ve been attracting people looking for a mountain getaway ever since. The museum’s historical exhibits contain a startling collection of early Cloudcroft artifacts, and you can stroll through the pioneer village to get a feel of what life was like for the founders of our town. You can even hold events at the chapel; if you are looking for a unique and beautiful site for a wedding, the chapel is a wonderful venue.

Along with fantastic natural scenery and friendly locals, the Historical Museum is just one of many attractions that make a stay in Cloudcroft a nice break from your daily routine. If you’re looking for a spring or summer getaway in southern New Mexico, put Cloudcroft on your radar!

Watching the scene change every 30 seconds is kind of fun, because it’s like watching a painting that changes subtly, with people walking in and out of the storefronts and the parking spaces filling and emptying. Oddly enough, you get a window (if you pardon the expression) to what life in Cloudcroft is like—slow paced, gorgeous scenery, a charming lack of traffic; it might sound silly, but since Cloudcroft is so small, the webcam is a great microcosm of what a little weekend trip to the village is like—in short, it’s relaxing.

Certainly, there is plenty to do in Cloudcroft outdoors, but if you’re just wanting a change of scenery in a peaceful environment, renting a cabin in Cloudcroft for a few days is a perfect way to recharge your batteries. Imagine a nice little stroll through the shops on Burro, stopping into the Western Bar for a beer, maybe getting a nice dinner at the Lodge—if you need a break from too much excitement, some mountain therapy could be just what you need. Just remember to wave at the webcam when you head downtown!