Day Trips & Beyond: November Events Roundup

In hot water. Festive-colored walls surround a small garden and common area with a pathway leading down to the pools overlooking the Rio Grande at Riverbend Hot Springs in Truth or Consequences. Relaxation is the key activity at the small resort in the southwest New Mexican desert, and everything from the atmosphere to the music to geothermal spring water helps visitors breathe a sigh of relief as they slip into the pools. The water ranging from 95 to 110 degrees engulfs you with 32 dissolved minerals without a sulfur smell. After a few minutes of soaking, your skin feels cleansed and your muscles untangled. 

It’s no surprise that the Indigenous people in the area, mostly Mimbres and Apache, enjoyed the natural healing effects of the springs long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived. In fact, the medicine man and war chief Geronimo is said to have spent considerable time taking the waters on the river banks. Construction of Elephant Butte Dam 9 miles upstream in 1912, led to the creation of the town of Hot Springs. In 1950, residents voted to rename the town Truth or Consequences after a popular radio show. The publicity literally put the town on the map.

Beginning in 1945, Nona and Luta Pierce ran a bait shop and minnow farm where Riverbend stands today. The original buildings still stand, though the metal minnow tanks have been replaced by masonry pools. By 1988, the town was becoming known for its hot springs and the newly arrived Foerstner family began turning Riverbend into a resort with a relaxed counterculture vibe without sacrificing comfort. 

Taking a dip in the mineral-rich spring water can be done by getting a property pass by the hour to the public pools along the river overlooking Turtleback Mountain, renting a private pool by the hour, or renting a hotel room, cottage, or RV site with unlimited access. If you really want to indulge yourself, rent one of the rooms with a private hot tub. The small number of rooms fill up quickly, so be prepared to make your reservations months in advance.

Truth or Consequences, N.M., is about two hours north of El Paso, two hours south of Albuquerque, and 10.5 hours from Austin. It’s a small town and many of the restaurants close earlier than you might expect. For steaks try Los Arcos, a local favorite date-night spot. For New Mexican food from breakfast to dinner try El Faro. For a day trip, drive the hour north to the Owl Bar & Grill in San Antonio, N.M., for an original green chile cheeseburger. 

Riverbend Hot Springs, Truth or Consequences, N.M., 575/894-7625, riverbendhotsprings.com

Travel Notes:   

Free parking. With less than 5% of the land in the state open to the public, Texas State Parks offer residents and visitors an opportunity to get outdoors. On State Park Day, Nov. 2, entrance fees at all 89 parks will be waived. The tradition was born during the centennial celebration in 2023 and continues as a reminder of how precious our state parks are. Reservations are recommended. Parks will operate as they normally do and will limit admissions based on park capacity. All other fees will still apply on that day.

Plants and art. Right in our backyard is one of the most unique and diverse botanical gardens in the country. The John Fairey Garden outside of Hempstead contains more than 3,000 kinds of plants from Mexico, Asia, and the United States collected by John Fairey, a professor at Texas A&M University for 49 years until his death in 2020. In a rare gift to the community, the current executive director and artist-in-residence, Randy Twaddle, will open his studio on Nov. 15 from 1pm to 3pm to visitors. Twaddle will be showing new work inspired by the garden. A docent-led tour of the garden will be held prior to the artist’s talk. 

Neonatal fish. This year, Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center in Mountain Home outside of Kerrville turns 100 years old. Of the state’s five freshwater fish hatcheries, Heart of Hills is the oldest. Besides raising the next generations of sport fish, the hatcheries conduct research into aquatic plants and fish. Since 1970, Heart of the Hills has focused primarily on scientific study with major reports on the Guadalupe bass, redear sunfish, blue sucker, mussels, crayfish, and alligator gar. Taking a nice walk in the park at the facility near Stockman’s Spring can be done by guided group tours or by self-guided tours for birding on most weekdays except Wednesdays from 8am to 4pm. Check their Facebook page for the most up-to-date openings and closings. 

Happy anniversary. The Lower Colorado River Authority has lowered lake levels at Inks Lake through Nov. 28. Lake levels have dropped by 8 feet. The boat ramps are inaccessible and rental paddle equipment is not available. Access to the water from fishing piers may also be impacted. This year, Inks Lake State Park, outside of Burnet and about an hour and a half from Austin, celebrates its 75th anniversary with a new headquarters building. Roy Inks Dam was completed in 1938 as part of six Highland Lakes reservoirs built to generate electricity and tame the flood-prone Colorado River. Purchase of the land for the state park brought the Civilian Conservation Corps to build infrastructure on 1,200 acres along the river. World War II interrupted construction and the park was not completed until 1950. Normally a constant-level lake, it is surrounded by pink granite outcroppings and thick stands of trees. 

Between a rock. Central Texas has some of the best rock climbing in the world. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is among the best of the best, but not the only place to shimmy up a rock face. In partnership with the Access Fund, the family-owned Inks Ranch outside of Llano has announced its winter season of open weekends on Watch Mountain. Climbers will have the opportunity to access the ranch for camping, climbing, and exploration on Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026, Feb. 27-March 1, 2026, and March 27-29, 2026. A limited number of tickets will be sold and must be purchased in advance.  

Bragging rights. Hold on to your cowboy hats (and lunch), ladies and gentlemen. Come 2026, Texas has another notch in its world’s record belt with the opening of the Tormenta Rampaging Run roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Actually, the ride gives the state six new world records: Tallest Dive Coaster (309 ft.), Highest 95 Degree Beyond Vertical Drop (285 ft.), Fastest Dive Coaster (85 mph), Highest Immelmann Inversion (218 ft.), Tallest Vertical Coaster Loop (179 ft.), Longest Dive Coaster (4,199 ft.). It will be the world’s first giga dive coaster and will be part of the park’s 65^th anniversary celebration. 

The eagles have landed. The Eagle Cam at John Bunker Sands Wetland Center outside of Seagoville is back in action. A nesting pair of bald eagles returned in September to begin rebuilding the nest. Since close monitoring of the wetland eagles began in 2013, 23 eaglets hatched, including two in January 2025. Twenty have been confirmed as successfully fledging. The eagles are typically in residence from September through June. Besides the live cam, visitors can take the 1.5-mile round-trip hike to view their nesting habitat as close as federal regulations allow.

Like a pizza pie. The next supermoons occur on Nov. 5 with the Beaver Moon, Dec. 4 with the Cold Moon, and the Wolf Moon on Jan. 3. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to the Earth’s elliptical orbit. Supermoons only happen three to four times a year and always appear consecutively. 

Other November Events:

BIG BEND 

GULF COAST

HILL COUNTRY

PRAIRIES AND LAKES

SOUTH TEXAS

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Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his “Day Trips” column for more than 30 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page and follow him on Facebook.

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