Aliens & Ancient Cultures

Outlaws & Outdoor Adventure

History, Hot Food & the Arts

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE OF

New Mexico Land of Enchantment

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Land of Enchantment! New Mexico is also a land of ancient cultures, world-famous cuisine, diverse landscapes, renowned museums and plenty of

outdoor recreation. Fly in from Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle or Denver, rent a car and hit the road to discover outlaws, aliens, wineries, art galleries, cowboys, hot springs, golf and skiing.

Early man discovered the enchantments of New Mexico almost 10,000 years ago, and Native American cultures developed almost 2,000 years ago, all drawn by haunting beauty and an almost mystical light.

Spanish colonists were attracted by the lure of gold, first arriving in 1527 and establishing a permanent colony in 1598. Almost 250 years later the vast area was claimed by the United States in the Mexican War, and attained statehood in 1912. Since that time a steady stream of scientists and artists have been drawn to the desert to pursue their creations.

Native HeritageNative cultures play a large part of everyday life in New Mexico, from fast foods to festivals. Art, architecture, even the location of modern communities, are all influenced by these early Americans.

Most Pueblos in New Mexico are within one hour of Albuquerque or Santa Fe. The 19 Pueblos of New Mexico are the oldest tribal communities in the U.S., having descended from the ancestral Pueblo cultures that once inhabited Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde and Bandelier. Each of the 19 Pueblos is a sovereign nation, and some are more open to tourists than others.

New Mexico Is Also A Land Of Diversity

Land of Enchantment

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Tel: (604) 699-9990Fax: (604) 699-9993

Published 12 times a year by

Contents © 2008 by ACT Communications Inc.All Rights Reserved. ISBN 1207-1463

NEW MEXICO – A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE OF CANADIAN TRAVELLER

New MexicoLand Of Enchantment

6 Central New Mexico The Heart of New Mexico

10 North Central New Mexico North To Adventure, Central To Everything

15 Northwest New Mexico Discover A Place Where Legends Live

16 Northeast New Mexico Where The Plains Meet The Mountains

17 Southeast New Mexico Wild West Outlaws & Little Green Men

18 Southwest New Mexico Experience Old West Country

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Left: native cultures play a large part of everyday life in new mexico, from snack foods to festivals. they’ve even influenced the location of many communities. Right: with nearly 80 courses, a variety of terrain and facilities and an abundance of sunshine, new mexico boasts superb year-round golf.

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The Navajo Nation, the largest, most populous Indian Nation in the U.S., is located in the Four Corners Area, covering northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. Its capital is Window Rock, Arizona, just across the New Mexico state line.

Settling the Plains and Southwest around 850 A.D., Apache Indians live today on the Ft. Apache and San Carlos reservations in Arizona, and the Jicarilla and Mescalero reservations in New Mexico.

A Large PaletteNew Mexico has always attracted creative people. Whether it’s the light, the scenery, the culture or the lifestyle, visual artists

here cover a broad range of expression, media, schools, styles, and histories.

Many of the state’s collections are found in museums in Santa Fe, including the state Museum of Fine Art, the Museum of International Folk Art and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.

Albuquerque features a more eclectic kind of art museum with such offerings as the Turquoise Museum and the Petroglyph National Monument, whose “collection” features 15,000 outdoor works etched in the rocks by Native Americans hundreds of years ago, as well as more traditional offerings like the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Communities all over the state, like Silver City, Deming, Carlsbad, Taos, Roswell and Los Alamos also boast galleries that feature works by local and international artists and private collectors can explore a treasure trove of art galleries and artist studios that represent just about every form of fine art expression.

On StageFans of the performing arts find world-class opera, theatre and ballet throughout the state. The Santa Fe Opera is a jewel of a performance hall, while the Lensic Performing Arts Center hosts performances by pop artists and concerts by the Santa Fe Orchestra and the Chamber Music Festival. Albuquerque is home to

Hit The Road

Sun Country Tour (5 days; 528 km):

Day 1: Albuquerque-Socorro. Sights:

Rio Grande Nature Center; Bosque

del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Day 2: Socorro-Roswell. Sights:

Jornada del Muerto; Valley of the Fires

National Recreation Area; Lincoln;

Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

Day 3: Roswell-Carlsbad. Sights:

Roswell Museum and Art Center;

Carlsbad Caverns; Bottomless Lakes

State Park; Living Desert State Park.

Day 4: Carlsbad-Alamogordo. Sights:

Cloudcroft. Day 5: Alamogordo-

Albuquerque. Sights: Space Hall of

Fame; Clyde W. Tombauga Space

Instruction Center in the Space Center.

Turquoise Trail (7 days; 210 km): Day 1:

Albuquerque. Sights: Old Town district

museums, shops, galleries, plaza;

National Atomic Museum; Sandia

Peak Tram. Day 2: Albuquerque-Santa

Fe. Sights: Turquoise Trail; Madrid art

galleries; Palace of the Governors;

Museum of Fine Arts; Georgia O’Keefe

Museum; Loretto Chapel.

