New Mexico (NM)

New Mexico State Flag

"Land of Enchantment"

"The Cactus State", "The Land of Opportunity", "The Land of Sunshine", "The Land of the Delight Makers", The Land of the Heart's Desire" and "The Spanish State" 

Why visit New Mexico?

Travelers seeking to enjoy adobe architecture, ancient ruins, art galleries, bicycling, casinos, culture, desert landscape, festivals, foodies, ghost towns, healers, hiking, hispanic culture, history, hot air balloons, kayaking, mountains, pueblos, rafting, shopping, skiing and vineyards.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, NM. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Santa Fe 
• State Bird: Roadrunner
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Yucca
• State Gemstone: Turquoise
• State Mammal: American Black Bear
• State Rock: None

Shakespeare (Ghost Town) Hidalgo County, NM. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• Kept out of the union for more than a half century because the majority of their population was considered "aliens" (Mexican-American) until January 6, 1912 when the United States Congress admitted them to the 47th state.
  
• One of our country's oldest wine growing regions.
• The Economy is cattle ranching, dry land farming, lumber milling, oil drilling, mineral extraction and retail trade.
  
• Has a large U.S. military presence and various U.S. National Security Agencies base for research and testing arms.
  
• During World War II, the first atomic bombs were designed and manufactured at Los Alamos, testing at Trinity site in the desert between Socorro and Alamogordo.
  
• The new flag represents the state's Spanish origins with the same scarlet and gold coloration as Spain's Cross of Burgundy and the ancient sun symbol of the Zia, a Puebloan Tribe.
  
• Highest population percentage of Hispanic and Latino Americans, and the second-highest percentage of Native Americans.
  
• The nation's third-largest crude oil and ninth-largest natural gas producer.
  
• State offers financial incentives for film production.
  
• Residents may purchase any firearm deemed legal under federal law. There's no waiting periods or restrictions on magazine capacity. 
  
• No major league professional sports teams are based in New Mexico.
  
• Mexican Gray Wolf and Rio Grande Silvery Minnow are endangered species.
  
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park (Carlsbad) consists of 120 known underground caves.
  
• Features 7 National Forests, 3 National Parks and 32 State Parks.

Santa Fe, NM. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Alex Bergman (Athlete), Annabeth Gish (Actress), Arian Foster (Athlete), Demi Lovato (Musician), Demi Moore (Actress), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), John Denver (Musician) and Neil Patrick Harris (Actor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Brokeback Mountain (2005), Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969), Contact (1997), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Lolita (1997), No Country for Old Men (2007), Silverado (1985), The Cowboys (1972), Wild Hogs (2007), Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory (1990), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in New Mexico: Night at the Fiestas (written by Kirstin Valdez Quade), The Last Conquistador (written by Marc Simmons),The Spell of New Mexico (written by Tony Hillerman) and Tyrannosaur Canyon (written by Douglas Preston), just to name a few.

White Sands National Park, NM. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Not your big city vibe or water sport destination.
• From May through late October a Scenic Railroad operates from Chama (NM) to Antonito (CO).
• Beware of Hantavirus carried by Deer Mice and the Plague from Prairie Dogs.
• Expect long distances between towns and attractions in remote locations.
• Cellular service can be spotty in rural areas.
• Widely spoken is Navajo and New Mexican Spanish.
  
• Only has three Interstate Highways; Interstate 10, Interstate 25  and Interstate 40. "The Big I" refers to interchanges between Interstate 25  and Interstate 40.
  
• State has the highest alcohol Driving Under the Influence (DUI) related crash rates.
  
• Statewide recognizes same-sex marriage.

Subject to dust storms, snowstorms, tornadoes, tropical cyclones and wildfires.

Agate Architecture, NM. Photo Credit: di Bus/Pixabay 

• Best Time to Visit: October - November
• Coldest Months: November - March
• Hottest Months: July
• Peak Season: July - September

