Pat Garrett penned the first tale about Billy and a hundred twenty-one years later, there are numerous books in circulation and at least three more in the making, not to mention a History Channel segment that was filmed in Lincoln in 2008, plus a movie trailer. Billy’s escape is old, worn-out news to locals, but among foreign visitors, he ranks right up there with Elvis Presley in the category of famous Americans.

Lincoln and the surrounding area are designated a National Historic Landmark and the New Mexico State Monument, which now includes 17 of Lincoln’s structures and outbuildings, is the most popular in the state. Preserved as they were in the late 1800s, four of the buildings serve as year-round museums and two more are open in the warmer months. The Tunstall Store has displays of original 19th-century merchandise in original shelving and cases. A timeline starting with American prehistory and ending with the Lincoln County War, as well as exhibits and a video, are available in the Anderson-Freeman Museum.

Spending the night in one of Lincoln’s two B & Bs is as much a historic experience as visiting the museums. Ellis Store Country Inn is where Billy the Kid was held captive for two weeks and the Wortley Hotel is where the Sheriff was dining when Billy made his infamous courthouse escape. Rooms are decorated with period furniture and lots of antiques and lace. Excellent dining is even available in the little village. Jinny Vigil at Isaac’s Table in the Ellis Store Country Inn was honored as New Mexico Chef of the Year in 2003 (call in advance for reservations). You can do breakfast or lunch at the Wortley (April through Thanksgiving) and call for dinner options during the summer months. The Dolan House serves lunch and tea and there is a snack shop in the Curry Saloon.

Shopping opportunities will also grab your attention. Bad Men and Wild Women carries high-end western wear and gifts. The Territorial Inn offers antiques and books. The Spinning Shop has woolen goods and there is a bookstore that sells only Western Books.

Located on the Rio Bonito just 35 miles north of Ruidoso (home to galleries, casinos, horse racing, winter skiing, hiking, fishing…all the mountain activities) there are also attractions of a more unusual nature. Just west of Lincoln is the Fort Stanton Museum and maritime cemetery. Capitan is home for the Smokey Bear Museum, the cub that became a symbol for the prevention of wildfires. Further to the west at Carrizozo is the Valley of Fires National Recreation area, an intriguing lava flow region, and Three Rivers Petroglyph National Recreation Site, claiming over 20,000 petroglyphs from an ancient culture. Just up the road from the petroglyphs are hiking trails into the White Mountain Wilderness below 12,000-foot Sierra Blanca.

Nine miles northeast of Carrizozo is the mining ghost town of White Oaks, with the Old Schoolhouse Museum and a couple of artists’ studios. If you go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can join the locals for a beer at the No Scum Allowed Saloon.

Lincoln County is a recreational paradise protruding out of the arid Chihuahuan Desert. And the tiny village of Lincoln… well, it’s an intriguing little pocket of historic significance for some folks; a quaint, very intimate destination for that very special meal; and for those who want to escape everything except the spirit of the Old West, it’s a delightful location for a couple of overnights. Correct, cell phones are used only for photography, here. David Vigil at the Ellis Store chuckles as he tells visitors, “But you can always join Billy and Elvis strumming a tune in the evenings down by the river.” Lincoln County can provide a different kind of getaway, if that’s what you’re seeking, and you can make it all happen from an Old West epicenter, the village of Lincoln.