Day 3: Santa Fe. Sights:

art galleries; New Mexico

Museum of International

Folk Art; New Mexico

Museum of Indian Arts and

Culture. Day 4: Santa Fe-Los

Alamos. Sights: Shidoni

Sculpture Gardens and

Foundry; Bandelier National

Monument. Day 5: Los

Alamos-Taos. Sights: Taos Pueblo. Day

6: Taos-Albuquerque. Sights: San Filipe,

Santo Domingo and Cochiti pueblos;

Petroglyph National Monument. Day 7:

Albuquerque. Sights: Acoma Pueblo;

Coronado State Monument; Indian

Pueblo Cultural Center.

Indian Country (4 days; 726 km):

Day 1: Albuquerque-Grants. Sights:

Old Town district museums, shops,

galleries, plaza; Petroglyph National

Monument; Acoma Pueblo. Day 2:

Grants-Gallup. Sights: El Malpais

National Recreational Site; La Ventana

Natural Arch; Bandera Volcano; Ice

Caves; El Morro National Monument;

Zuni Pueblo. Day 3: Gallup-Farmington.

Sights: Chaco Culture National

Historical Park; Lion’s Wilderness

Amphitheater. Day 4: Farmington-

Albuquerque. Sights: Aztec Ruins

National Monument; Salmon Ruins;

Jemez State Monument; Fenton Lake

State Park.

Route 66 (4 days; 645 km): Day 1: San

Jon-Santa Rosa. Sights: Tucumcari; Club

Café. Day 2: Santa Rosa-

Albuquerque. Sights: Clines

Corners; Moriarty; Nob Hill.

Day 3: Albuquerque-Grants.

Sights: Bernalillo; Sandia

and Isleta pueblos; Cubero;

New Mexico Museum of

Mining. Day 4: Grants-

Manuelito. Sights: Santa Fe

Avenue; Top o’ the World;

Santa Fe Railway Depot.

View an amazing collection of art at public galleries and museums throughout new mexico. there are also plenty of private

studios and galleries where you can add to your own collection.

SFCVB/Doug Merriam

october 2008 • new mexico 5

the New Mexico Ballet Company, Musical Theater Southwest, and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and Las Cruces has a thriving community theatre.

Some Like It HotAlong with its distinctive scenery, arts, culture and history, New Mexico is famous

for its food. Food? Yup. The state boasts a wealth of fine dining options, but it is the native dishes and ingredients that create its reputation for a robust and imaginative cuisine. Many of the same foods that were grown centuries ago by Native Americans, including maize, squash and chile are still on the menu today. And there is no denying,

New Mexicans are addicted to chile. In fact, many can’t make it through the day without eating the fruits (that’s right, it’s scientifically classified as a fruit), which they enjoy on just about everything. Chile is honoured with festivals, cook-offs and an annual convention.

GolfBring your clubs to New Mexico and discover nearly 80 golf courses, ranging from municipal courses to luxury resorts, that boast an abundance of sunshine and variety of terrain that goes from the warm lowlands to the cool Rocky Mountain highlands. Even in winter, New Mexican courses offer great play, and the chance to ski in the morning and play a round or two in the afternoon.

A Roll Of The DiceGamblers find some of the best quarter horse and thoroughbred racing in the Southwest in New Mexico, as well as a growing casino

business. Most of the casinos are owned and operated by the state’s Native American pueblos and tribes, while racetrack owners operate others.

Outdoor AdventureFor a desert state, New Mexico boasts a surprising number of water adventures. Anglers cast for trout, bass, walleye or catfish.

Rafting, canoeing and kayaking are popular sports, with trips available from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Chama. Overnight rafting is available on the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama.

Hiking and biking options run the gamut between rugged and wild and urban and tame.

Winter brings all kinds of snow-based activities. The steep inclines, plentiful snowfall, consistent conditions and great weather attract skiers and snowboarders to slopes across the state, while cross-country and backcountry skiers have too many trails to count. v

Top Annual Events

• The Whole Enchilada Fiesta is a three-day celebration of southern New Mexico’s traditions, people and great food. September, Las Cruces.

• Santa Fe Indian Market attracts 1,200 artists from about 100 tribes who show their work in over 600 booths. August, Santa Fe.

• Santa Fe Spanish Market & Fiestas offers a real taste of New Mexico’s vibrant Spanish culture – dance, music, food, art. September, Santa Fe.

• The Hatch Valley Chile Festival includes a chile cook-off, chile roasting, tractor pulls and Chile Queen parade. September, Hatch.

• The International Balloon Fiesta in October features hundreds of colourful hot air balloons and vibrant blue skies. October, Albuquerque.

• The Intertribal Indian Ceremonial brings together more than 30 tribes to participate in dances, rodeos, Indian art sales and exhibits. August, Gallup.

• The New Mexico State Fair at Expo boasts PRCA rodeo, live music, Indian and Spanish villages and midway. September.

• The Festival of the Cranes events centre on cranes, snow geese, ducks, winter songbirds, raptors and falcons. November, Socorro.

• The annual UFO Festival Thousands of believers descend for a weekend of music, lectures, fun, food and fantasy. July, Roswell.