Very Large Array, Socorro, NM. Photo Credit: J Lynne Hardesty/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Abó, Acoma Pueblo, Bandelier CCC Historic District, Barrio De Analco Historic District, Big Bead Mesa, Blackwater Draw, Carlsbad Irrigation District, Coronado Historic Site, Denver & Rio Grande Railroad San Juan Extension, Ernest L Blumenschein House, Ernie Pyle House, Georgia O'Keeffe Home & Studio, Kit Carson House, El Santuario de Chimayó, Folsom Site, Fort Bayard Site, Fort Selden Historic Site, Fort Sumner Historic Site, Glorieta Pass Battlefield, Hawikuh, Jemez Historic Site, Las Trampas Historic District, Lincoln Historic District, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Luceros Historic Site, Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Manuelito Complex, Mesilla Plaza, National Park Service Region III Office, Palace of the Governors, Pecos Pueblo, Puye Ruins, Quarai, Rabbit Ears, Ratón Pass, San Estévan del Rey Mission Church, San Francisco de Asís Mission Church, San Gabriel de Yungue-Ouinge, San José de Gracia Church, San José de los Jémez Mission & Gíusewa Pueblo Site, Sandia Cave, San Lazaro, Santa Fe Plaza, Seton Village, Taos Pueblo, Trinity Site, Village of Columbus & Camp Furlong, Wagon Mound, Watrous (La Junta), White Sands V-2 Launching Site and Zuni-Cibola Complex.
• Museums: Albuquerque Museum, Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, Bradbury Science Museum, Carlsbad Museum & Art Center, Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, Explora, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Harwood Museum of Art, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Millicent Rogers Museum, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, National Hispanic Cultural Center, National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, New Mexico History Museum, New Mexico Holocaust Museum & Gellert Center for Education, New Mexico Museum of Art, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, New Mexico Museum of Space History, Palace of the Governors, Poeh Cultural Center, Rattlesnake Museum, Roswell Museum & Art Center, Santa Fe Children's Museum, SITE Santa Fe, Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, The Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, The New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies, Tinkertown Museum, Turquoise Museum, University of New Mexico Art Museum, Unser Racing Museum and Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
• Popular Attractions: 516 Arts, ABQ Biopark Aquarium, ABQ Biopark Botanic Garden, Alameda Park Zoo, Amapola Gallery, Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery, Bandelier National Monument, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Billy the Kid Casino, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, Blue Hole, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Bosque Redondo Memorial, Bottomless Lakes State Park, Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carmelite Monastery, Chaco Canyon, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chiaroscuro Gallery, Chuck Jones Gallery, Cibola National Forest, City of Rocks State Park, Cliff's Amusement Park, Coronado National Forest, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Dar al Islam, Elephant Butte Lake State Park, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Enchanted Mesa, FaYun Prajna Monastery, Fort Stanton, Fort Union National Monument, Four Corners Monument, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Gerald Peters Gallery, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Gila Wilderness, Ghost Ranch, Glenn Green Galleries & Sculpture Garden, Gran Quivira Visitor Center, Institute of American Indian Arts, International Folk Art Market, International UFO Museum & Research Center, John B Robert Dam, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, La Vina Winery, Lightning Field, Lincoln National Forest, Living Desert State Park, Loretto Chapel, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mark White Fine Art, Meow Wolf, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Mountain Trails Fine Art Gallery, New Mexico State Capitol, New Mexico Steam Locomotive, Noisy Water Winery, Old Town Plaza, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, On Canyon Road The Consignment Gallery, Organ Mountains, Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery, Pecos National Historical Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pillow's Funtrackers, Red Rock Park, Rio Grande, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Río Grande del Norte National Monument, Rockhound State Park, Ruidoso Downs Race Track, San Antonio Hot Springs, Sandia Peak Tramway, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe Farmers Market, Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe Railyard, Santa Rosa's Blue Hole, Santuario de Chimayo,  Selby Fleetwood Gallery, Shidoni Gallery & Sculpture Gardens, Sierra Blanca, Sitting Bull Falls, Spaceport, Spence Hot Springs, Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts, Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, SunRay Park & Casino, The Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, Tingley Beach, Two Graces, Valles Caldera National Preserve, VARA Wines, Very Large Array (VLA) Radio Telescope, Western Playland, Wheeler Peak, White Sands National Park, Wilder Nightingale Fine Art, Wildlife West Nature Park and Wines of the San Juan.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Aztec, Carlsbad, Chama, Chimayó, Cloudcroft, Clovis, Farmington, Galisteo, Gallup, Hobbs, Jemez Springs, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Los Alamos, Madrid, Mesilla, Raton, Red River, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Ruidoso, San Juan Pueblo, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, Silver City, Taos, Truth or Consequences and Tucumcari. 
• Special Events: (February) Chocolate Fantasia, (March) National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festivals, (April) Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, (May) Las Crues Wine Festival, (June) Balloons Over Angel Fire, Pork & Brew, Santa Fe Bandstand, Taos Solar Music Festival, (July) Mescalero Apache Ceremonial, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe Opera, Silver City CLAY Festival, The Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, Traditional Spanish Market, UFO Festival, (August) Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, ¡GLOBALQUERQUE!, Great American Duck Race, Hot Chili Days & Cool Mountain Nights, Music from Angel Fire, Santa Fe Indian Market, (September) Clovis Music Festival, Fiestas de Santa Fe, Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally & Trade Show, Hatch Chile Festival, Navajo Nation Fair, New Mexico State Fair, Pie Town Pie Festival, Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, The Burning of Zozobra, White Sands Balloon & Music Festival (WSBMF), (October) Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Balloon Fiesta Show, Indian Arts Festival, Las Cruces Country Music Festival, Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium, Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festivals, Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, (November) Festival of the Cranes, Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festivals, Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Fest, Winter Indian Market and (December)Red Rock Balloon Rally.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Taos Pueblo.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Angel Fire, NM. Photo Credit: Teri Comroe/Pixabay

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