Getting to Alamogordo from the east with no mountains

Question

In May we'll be going to Alamogordo, New Mexico from Lubbock, Texas, and do NOT want to take the highways that go through Cloudcroft or Ruidoso.  Has anyone taken the 24 (Pinyon Dunkin Road) and the 506 (Owen Prather Hwy)?  Just looking on a map, they appear to bypass the mountains, but we don't want to go that way unless we know it's a decent road.  We'll be driving our Titan and towing a 28-foot trailer.

heisenberg · Answer

506 very hilly and curvy high desert. It would be much easier staying on 82

azdryheat · Answer

Have you looked at the 24 and 506 on Google Maps or similar? That's what I do. Get to the street view and see the road for yourself.

paulj · Answer

Cyndi H wrote:... and do NOT want to take the highways that go through Cloudcroft or Ruidoso. ...Why don't you want to go through Ruidoso?  I haven't driven it, but my impression from other discussions is that this is an easy highway, 4 lane most of time.  On the east side of those mountains you are already at 5000', and only climb to 7500' before gradually dropping to 4000'.

heisenberg · Answer

paulj wrote:Why don't you want to go through Ruidoso. I haven't driven it, but my impression from other discussions is that this is an easy highway, 4 lane most of time. It is very easy, but they said NOT. However getting to 24 to get to 506 may be just as hard as going through Ruidoso. And an hour or more on the road.

cyndi_h · Answer

From what I remember, the Ruidoso route DOESN'T have a steep downhill on the westside like the Cloudcroft route, right?  Sounds like the Ruidoso route is our best bet.

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Getting to Alamogordo from the east with no mountains

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