For a desert state, new mexico offers a huge amount of fun on the water. Spend a tranquil afternoon casting a fly in stocked streams and lakes, or an exhilarating day shooting whitewater stretches on local rivers.

new mexican cuisine is a blend of Hispanic and indian cultures based on four main ingredients: the tortilla, pinto bean, cheese and chile. the more chile, the better.

SFCVB/Chris Corrie

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Wi d e - o p e n skies, natural beauty, historic

culture and outdoor adventures are all a part of central New Mexico. Take a walk through time and discover the mystic beauty of ancient Native American ruins and Hispanic lore. Spend a day strolling through world famous museums and exhibits. Spice things up with a green chile cheese burger at a classic roadside diner along historic Route 66.

AlbuquerqueNestled between the towering Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque is rich with culture and heritage, breathtaking landscapes, pro-found historic attractions and a spectacular climate with four distinct seasons.

Start your visit with a tour of His-toric Old Town. Albuquerque’s oldest neighbourhood, settled in 1706, offers 150 shops, restaurants, art galleries and authentic Native American crafts, as well as the historic San Felipe de Neri Church built in the Spanish colonial style in 1786.

For a look at an even older culture, check out the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which celebrates the art, history, people and culture of New Mexico’s Pueblo

Indians; and the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, dedicated to the study, advancement and presentation of Hispanic culture, arts and humanities.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, combines the history of both cultures, as it honours Franciscan priests and Native American labourers, who constructed three missions of adobe, sandstone and limestone, the oldest dating back to 1300.

Go back, way back in time to the state’s prehistory at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sci-ence and at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of South-western Biology and the Silver Family Geology Museum on the campus of the University of New Mexico.

Central New MexicoThe Heart of New Mexico

Kidstuff

• Rio Grande Nature Center State Park,

Albuquerque.

• National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque.

• Sandia Peak Tramway, Albuquerque.

• Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque.

• Albuquerque Aquarium, Albuquerque.

• Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Albuquerque.

• Rio Grande Zoo, Albuquerque.

• Albuquerque Museum of Art and History,

Albuquerque.

• ¡explora!, Albuquerque.

• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque.

• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and

Science, Albuquerque

the Plaza to Plaza Self-Guided walking tour is a two-kilometre marked trail that connects the plazas of Albuquerque’s Downtown and old town areas.

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Learn about the development of the atomic bomb in New Mexico and peaceful uses of nuclear energy at the National Atomic Museum; see the world’s largest collection of rattlers at the American International Rattlesnake Museum; and learn about the history, science and art of ballooning at the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, where you can also take a tethered balloon ride.

The Plaza to Plaza Self-Guided Walking Tour, a two-kilometre marked trail, connects the plazas of Downtown and Old Town Albuquerque.

There’s plenty of family fun at the Albuquerque BioPark, at the Albuquerque Aquarium, which boasts a spectacular one million-litre shark tank; the traditional, Spanish Moorish and English walled gardens of the Río Grande Botanic Garden; and the Río Grande Zoo, home to more than 1,200 animals in natural habitat settings. Or riding the Sandia Peak Tramway, the world’s longest aerial tramway.

Grown-ups shop ’til they drop in Nob Hill, New Mexico’s hippest shopping district, which offers an eclectic mix of colourful coffee shops, clothing and an-tique stores and restaurants and clubs and in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, a rural-flavoured village that is home to several wineries and vineyards, a popular farmers and craft market, and the Unser Racing Museum.

Enjoy the great outdoors and see prehistoric rock art on the West Mesa

volcanic escarpment at Petroglyph Na-tional Monument or head to Manzano Mountains State Park for birdwatching and hiking. In winter, there’s cross-coun-try skiing in Manzano Mountains State Park and 25 ski and snowboard runs at Sandia Peak Ski Area.

CorralesThe Village of Corrales, nestled in the Rio Grande Valley, has a rich agricultural history that is is celebrated at the Harvest Festival, held each September, and a wildly popular Farmer’s Market held July through October. A relaxing drive through this old farming community offers breathtaking views of the Sandia Mountains and can in-clude a free tour of the Corrales Winery plus a taste of its award-winning wines.

Local Hispanic history is preserved at Casa San Ysidro, a beautifully restored Spanish Colonial Rancho built in the 18th and 19th centuries, that also houses a collection of rare Hispanic New Mexican artifacts and at Old San Ysidro Church, an excellent example of Hispanic mission architecture.

There is also excellent birdwatching, horseback riding or walking along the Rio Grande at the Corrales Bosque Nature Preserve.

Central New MexicoLeft: cuba is the gateway to chaco culture national Historic Park, a UneSco world Heritage Site that chronicles ancestral Pueblo culture.

Below: the Jémez mountains boast some of the most famous hot springs in the world. Stop for a soak near Jémez Springs on the Jemez mountain trail.

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CubaKnown for its wildlife viewing and deer and elk hunting, Cuba is also the gateway to one of the most important cultural sites in the Southwest.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that represents a significant part of America’s cultural heritage. Chaco Canyon was a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 1250 and 850 BC and a focus for ceremonials, trade and political activity for the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, the Hopi Indians of Arizona, and the Navajo Indians of the Southwest. The distinct architecture found here is unlike anything constructed before or since. There are five major Chacoan sites and you can tour them by a self-guided trail system, or by guided tours and educational programs offered by the National Park Service from May to October. The Chaco Night Sky program presents astronomy programs, solar viewing, and telescope viewing of the spectacular dark night sky April to October. The park is also a great place for hiking and biking.

