New Mexico
 New Mexico is truly “the Land of Enchantment” with Albuquerque as its capital and Spanish heritage. It also is a state for geologists and scientists who want educational vacations. Although Albuquerque has a rich history from its founding in 1706 by a Spanish territorial governor through its importance as a United States military outpost in the Nineteenth Century, it is now a center for solar and nuclear research and health with the Lovelace Medical Center. It has a biological park, theater, museums, pueblo cultural center, Isleta Pueblo, and Cibola National Forest.
Santa Fe, as a vacation destination for the weekend traveler or visitor for an extended stay, has year-round attractions for every member of the family. At 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe, with its interesting art and architecture has skiing, museums featuring Georgia O’Keefe, Native American culture, and folk art, theatres, opera, rafting, horse back riding, gaming, and racing, both automobile and motorcycle. It is also near the Pecos National Historic Park featuring the historic trade routes of the pueblo and plains Native Americans and Santa Fe National Forests which has wilderness areas for hiking and intriguing geological formations.
History buffs enjoy following the pathways of the first Spanish explorers and missionaries who first entered the region in 1539. These explorers and missionaries called the Native American people “Pueblo Indians”, naming them after their dwellings. Archeologists, anthropologists, and others who study antiquities visit New Mexico to study ancient prehistoric cultures where they can find artifacts of the ancient people who trekked across the Bering Straits. Other visitors interested in more modern science go to Los Alamos and Las Cruses. Tourists, who want to relive the days of the wild west and frontier, can wander through the scenic byways throughout New Mexico and in towns like Santa Rosa which has the Billy the Kid Museum or Silver City where gold and silver mining flourished and gave way to cooper mining in the foothills of the Mogollan Mountains. They also can visit Cimarron, a historic Southwestern town, which was on the Santa Fe Trail, where Buffalo Bill Cody held his Wild West Shows. Visitors to New Mexico, who are looking for enchantment of another sort, go to Roswell, an old cattle town on the starting point of the Chisholm Trail, which now celebrates the spotting of outer space aliens.
 New Mexico has 19 Pueblo communities, which are close-knit cultural groups and communal societies, speaking six different languages. Although not all pueblos invite tourists, the ones that welcome tourists, are interesting places to visit and view the ancient dwellings, meet the craftspeople who make and sell their wares, and observe the religious ceremonies with dances and songs. For example, Acoma Pueblo, on a mesa rising above the plain and called “Sky City”, is near Albuquerque and is the oldest continuously inhabited town in America, dating back to at least 1150, and has a mission church that was originally build in 1629. Visitors to Acoma Pueblo can go to its museum with Native American pottery, which is over 600 years old, sample native foods, and purchase Acoma-made crafts. Guided tours are available. Bernalillo, has buffalo and Comanche dances at its fiesta in January. Zuni Pueblo is near Gallop where there is camping, hiking, horse back riding, and interpretative displays at Red Rock State Park with its desert setting and huge red sandstone buttes.
Las Cruces is situated in the fertile lower Rio Grand Valley on the historic Spanish highway, E Camino Real. Agri-tourist can see how green chilies, pecans, cotton, lettuce, and corn are grown in this region. Geologists enjoy exploring all of New Mexico, but they especially like area around Las Cruces, including Aguirre Springs Recreation Site in the Organ Mountains that were formed with molten rock beneath the surface. The wearing away of the earth crust left organ pipe rock spires. Visitors can find hiking trails, camping sites, and picnicking areas. The White Sands Missile Range is near Las Cruses.
Taos is on a high plateau that is flanked by mountains and draws artists and writers. The town of Taos is actually three towns that a Spanish-American settlement, Taos Pueblo, and Ranchos de Taos. The region is known for its skiing and fishing. It also has a research cent, museums, and galleries, depicting the regions history and culture, the Kit Carson Home and Museum.
Truth or Consequences was originally called "Hot Springs" because of its warm springs, but changed its name in 1950 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the radio show, Truth or Consequences. The natural areas around Truth or Consequences include lakes for swimming, windsurfing, boating, water-skiing, and fishing, bass, crappie, pike, trout, and catfish. Canoers, boaters, raters, kayakers, and tubers can have fun on the Rio Grande River which flows through Truth or Consequences. Hiking, camping, picnicking, and fossil hunting also are available for the visitors to the area.
New Mexico is an outdoor adventures dream come true because skiers, rock climbers, hikers, and backpackers can enjoy the high elevations. The forests and quick moving streams draw hunters and fishermen, particularly fly fishing lovers. Roswell has the Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center where scientists study the endangered fish species of the Southwest as well as lakes for swimming, skin diving, tout fishing, paddle boating, picnicking, and camping. There is seasonal hunting in the Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge.
Throughout the year, New Mexico offers something special for its visitors.
New Mexico has national parks, monuments, and forests. Here are some of the national sites:
Although the major airlines serve New Mexico and it is easily accessed through the interstates, driving to and through the State on its scenic byways is more interesting.
The Four Corners Region
The historic Four Corners Region, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet, is scenic and not to be missed. It is the only spot in the United States where four states share a common border. In New Mexico, a driving tour to the Four Corners should start at Taos wind on the scenic highways through the San Juan Mountains and go west through the Carson National Forest and by Aztec National Monument. This route will take the traveler through the Navajo Indian Reservation.
Durango, Colorado is a good starting point for reaching the Four Corners from Colorado. The drive west from Durango to Mesa Verde National Park follows the southern edge of the San Juan National Forest. From the Mesa Verde National Park to the Four Corners, the traveler will drive through the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation, which also is on the Utah side of the Four Corners. Travelers going to the Four Corners from Utah should start at Richfield and take the scenic highways through the Dixie National Forest to the Capital Reef National Park and the Glen Canyon Recreation Area to Monument Valley Monument Valley and the Navajo Reservation. The Arizona visitor to the Four Corners can start at Flagstaff and wind northwest through the beautiful San Francisco Mountains and the Painted Desert. This scenic route goes through the Navajo Indian Reservation and past the Navajo National Monument the Painted Desert. The Navajo Indian Reservation is Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
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