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Show the Salt Lake Tribune TRAVEL Sunday, December5, 1999 Cowboy Town in New Mexico Wants to Be an Aspen for Middle America 3 paid in the UnitedStatesfor Jollar changed. Currency tates change daily and are intended only as ates may be more abroad. fi Argentina (peso) 1.00 Australia (dollar) 1.57 Austria (schilling) 13.41 Belgiuin (franc) 39.31 Brazil (real) 1.93 Canada (dollar) 1.46 Chile (peso) 541.38 | Chita (Renminbi) zecl) Rep. (koruna) 35.28 progress are everywhere: from the $7 million renovation of Mechem European (euro) 0.97 Fiance (franc) Germany (mark) 6.39 1.91 0.62 Hong Kong(dollar) Yorn i tungary (forint) 247.66 dia (rupee) 43.42 hidonesia (rupiah) 7,085.00 fand (punt) Isyacl (shekel) 0.77 | 4.24 | Haly (lira) 1,886.93 Japan (yen) 104.19 Malaysia (ringgit) Mexico (peso) 3.80 9.33 Notherlands (guilder) 2.15 ow Zealand (dollar) 1.96 Lorway (krone) 7.97 Philippines (peso) 40.64 Poland(zloty) 4.19 Singapore (dollar) 1.67 Spain (peseta) 162.15 South Attica (rand) 6.14 uth Korea (won) 1,169.50 Sweden (krona) 8.38 Switzerland (franc) 1.56 Jaiwan (dollar) predicts eventually w ill turn the resort town in the Mountains into a dle America. ‘The signs of promise and 3.42 | jreat Britain (pound) RUIDOSO, N.M Q avter horses remain the favorite sy of summer and cowboys still out number tourists at the rustic Wir Place and Show bar downtown But as the century heads for the finishline, Ruidoso is undergoing a transformation that its mayor 8.28 Egypt(pound) Drive Thailand (baht) to the Spen ater for the Performing ae an eight-story, 514 tural oasis. seat cul At Ruidoso Downs, the race track that is home to the world’s richest quarter horse race and for the last half of this century sup plied the town's economic life blood, gamblers nowhaveanother option. The Billy The Kid Casino, opened in May and drev standing-room-only crowds all summer. Ground was broken in Octeber for a newresort hotel to open next summer with 115 rooms and a conference center. Also in the planning stages is a $7 million recreational center that will fea ture a 50-meterindoor pool, tennis courts and othersports facilities. Throughout the Ruidoso Valley andits mazeofpine tree-studded canyons and winding dirt roads, houses with price tags of up to $500,000 are going up. They are havensforretirees and working Americans who have discovered Ruidoso is more just a nice place to visit “You havebusiness people that are connecting themselves Oe modems to the world and z able to pick where they says Mayor Robert 38.70 636.13 The AssociatedPress their kerosenelampsout.” ‘The racetrack was built in 1948 the oil boomthat : lasted into the early 1980s. Theycameto bet the none ie ACA pasa ‘We have a lot of people o Ith that comehere to fit in, Ar person. The Who's Whoin the Ruidos: Valley include Jacqueline Spen widow of the heir to a Wal Street fortune, and R.D. Hubbard, a horse racing magnateand owne of Ruidoso Downs. : a horse owner whe Spencer. dive a arty Re a ‘ eats imes a andis apa iving. With it again thriving. Zee the growth comes the question of same block and the food chain a plush and picturesque golf word for “n can keep its quaintness, ave a. becoming the without having to pul up witt barbec ued beef at roadside stands course built on the town's old nirport, next Aspen, Colo., or Park City, anid there's just too many people sane Bes SP ADASHUNEL S mORUEAOR poe IRE they ean solrvirtnally yearn Ee Sierra Blanca, andupstaleart galleries share the stretches from rez ted corn and roundsare aeplayed each y at the La Lor. Frenchcuisine aa to Ce the 0,000 ing to attract people who wantto was 4.500. There are nearly 9.000 see what we have here in the mountains,” says