Jémez MountainsDrive up into the mountains around Albuquerque for a refreshing break.

Head to Valles Caldera National Preserve for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. This 36,000-hectare preserve situated inside a collapsed vol-canic crater was created by the federal government’s purchase of the historic Baca Ranch in 2000. The Valles Caldera Trust limits the number of visitors per day, both to protect this unique environment

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october 2008 • new mexico 9

and to ensure an excel-lent experience for trav-ellers. Organized tours and activities are also available throughout the year.

When you’ve done all that, relax with a soak in one of several hot springs in and around the town of Jémez Springs.

Jémez State Monument preserves the spectacular ruins of the 14th-century Towa Pueblo and a 17th-century Spanish mission, San José de los Jémez. An interpretive trail winds throughout the 2.8-hectare site and a visitor centre contains exhibits interpreting historic events from the perspective of the Jemez people. A combination entry ticket is also good for the Coronado State Monu-ment in Bernalillo.

Scenic Central New MexicoTouring through Central New Mexico is a rewarding experience. Of course the region has it’s own strip of Route 66 National Scenic Byway; but the Salt Missions Trail follows old trade routes, rail beds, and foot-paths that echo with the past; Corrales Road Scenic Byway wanders past the best remain-ing example of Rio Grande cottonwood for-est; and Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway offers mountain vistas and volcanic plains.

For more information, visit www.heartnm.com or www.newmexico.org. v

At 4.3 kilometres, the Sandia Peak Aerial tramway is the longest in the world and offers spectacular views from atop Sandia Peak.

10 new mexico october 2008

North Central New Mexico offers an impressive list of attractions, ranging from the world-class museums and galleries of Santa Fe to the longest continually inhabited Native American Pueblo in Taos and the scientific enclave of Los Alamos.

Santa FeSanta Fe is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in a valley by the Rio Grande. It is the oldest state capital in the U.S., and at one time all lands west of the Mississippi were governed from the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza.

Speaking of the Palace of the Governors, it was built in 1610 and is the country’s oldest continually occupied public building and now serves as a regional historical museum. The San Miguel Mission Church is the oldest church still in use in the U.S. It was built in the early 17th century by the Tlaxcalan Indians of Mexico. The structure known simply as the Oldest House dates back to Analco Indians of the 13th century. Both

San Miguel and the Oldest House are found in Barrio Analco, the city’s oldest neighbourhood.

Discover more church history as you try to solve the mystery of the “miraculous” staircase of Loretto Chapel. An unnamed man, thought by nuns to be St. Joseph, built the staircase without any visible means of support.

Or, experience Spanish Colonial history at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum that was once a stop on El Camino Real, the “Royal Highway” that followed the Rio Grande from the U.S./Mexico border to Santa Fe and beyond.

For more on the Colonial period, visit the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, whose collection spans four centuries of Hispanic history and culture.

For more contemporary works, tour the Museum of Fine Arts, which features fine works by regional artists. And then there’s the most famous local artist of all. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum,

celebrates the work of one of America’s favourite 20th-century artists in 10 sky-lit galleries that feature more than 80 works by O’Keefe and her contemporaries in revolving shows. Can’t get enough? Explore Canyon Road. Santa Fe’s most famous art district boasts more than 100 galleries, shops with one-of-a-kind crafts and gourmet restaurants.To sample Native American arts, check

out the frequently revolving exhibits at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum; they feature Native American beadwork, pottery, weaving and painting. The Wheelwright Museum of the Ameri-can Indian mounts rotating exhibits from a huge permanent collection and has an excellent Indian arts shop. In August, go to the Santa Fe Indian Market, the city’s biggest annual event, and join buyers, col-lectors and gallery owners from around the world who come to buy directly from 1,200 artists representing about 100 tribes.

To learn more about the culture of the local tribes, head to the Museum

North To Adventure,Central To Everything

NorthCentral New Mexico

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the iconic, open-air Santa Fe opera House sees many re-nowned performances. other venues in Santa Fe include the Lensic Performing Arts center, which hosts concerts by the Santa Fe orchestra, the chamber music Festival and popular music and jazz performers and the Paoli Soleri Amphitheater where recent acts have included Lyle Lovett, Ani DeFranco and elvis costello.

bandelier national monument, near Los Alamos, boasts several thousand ancestral Pueblo dwellings as well as great backcountry hiking.

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12 new mexico october 2008

of Indian Arts and Culture. It chronicles Pueblo, Navajo, Apache and other indigenous Southwest cultures from prehistoric through contemporary times.

Need to burn off a little steam? The Santa Fe Children’s Museum houses interactive art and science exhibits for the young and young-at-heart. Visit the Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve and see wagon ruts left by travellers along El Camino Real and go bird watching or hiking. Head to the mountain at Ski Santa Fe, which boasts 67 ski and snowboard runs, a 1,275-foot vertical drop and a lift capacity of 9,350 skiers per hour.

