When you drive along Interstate 25 from Albuquerque to Las Cruces, eventually you will notice direction signs with these 3 words. And they will make you wonder – what kinda place is that, with a weird name like this? You imagine a town from a classic western film, where the sheriff interrogates an outlaw and gives him a choice – either come clean, or come to a sticky end. You know those wisecracking, snuff-spitting sheriffs, always talking in metaphors… Anyways, this is the kind of town I was picturing when I first saw the signs, and I was determined to investigate. Turns out, it is not a town from a western movie, although the story of the name is still quite unique. Until 1950, the town was called Hot Springs. That year, a popular radio show “Truth or Consequences” announced that they would broadcast the 10th anniversary show from the first town that changed its name to Truth or Consequences. So, the Hot Springs folks, obviously tired of their town’s most boring and mundane name, seized the chance and voted to become Truth or Consequences, N.M. The show kept its word and had a broadcast from the town the next day. Since then, each year, on the first weekend of May, the town holds a festival, called Fiesta, which for 50 years was presided over by the show’s original host, Ralph Edwards. Due to its unique name, the town also featured in an eponymous movie back in 1997. So, if you ask me, Hot Springs is better off now, when it’s Truth or Consequences.
The change of name didn’t help much with the charm, though. It’s still just a commonplace, small Southwest town, which at no point enticed me to stop and explore it further. I was in and out in 6 minutes, literally. So, this gallery will be very short.
