OLIVER LEE MEMORIAL STATE PARK RIPOFF DECEITFUL SHAM AND SCAM TYPE ARTISTS Alamogordo New Mexico

I'm a California native, born & raised, and I hope the readers won't hold that against me. That said, I spent a considerable part of my youth in Alamogordo, and in the Sacramento Mountains. I learned at a young age how to catch LIVE rattlesnakes, and relocate them safely.

I've spent time at the Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, and I can tell you it's a wonderful place, and a great example of the New Mexico high desert. Unfortunately, it's a bit off the beaten path, so they don't get the visitors Yosemite does. It costs money to keep the roads in the park open, maintain the visitor center, etc. So exactly where is the ripoff? Your $4.00 ensures EVERYONE can enjoy the park. If you paid your $4.00, and left without getting the full benefit of the park, that's your fault. If $4.00 seems like a lot of money, I suggest that you not take a trip to places like Disneyland, etc. They charge considerably more than $4.00.

As with many things in life, there ARE dangers. Every time you get in a car, you take a small, calculated risk. Inattention behind the wheel and you could be killed! The same could be said of walking in the desert. Now, I don't recall seeing any 30-foot drop-offs at OLMSP. 12-foot maybe, but whatever. The drop-offs are not directly adjacent to the footpaths. I don't recall seeing railings along the busy streets in Los Angeles, either. A misstep there and a Greyhound could really ruin your day!

I'd prefer not having rails all over the place, spoiling the landscape. Besides, all that would do is protect those swimming in the shallow-end of the gene pool, and I feel we have too many as it is. A little natural-selection, now and then, can be a good thing.

Snakes live in the desert (including rattlesnakes). YOU are the visitor, so it's YOUR responsibility to be careful! Watch where you walk, and where you put your hands.

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is located in the high desert of southern New Mexico. Snakes, including rattlesnakes, are natural inhabitants of this entire area. Do not be surprised if you see one or angry if someone warns you about them. By the way, we also have scorpions, tarantulas, mountain lions and bears, among other wild beasts.

This beautiful park, nestled at the foot of the Sacremento Mountains, is well worth a $4 fee. Yes, there are three feet wide paths and even areas where there may not necessarily be a railing. If you think you may be startled by a rattlesnake and fall down the canyon, perhaps you should not go there. (You might not want to visit the Grand Canyon, either. It's not completely railed.) Stick to the trails with railings. (Don't touch the cactus, they have stickers.)

If you would like to enjoy the natural enchanted beauty of southern New Mexico, perhaps you should come prepared to spend the night. The starlit skies are gorgeous, the sunrise is stupendous and the sunset is breathtaking. Even the snakes agree.