TaosHundreds of years of rich cultural interaction among Spanish explorers, Native Americans and American immigrants have created a diverse city

in Taos. The pace is slow, the air is clean and the atmosphere is small-town hospitality.

The Spanish Colonial influence is preserved at Martinez Hacienda, a sprawling, 21-room home that offers an intimate view of life in the region two centuries ago.

But the main visitor attraction in the area is Taos Pueblo, a collection of multi-storey adobe buildings that have been continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years.

The American immigrant experience is documented at the Kit Carson Home and Museum. Originally purchased as Carson’s wedding gift to his 14-year-old bride, Josefa Jaramillo, the buildings are a monument to his life as a frontiersman, general and politician.

Artists have flocked to Taos for decades, attracted by the special light and even more special scenery. You can enjoy works by members of the Taos Society of Artists at the Ernest Blumenschein House, the Harwood Museum and the Taos Art Museum. Or, view one of the Southwest’s most important collections of regional Native American and Hispanic art at the Millicent Rogers Museum.

In winter, hit the slopes at Taos Ski Valley. There are 110 runs, a Number 1-rated ski school, a lift capacity of 15,500 skiers per hour.

Los AlamosLocated on the Pajarito Plateau at the foot of the Jemez Mountains, Los Alamos began as the site of the Manhattan Project, and today is the home of Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Films and interactive exhibits at the Bradbury Science Museum, in the Los Alamos National Laboratory explain the Lab’s role in developing the atomic bomb, as well as its research in national defence, supercomputing, space, biosciences, energy and the environment. The Los Alamos Historical Museum also chronicles the Manhattan Project and local history.

What all those scientists discovered, besides the secrets of the A-bomb, was the amazing outdoor recreation opportuni-

Pueblos

North Central New Mexico is home to Eight Northern Pueblos: Taos; Picuris; Santa Clara; Ohkay Owingeh; San Ildefonso; Nambé; Pojoaque; and Tesuque.

Taos is the northernmost and one of the most popular pueblos, billing itself as “one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America.” The old village is a designated World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site.

All pueblos welcome visitors, and some have welcome centres. Visitors are also invited to designated feast days.

Etiquette: Tribes value traditions, customs and religion. Some actions and/or questions could be offensive. Tribal dances are religious ceremonies, not public performances. It is a privilege to witness a ceremony. Keep quiet, don’t applaud and do not touch the dancers. Do not remove artifacts, pottery shards or other items. Do not bring alcohol or drugs onto tribal lands. Check with each pueblo regarding camera regulations.

taos Pueblo, one of the oldest

continuously inhabited com-

munities in north America, is also

a designated world Heritage

Site and a national Historic Site.

the visual arts play a huge role in Santa Fe, with galleries dedicated to Georgia o’Keeffe, her contemporaries and today’s artists. canyon road is the city’s most famous art district.

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october 2008 • new mexico 13

ties surrounding Los Alamos. Several thousand ancestral Pueblo dwellings at Bandelier National Monument, stand testament to the local Native American history and the mesas and sheer-walled canyons offer great backcountry hiking. In Valles Caldera National Preserve, one of the world’s largest caldera valleys, you can take self-guided and specialty hikes, wagon and van rides and fishing and photo excursions.

Railroads & ReligionRail buffs can hop aboard a trip on America’s longest narrow-gauge rail-road, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, as it winds its way 103 kilo-metres through the mountainous terrain between Chama, New Mexico, and An-tonito, Colorado.

Santuario de Chimayó is a legendary shrine that is often described as the Lourdes of North America. Built between 1813 and 1816, the shrine attracts pilgrims

Kidstuff

• New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe.

• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe.• Institute of American Indian Arts

Museum, Santa Fe.• New Mexico State Capitol

Building, Santa Fe.• Santa Fe Children’s Museum,

Santa Fe.• Museum of Spanish Colonial Art,

Santa Fe.• Museum of Indian Arts and

Culture, Santa Fe.• Museum of International Folk Art,

Santa Fe.• El Rancho de las Golondrinas,

Santa Fe.• Planetarium at Santa Fe

Community College, Santa Fe.• Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe.• Taos Pueblo, Taos.• Bradbury Science Museum, Los

Alamos.• Bandelier National Monument,

Los Alamos.• Shidoni Foundry and Gallery,

Tesuque.• Chaco Culture National Historic

Park, Nageezi.

Tune out the world and tune in to your spirit. Give your soul the getaway it craves.

Breathe deep, relax and recharge. In Santa Fe, rejuvenation is considered a fine art.

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DISCOVER GENUINE SANTE FEIf you’ve never experienced this vibrant,

historic city in northern New Mexico, there’s never been a better time to visit. �e Inn and Spa at Loretto welcomes

you with our beautifully renovated guest rooms, spectacular spa and new

Luminaria Restaurant & Patio serving contemporary cuisine designed to ignite

your senses. Come explore winding streets shopping the latest fashions and

galleries, or simply relax in the Living Room Lounge enjoying one of our

signature drinks and live entertainment from famed local guitarist

Matthew Andrea (Tues.-Sun.).

