Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus, NM

We did a run down to the border, but not across, yet.  In Columbus, NM is a state park where Pancho Villa invaded the United States.  Last time that was done.  Pear Harbor and 9/11 were attacks, but not armed men occupying USA soil.  There isn't much left of the camp that General Pershing setup to track down Villa, but the museum has a lot of good documentation of the events.

This all happened a few years prior to the USA getting involved in WWI.  In fact you can look at it as the first use of mechanized forces and calvary on the battlefield together.  General Pershing learned a lot about this prior to President Wilson putting him in charge of the American expeditionary forces in Europe for WWI.  It was also the first time the Army use airplanes in battle and reconnaissance.

The museum talks about the reasons for the Mexican forces invading the USA and there are conflicting reasons.  Homework is for you to google that and learn something because I'm on my second bourbon and have a case of CRS (can't remember shit)

View from Coots Hill in the park toward Mexico 3 miles in the distance.


There were tons of blooming cacti in the park.


It also had a small campground that would be good to allow you to park on the USA side and walk over to Mexico to shop and buy cheap prescription drugs. There's always tomorrow.