Welcome to the PDS Atmospheres Node

Visiting the PDS Atmospheres Node

Transportation

Travelling to the PDS Atmospheres Node at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, does not require a passport.

Flights should be scheduled through El Paso, Texas, about 40 miles from Las Cruces. Be aware that not all major carriers fly to El Paso - most notably United does not. Southwest and American are usually our airlines of choice. Delta and some others also fly to El Paso.

By the baggage claim area is the usual selection of rental cars. An alternative to this is the Las Cruces Shuttle which will drop you off at any hotel in Las Cruces. The round-trip cost for one person is $38 with discounts for two or more people. Reservations are required or at least strongly recommended at 1-800-288-1784.

Directions

Here is a map of how to get on I-10 West from the El Paso Airport.

Here is a map of the NMSU campus with directions to the Astronomy Building and parking instructions.

Accommodations

Comfort Suites and Sleep Inn are located within easy walking distance of campus. A little farther away but still possible to walk are a grouping of hotels including: Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Super 8 and Motel 6. For pricier hotels, there is the Las Cruces Hilton.

There are also several bed & breakfasts in the area, including: Meson de Mesilla, Lundeen's Inn of the Arts and the T.R.H. Smith Mansion.

Click here for phone numbers, etc.

Restaurants

Mexican/New Mexican food dominates the restaurant scene, such as it is. And the jalapenos are not moldy, nor are the chiles.
  • Culinary note: Chile does not refer to the stew that most Texans are fond of claiming as theirs. They can have that stuff. Chile - and this is the correct spelling - refers to the pepper - a vegetable - that is used to flavor most Mexican/New Mexican cooking, either simply chopped up or as a sauce. The New Mexico State Legislature, for lack of anything better to do, has given the state an official State Question (like a State Bird or State Flower). The State Question is, "Red or Green?" This refers to whether you want red chile or green chile sauce on your food. A general rule of thumb to use is that red is usually milder while green is usually hotter. This is not always true, though, so you should always ask the server. The real truth is that red is more consistent in "hotness" while green can vary significantly. You get to be a real addict when you can eat green chile sandwiches.

    Another point to keep in mind is that drinking water is not a particularly effective way of putting out the fire. Iced tea, milk, beer, etc. all work much better.

Hacienda, El Comedor and Roberto's are among the best of the Mexican/New Mexican restaurants in town. Chope's is also excellent but that's down the valley a ways near where Reta lives.

For other restaurants, Lorenzo's has pretty good Italian food and pizza. The selection isn't as good as Candicci's in St. Louis but whose is, and the price is lower too. It's also very convenient to campus and to the Comfort Suites/Sleep Inn complex. There is also a Bennigan's near there.

Cattle Baron is the place to go in town for steaks and the like. They have a pretty good salad bar too. Dynasty is an ordinary Chinese restaurant but better than the others in town.