Photo courtesy of Santa Fe Mountain Adventures™

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14 new mexico october 2008

Among the elite resorts in north America, Ski taos

boasts 110 runs and a number 1 ski school.

renowned for its healing powers, el Santuario de

chimayo is the destination of an annual statewide Good

Friday pilgrimage.

New Mexico Tourism Dept/Mike Stauffer

New Mexico Tourism Dept/Dan Monoghan

from far and wide in quest of its healing earth and is the destination of a statewide Good Friday pilgrimage.

Scenic North Central New MexicoScenic routes in North Central all lead to adventure. The High Road to Taos Adventure passes historic churches, Indian artworks and high country scenery. The Enchanted Circle features 134 kilometres of mountain beauty as it winds past Taos, Angel Fire, Red River and Eagle Nest Lake; the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway traces the past along the trail forged centuries ago by Native Americans, miners and Spanish Coquistadores; and An Abiquiu Outing tours the landscapes that inspired artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

For more information, visit www.newmexiconorth.com or www.newmexico.org. v

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Discover the AuthenticDiscover the Authentic

Popularly known as Sky City, Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously

inhabited community in the U.S. Take a guided walking tour of the pueblo and the San Esteban Mission, built in 1640; shop for Acoma Pottery at the Sky City Cultural Center.

The Chaco Culture National His-torical Park, a UNESCO World Heri-tage Site, contains 13 major sites from a unique culture that rose around the Chaco Canyon about 1,000 years ago. See the ruins of monumental public buildings and ceremonial kivas (underground cer-emonial chambers). Facilities include a visitor centre, museum, short walking trails to the major sites, and four back-country hiking trails.

The Navajo Nation is larger than 10 American states, and has a population of more than 250,000. Shiprock Peak, an eroded volcanic plume called Tse ‘Bit’a’I, or “The Rock With

Wings”, is considered sacred to the Navajo. Viewing is permitted, but the landmark is off-limits to hikers and climbers.

Within the Navajo Nation, the Zuni Pueblo, is a vibrant community of 8,000 people. The pueblo’s many artisans create world-renowned silver pieces inlaid with coral and turquoise.

Farmington is the site of even more Native American history. The Salmon Ruins Heritage Park houses eight 11th-century habitation units of the prehistoric inhabitants of the San Juan Basin, while Aztec Ruins National Monument pre-serves a 12th-century pueblo that fea-tures the only fully restored Great Kiva in the Southwest.

For a more modern look at Native cultures, head to Gallup and the nightly Indian dances, art gallery and gift shop at the Gallup Cultural Center. You can

also learn about the Navajo code that the Japanese could not break during the Second World War at the Navajo Code Talkers Room.

Outdoors, Navajo Lake State Park offers fishing and watersports; Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness boasts strange rock formations and fossils and the B-Square Ranch and Experimental Farm, offers the Museum of Fish and Wildlife

and the Electromechanical Museum all in the Farmington area.

Near Gallup, you can go camping near the spectacular red cliffs at Red Rock State Park.

Grants offers a look at underground uranium mining at the New Mexico Min-ing Museum; centuries-old Indian petro-glyphs, Spanish conquistadores’ graffiti and 19th-century pioneers’ autographs at El Morro National Monument; back-packing, camping, caving, birdwatching, horseback riding and rock climbing at El Malpais National Monument and Con-servation Area; the Ice Cave, an ancient lava tube that contains a large pool of ice year-round.

Scenic North Western New MexicoTour historic cultural sites on the Native Heritage Trail like Zuni Pueblo, El Morro National Monument, Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave, El Malpais National Monument, Toadlena Trad-ing Post, Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness, Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park, or follow a leg of Historic Route 66.

For more information visit www.indian countrynm.org or www.newmexico.org.v

Discover A Place Where Legends Live On

Northwest New Mexicotime and nature have

carved out a fantasy world of strange rock formations and fossils in the bisti/De-na-Zin wilderness near Farmington.

inset: the graffiti of millen-nia is etched on el morro

national monument, once a camping spot for native Americans, Spanish con-quistadors and pioneers.

Kidstuff

• Acoma Pueblo, Acoma.

• Farmington Museum Complex, Farmington.

• Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield.

• Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec.

• New Mexico Mining Museum, Grants.

• El Morro National Monument, Grants.

• El Malpais National Monument, Grants.

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New Mexico’s northeast corner was definitely made for driving, so hop in the car and drive through Wild West history and Native American Heritage.

In Capulín you can view four states from the rim of a dormant volcanic cone at

the Capulín Volcano National Monu-ment and learn about Folsom Man (ca. 12,000 BC) at the Folsom Museum.

Cimarrón, a stop on the famous Santa Fe Trail, remains one of the few truly his-toric towns of the Old West. At the Kit Carson Museum, staff dress in period clothing and demonstrate frontier skills and crafts. The Philmont Museum, hous-es exhibits related to the natural history, art and history of the area; and the Seton Memorial Library is home to the pri-vate art and history collections of Ernest Thompson Seton, the founder of the Boy Scouts of America.

Las Vegas, the largest city in Northeast New Mexico, is home to 940 buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places. Take one of several walking tours.

