The photo is of another sculpture in Artesia. This is one of the most interesting small towns I have seen for some time.
We left The Ranch at Lakewood about 11am and headed north through Artesia and on to Roswell. We really wanted to go to Alamogordo but there is a pretty steep climb to the town of Cloudcroft and a steep descent toward Alamogordo. We elected to go north and then west on US 70/380 then pick up US 54 south past the White Sands Missilerange to Alamogordo and then US 70 to Las Cruces. There was a 6% grade into Ruidoso Downs but we did not have a problem, just 2nd gear and about 35 to 40 mph in the right lane. Then down the other side and of course into a small town with a 45 mph limit so it is on the brakes to get down to a legal speed. But that is always the way it is, especially on the downhill side of the mountain where you could let it roll for a few miles and save some of the fuel it took to go up the other side.
We are in Las Cruces for the night and not sure which way we will go in the morning. Maybe north to Elephant Butte, near Truth or Consequences, of maybe north to Rd 26 and then to Deming. Will just have to wait and see.