In 1951 the citizens of Hot Springs, New Mexico renamed their town Truth or Consequences after a popular TV game show. And when it’s cold during the winter in Albuquerque, there may be no better place to wander to than Truth or Consequences over 120 miles to the south. There you can soak in hot mineral water for next to nothing and wander around one of the funkiest towns in America.
Prior to the construction of Elephant Butte Dam on the Rio Grande in 1916 the area that is now downtown Truth or Consequences was a swamp with warm water seeping into it. The warm water was used by the Apaches and early settlers as a place to soak and heal. With the new dam now controlling floods on the Rio Grande, the swamp was filled in and the land developed into a new community called Hot Springs, New Mexico.
The name was appropriate as the entire central area of the community sits above a hot water aquifer. Many of the new residents took advantage of the hot water to heat their building or to open a spa for soaking in the hot mineral laden water. Many of those building are still standing and are now quite old.
As you approach Truth or Consequences and get off the Interstate, you’ll see a new Walmart and some newer services near the highway. As you follow the old road into town, you’ll pass the usual array of some really old motels, a few auto parts stores, some thriving businesses, and a decent amount of empty stores. You’ll soon recognize that this is not the most affluent town in America.
And when you finally reach the old center of town, it may not jump out at you as America’s cutest town.
Looking west on Main Street in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