For more history, visit Fort Union Na-tional Monument, first established as a guardian of the Santa Fe Trail in 1851, as one of three forts built close together over a 40-year period. There’s more Trail his-tory and the story of the legendary Rough Riders of the Spanish-American War at the City of Las Vegas Museum/Rough Riders Memorial Collection.

Las Vegas also offers plenty of outdoor recreation. Spot Bald Eagles as well as 14 species of raptors at the Las Vegas Na-tional Wildlife Refuge. You can also go fishing, boating and camping at Storrie Lake and Villanueva state parks.

For Native American history, head to Pecos and see the ruins of New Mexico’s largest Indian Pueblo at Pecos National Historical Park. More than 2,000 Pecos Indians lived in 600 rooms terraced up five storeys. Also on the site is the battlefield of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass. Then head to the Santa Fe National Forest & Pecos Wilderness Area for fishing, hunt-ing, hiking and camping.

Remember a more recent history in

Santa Rosa, on fabled Route 66. The city is home to the Route 66 Auto Museum, as well as several vintage Route 66 din-ers and restaurants. It’s also home to scuba diving hotspot the Blue Hole, a 24-metre deep natural, bell-shaped pool boasting astonishing clarity.

For history that goes back, way, back visit the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari, and see the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons, fossils and replicas of prehis-toric creatures.

Scenic Northeast New MexicoHit the road on six scenic byways that travel through time and amazing scenery to discov-er more Northeast New Mexico. The Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway follows the trail of the settlers; Dry Cimarron Byway passes spectacular mesa-, volcano- and butte-stud-ded scenery; the Mesalands Scenic Byway route wanders by 17 caliche-capped sand-stone and siltstone mesas; Historic Route 66 is New Mexico’s stretch of America’s Main Street; and La Frontera Del Llano winds through homesteaders’ country.

For more information, visit www.nenew mexico.com or www.newmexico.org. v

Northeast New MexicoWhere the Plains Meet the Mountains

top: Pecos national Historical Park houses the ruins of new mexico’s largest indian Pueblo, with 600 rooms over five storeys. inset: the blue Hole in Santa rose offers scuba diving in crystal waters in a natural bell-shaped pool in the middle of the desert.

Kidstuff

• Pecos National Historic Park, Pecos.

• Fort Union National Monument, Las Vegas.

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Southeast New Mexico is a legendary place. There’s the legend of Billy

the Kid and the legend of the “Roswell Incident”. If that’s not enough, there is always Carlsbad Caverns – a legendary underground sight.

Discover the history of space explo-ration at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. There is the space museum, Planetarium, IMAX® Dome Theater, Hubbard Space Science Education Facility and the International Space Hall of Fame.

And speaking of space, head to Roswell and explore the mystery of the 1947 “Roswell Incident” at the International UFO Museum and Research Center, then decide for yourself – did aliens really land? Back on earth, take the Roswell Historic District Walking Tour. It includes many buildings on the National Historic Register.

Fort Sumner is THE place to learn about outlaw Billy the Kid. See Billy’s rifle, chaps and spurs, and the original Wanted poster at the Billy the Kid Mu-seum in Fort Sumner. Visit Billy the Kid’s gravesite and see historical items and Billy memorabilia, at the Old Fort Sumner Mu-seum. Enjoy rodeo competitions, a parade, Wild West shoot-out and “The World’s Richest Billy the Kid Tombstone Race” at Old Fort Days, every June. You can also learn about the “Long Walk”, the forced

march of Apaches and Navajos from their homeland to Fort Sumner at Fort Sumner State Monument.

Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett at Lincoln State Monument/National Landmark, a re-stored frontier town. Enjoy a living history experience at the Wortley Hotel. Hear tales of the Old West on an authentic stage coach tour.

Visit one of Billy the Kid’s hideouts at Dowlin’s Historic Old Mill near Ruidoso, then play the ponies at Ruidoso Downs.

Travel deep underground to explore one of the largest underground cham-bers in the world at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Above ground, learn about the native flora and fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert at the Living Gar-dens Zoo and Gardens State Park.

Other natural attractions include White Sands National Monument, the world’s largest deposit of gypsum sand near Alamogordo; and Three Rivers Petroglyph Site with more than 21,000 petroglyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants near Carizozo.

Scenic Southeast New MexicoHead out onto the open road on three driving tours that showcase the most intriguing aspects of Southeast New

Mexico. Cowboys, Indians, and Astronauts is a Southeastern New Mexico adventure tour through Alamogordo, Cloudcroft, Mescalero, Ruidoso, Carrizozo, Capitan, and Lincoln; and Caves, Aliens and The Kid includes Carlsbad, Artesia, Roswell and Fort Sumner.

For more information, visit www.newmex icosouth.com or www.newmexico.org. v

Wild West Outlaws & Little Green Men

Southeast New Mexicotop: white Sands national monu-ment near Alamoordo is the world’s larges deposit of gypsum sand.inset: the legend of outlaw billy the Kid lives on in places like Fort Sumner, ruidoso and Lincoln State monument/national Landmark.

