And if you need a break from green chiles, check out these other Las Cruces restaurants. Enjoy them at the best Mexican restaurants in Las Cruces for an experience you won’t get any of the other 49 states.
New Mexico’s flavorful chiles are the best in the world.Here is what to do when you visit White Sands National Monument and a list of essentials to pack. Located in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert near the New Mexican town of Alamogordo is one of the world’s largest gypsum sand dune fields.More Information and Inspiration for Visiting New Mexico Visiting Southern New Mexico (In and Around Las Cruces) What did you enjoy most about your visit? Share your experience in the comments section below. Have You Visited Belen’s Harvey House Museum? A peek into a typical Harvey Girl bedroom A resident matron strictly enforced house rules like curfew to maintain the high moral standards that Fred Harvey expected of all Harvey Girls. The more desirable rooms were on the west side of the building away from the train tracks, providing both a nicer view and a more peaceful night’s sleep. A typical bedroom included two twin beds and two dressers. Harvey Girls slept in rooms on the second floor of the Belen Harvey House. We purchased a copy at the museum gift shop, but it is also available online and possibly from your local library. Wood for a fun, historical fiction account of this period in history.
Pro Tip: Read When Molly Was a Harvey Girl by Frances M. The Harvey Girl uniform was a long black dress with a starched white apron, black stockings, and black shoes. However, if a Harvey Girl left before the end of her contract, she would forfeit a portion of her salary. These young, single women between the ages of 18 and 30 were given room and board, a generous salary, and a one-year employment contract. It took an especially courageous, forward-thinking woman to leave her family, travel out west into the unknown, and work outside the home back in the late 1800s. When I think of the Harvey Girls, I see them as brave, trailblazing pioneers. My youngest daughter learned about Fred Harvey in school and is especially fascinated with Harvey House history, from Fred Harvey’s business brilliance to the young women who served as Harvey Girls. Instead of a cold, picnic lunch or an expensive, questionable meal at a train station Harvey House Restaurants offered travelers quick, delicious meals. Pro Tip : Although admittance is free, please consider leaving a donation in the designated box to support the museum. The main floor includes the original dining room, the kitchen, and an example of a Harvey Girl’s living quarters. While there is currently no admission fee to tour the beautiful, historic building, you’ll likely be treated to a personal tour of the main floor by one of the docents. The food was often consumed or spoiled before the traveler made it to their destination. In the early days of train travel, passengers were expected to bring their own food, even for multi-day trips. As train travel moved to automobiles, Harvey continued to be successful by shifting his focus to car travelers. At age 40, Harvey established restaurants along the Kansas Pacific Railroad that ultimately grew to more than 80 Harvey Houses in operation during the heyday. Without coolers or refrigeration, the food they brought on board for multiple day trips quickly ran out or spoiled. Harvey recognized an opportunity to better serve train travelers. At 17, he immigrated to New York from England where he quickly worked his way up the restaurant industry food chain from pot scrubber and busboy to waiter and line cook.įast forward to 1875.
Pro Tip : You can take the New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX), a commuter rail system, from Albuquerque to visit the Harvey House Museum in Belen.įred Harvey, the 19th Century entrepreneur and marketing genius credited with establishing the first restaurant chain the US, is one of my favorite American success stories. The Belen Harvey House Museum, about 35 miles south of Albuquerque along I-25, is a fun way to learn about this period in American history. Here’s what you can expect when you visit. The Belen Harvey House Museum takes you back to a time when railroads were the primary method of transportation and restaurant entrepreneur Fred Harvey was revolutionizing the travel experience.