Difference between revisions of "Las Cruces"

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== Hitching West towards Tucson/Phoenix (I-10) ==
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If you're thinking the on-ramp near the T/A and Pilot truck stops on Motel Blvd is your friend, you couldn't be more wrong. Ninety percent of all trucks here are headed East. The ten percent that aren't are either FedEx trucks or team drivers. As for regular cars, most are service trucks leaving to help broke-down big rigs on I-10 or city workers. Very little normal traffic, I've been here twice (dumped off by hippies both times for not having gas money when they picked me up in El Paso) and waited 3+ days for a ride.
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The on-ramp 1 mile East (Avenida de Masilla) does have more regular traffic, but not enough of it to catch a ride in a reasonable amount of time. With El Paso being large and just 30 miles east, any long-distance traffic heading West has already gassed up and is not stopping in the tiny hitchhiker hell known as Las Cruces. Don't get me wrong - the people are helpful but rides are impossible. Prices at both truck stops are outrageous, even for truck stops. The only benefits here are the T/A's trucker's lounge (TV) and the abandoned gas station South of the freeway (just past the hotel & rv park) - decent camping. The Pilot has free wifi which I'm using to edit this post.
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Niether truck stop sells beer. Circle K is 1 mile to the North.
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The only way to catch a ride is to hitch directly from the freeway 1/4-mile West of Avenida de Masilla. From Motel Blvd you can either walk backwards on the freeway 3/4 mile or take 3 miles of surface roads like I did (it was a long hike but a couple did pull over and give me a cold beer!). Expect a longer than average wait. Local PD and Sheriffs will drive past but not stop.
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EDIT: After spending 6 hot days and nights in Las Cruces, it is possible to catch a ride from a cranked-up truck driver who takes you on a white-knuckled adventure to Indio, California. Hitching is possible on the freeway 1/4 mile west of Motel Blvd. There is a guard rail but the emergency lane is wide enough to park a semi. Good luck! -jsplts (07/2019)
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== More Experiences ==
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Las cruces and just like any of these border towns are terrible everyone thinks your a smuggler,illegal,transient or working for the police actually my time in new Mexico sucked although everyone I met along the way was pretty helpful I ended up meeting a Marine and he got me to the greyhound on his bike,there's good everywhere
 
Las cruces and just like any of these border towns are terrible everyone thinks your a smuggler,illegal,transient or working for the police actually my time in new Mexico sucked although everyone I met along the way was pretty helpful I ended up meeting a Marine and he got me to the greyhound on his bike,there's good everywhere
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I was driven just outside of town on I-10 by my host, then got a ride from a trucker to Tucson (2017).
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Caught the cheap 5$ bus from El Paso TX to Las Cruces NM. Once there I got on the onramp near the Mesilla Valley Mall with the aim of getting to Santa Fe (that's what was on my sign). This is where I accessed the onramp 32.314418, -106.746633 . I remember having to climb a small fence. I walked further onto the highway to catch more traffic. Two police car passed by without bothering me. After waiting an hour or so a girl picked me up, she was heading to Taos for the weekend with her friend from Albuquerque. I spent the weekend with them (they even let me sleep in their hotel room) and even drove me back down to Albuquerque where I stayed at theirs. One of my best hitches ever.
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Ozcar
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August 2017

Latest revision as of 21:15, 23 July 2019

Hitching West towards Tucson/Phoenix (I-10)

If you're thinking the on-ramp near the T/A and Pilot truck stops on Motel Blvd is your friend, you couldn't be more wrong. Ninety percent of all trucks here are headed East. The ten percent that aren't are either FedEx trucks or team drivers. As for regular cars, most are service trucks leaving to help broke-down big rigs on I-10 or city workers. Very little normal traffic, I've been here twice (dumped off by hippies both times for not having gas money when they picked me up in El Paso) and waited 3+ days for a ride.

The on-ramp 1 mile East (Avenida de Masilla) does have more regular traffic, but not enough of it to catch a ride in a reasonable amount of time. With El Paso being large and just 30 miles east, any long-distance traffic heading West has already gassed up and is not stopping in the tiny hitchhiker hell known as Las Cruces. Don't get me wrong - the people are helpful but rides are impossible. Prices at both truck stops are outrageous, even for truck stops. The only benefits here are the T/A's trucker's lounge (TV) and the abandoned gas station South of the freeway (just past the hotel & rv park) - decent camping. The Pilot has free wifi which I'm using to edit this post.

Niether truck stop sells beer. Circle K is 1 mile to the North.

The only way to catch a ride is to hitch directly from the freeway 1/4-mile West of Avenida de Masilla. From Motel Blvd you can either walk backwards on the freeway 3/4 mile or take 3 miles of surface roads like I did (it was a long hike but a couple did pull over and give me a cold beer!). Expect a longer than average wait. Local PD and Sheriffs will drive past but not stop.

EDIT: After spending 6 hot days and nights in Las Cruces, it is possible to catch a ride from a cranked-up truck driver who takes you on a white-knuckled adventure to Indio, California. Hitching is possible on the freeway 1/4 mile west of Motel Blvd. There is a guard rail but the emergency lane is wide enough to park a semi. Good luck! -jsplts (07/2019)

More Experiences

Las cruces and just like any of these border towns are terrible everyone thinks your a smuggler,illegal,transient or working for the police actually my time in new Mexico sucked although everyone I met along the way was pretty helpful I ended up meeting a Marine and he got me to the greyhound on his bike,there's good everywhere

I was driven just outside of town on I-10 by my host, then got a ride from a trucker to Tucson (2017).


Caught the cheap 5$ bus from El Paso TX to Las Cruces NM. Once there I got on the onramp near the Mesilla Valley Mall with the aim of getting to Santa Fe (that's what was on my sign). This is where I accessed the onramp 32.314418, -106.746633 . I remember having to climb a small fence. I walked further onto the highway to catch more traffic. Two police car passed by without bothering me. After waiting an hour or so a girl picked me up, she was heading to Taos for the weekend with her friend from Albuquerque. I spent the weekend with them (they even let me sleep in their hotel room) and even drove me back down to Albuquerque where I stayed at theirs. One of my best hitches ever. Ozcar August 2017