Morgan Clough, permanent residents nowand the popula ation swells to about 35,000 But Ruidoso survivedthe tough Whether males (the Spanish Us rae : Donaldson saysit can. We're not going to get the je the setters and billionaires,” Bese ao cue welll neve 2 ‘¥,0f those, butt his isgoingtobe Middle America’s Aspen.” Right now Ruidoso isn’t in S ; AEIBE ae ue en norte ten male at a larg BUTI GORY Sar Nieves glass and mica flecked limost’ blown dlown glass glass sc sculp ture S. “T wanted some to go t see wonderful Secternn ines NewYork. or someother ph where you can't breathe the Ms. Spencer says Pop conductor Marvin fa lisch, jazagrent Dave Prubect etn ae Mal Me et et among those who have performer year ae singe 3G opened ya AC ASIA reneetmOayes Bou * Motorcoach« Rail Packages [eT in Nassha Vacations » www ship n shore “| Call Fe ‘or Your Free Brochure » 24 Hours | v.800-444-5414.-) NIUNCMeM OREN lm ieee Las Vegas Luxor Las Vegas “104 Cireus Circus Manor 28 “Packages are based on roundtrip purchase anddonot include a $2.50 federal excise tax which will be imposed on each flight segment of your 1-800-321-6336 itinerary. flight segmentis defined as a takeoff and a landing. 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Ask about our New Year's 2000 special rat For reservations call today. 1-800-937-7771 EXCALIBUR HOTEL/CASINO/LAS VEGAS veww.ercalibur casing vom Where else would you spend the most thrilling moment tna thousand years ? MereCin your friends fo: r the party ofthe century! Fireworks extravagan: za! Free champagne! Free pager Liveente riainment! $199 per night Reserve your room now. Stare Line + Saver Smiris duster’ CASINO perms wees « nercon em n and out.” Donaldsonsay t's e to get lost and just be a reg pe re fish farrsinbowtroutandhuntior deerand turkey jathoastue Aibiauergueaty WU ; miles i northesst of El Paso, ‘rexas, is a tourist mecca. Curio shops 134149 i Bay Hotel. SUV Me Rais hen the ou must in is eeauldee 2 economy also ‘0°74 20". Excalibur Hotel/Casino Sth night free “In those days, there was very little electricity,” Parks says. “The town had a small power tain air, the ski trails on the neighboring Mescalero Apache reservation, and a place where REAP 1-800-88-cHEAP 5 EXPRESS SMP a sar meeroe) awsaS $135 eunADeLPaIA $250 1s Lou 70 et rseunan ) RIART In Ruidoso, the median price three-bedroom, two-bath home i around$160,000. In Aspen,the traffic frompri vate jets got so bad duringtheJuly and becamean instant attraction to Texans who werecashing in on on summer weekends, Donaldso onaldson CSE They comefor the cool moun management that ave buying property her The city, about 200 miles priced homesells for $1.62 million 4th holiday this year that th: town’s Sardy Field had to close down. In Ruidoso,the traffic jams are created by pickuptrucks anc everybody knewthey hadto get Donaldson. “We're getting people TANHCHTOVEE TIGL UIRIER, GORI Fortune 500 corporations, upper whichranks as one of therich towns in the nation, a median Ruidoso in 1933. Twoyears earlier, his mother, a Texas school teacher, had comefor a vacation and stayed. ing till 9 at night. At 9 thelights would blink a couple of times and The A horse and buggytakes tourists up Sudderth Drive in Ruidoso. Aspen’s neighborhood. In Asper and insuranceagent, was bornin plantthat ranfrom7 in the morn one of the two main road. leading into town 31.73 Venezuela (bolivar) the golf course's general manager. In its early days, Ruidoso was the place where people cameto get away from the summer's heat. 3 came from Roswell, El o and Las Cruces, and eventually built cabins and summer homes. Dave Parks, a formerteacher BY PETE HERRERA THE ASSOCTATED PRESS 1 UITER, 1-800-822-8652 | www. nionte xnores 4 |