Kidstuff

• National Solar Observatory, Sunspot.• Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad.• Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Carlsbad.• Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo.• White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo.• Billy The Kid Museum, Fort Sumner.• Blackwater Draw Museum and Archaeological

Site, Portales.• Clovis Depot Model Train Museum, Clovis.• Hubbard Museum of the American West,

Ruidoso Downs.• International UFO Museum and Research

Center, Roswell.• Lincoln State Monument, Lincoln.• New Mexico Museum of Space History,

Alamogordo.• Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell.• Smokey Bear Historical Park, Capitan.

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Southwest New Mexico boasts ghost towns, Native American treasures and a taste of the Wild, Wild West. From the onetime home of Billy the Kid to ancient Native American cliff dwellings; vast deserts to the state’s largest lake, Southwestern New Mexico is the place to experience the Old West.

Las CrucesNew Mexico’s second-largest city is a crossroads of Hispanic, Indian and Euro-pean cultures. From the shady, tree-lined plaza of an 1800s

village to old Spanish churches, it radiates an old-world charm and a stately, unhur-ried atmosphere. Local legend has it that Las Cruces was named because it was the site of several cross-topped graves from an 1830s caravan that was ambushed by local Apache Indians.

Get a feel for the city on a driving or walking tour of the heritage buildings of the Mesquite and Alameda-Depot historic districts. Mesquite is the oldest neighbourhood in the city and includes 44 blocks of the original 1849 townsite. Alameda developed along the path of the Santa Fe Railway in 1881.

Catch a glimpse of the past at the 19-hectare New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, which features repro-ductions of early Native American living quarters, live demonstrations and exhibits; at the New Mexico Railroad and Trans-portation Museum, with artifacts dating to the late 1800s; or the Zuhl Collection of fossil remains at the New Mexico State University campus.

Local law and order practitioners are celebrated at the Historical Museum of Lawmen, and at Fort Selden State Monument, the home of the Buffalo Soldiers, the famous African American

cavalry who protected settlers from outlaws and Apache Indian raids.

You can even see where Billy the Kid stood trial for murder in the historic town of Old Mesilla, which boasts a fabulous array of shops, galleries and restaurants fanning out from its picturesque plaza.

Foodies shop for fresh local produce, spices and arts and crafts at the Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market, held Wednesday and Saturday mornings, than wash it all down with wines from the country’s oldest wine industry at the Blue Teal Vineyards and Tasting Room, St. Clair Winery & Bistro and La Viña Winery.

Learn about the origins of the U.S. missile and space programs and the beginning of the nuclear age at the White Sands Missile Range Museum & Missile Park; and about the native flora and fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert at the Las Cruces Museum of Natural History, located in the Mesilla Valley Mall.

Silver CityNestled in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains, this historic mining town bordering the Continental Divide is where Billy the Kid spent his rambunctious early years.

Experience Old West Country Southwest New Mexico

Kidstuff

• Gila Cliff Dwellings, Silver City.

• Elephant Butte Lake, Elephant Butte

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife

Refuge, Socorro.

• Old Mesilla, Mesilla.

• National Radio Astronomy Observatory,

Socorro.

• Catwalk National Recreation Trail,

Glenwood.

• New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage

Museum, Las Cruces.

• Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, Deming.

• Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus.

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Discover Native cul-ture at the 42 Mogollon Culture cliff dwellings in five natural caves at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, then look at more recent times at the Fort Bayard

and the Silver City Museum.Take a stroll along the Catwalk

National Scenic Trail, 72-metre metal causeway clinging to the sides of Whitewater Canyon. A dirt trail continues into the Gila Wilderness Area, the largest pocket of wilderness in the U.S.

Enjoy a dip in the mineral pools at Faywood Hot Springs.

Truth or ConsequencesFamous for its hot springs, Truth or Consequences is also an excellent base to explore ghost towns and small mining communities.

One of the best ways to see the area is to drive the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, a 248-kilometre route that takes in the most significant geological, historical and cultural sites in the Truth or Consequences area.You can also check out the past exploring the ghost towns and historic mining communities of Kingston, Hillsboro, Winston, Cuchillo, Chloride and Monticello.

Cool off with water sports, fishing or lazing

on the beach at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, home of New Mexico’s largest lake.

DemingDeveloped as a railroad town more than 100 years ago, Deming is home to the annual Great American Duck Race, held each August, with live duck races, parades, costume contests, arts and crafts and dances.

But there’s much more than ducks here. View 16 buildings on the State Historic Registry and 14 on the National Registry of Historic Places on the Walking Tour of Historic Deming; and extensive historical exhibits of the only armed invasion of the continental U.S. since 1812 at Pancho Villa State Park. Search for agates, geodes and quartz crystals at Rockhound State Park.

Scenic Southwest New MexicoTake to the open road in Southwestern New Mexico and discover the spirit of the place all around you. The Socorro Historic District Byway offers a timeline, through architecture, of the city’s development from a quiet colonial town, to wild mining town to modern community. Lake Valley

Backcountry Byway travels along dirt roads in the Black Range Mountains through the state’s Silver Rush history and the Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway lets you walk where the spirits of all the people – miners, homesteaders, Indians, Spanish explorers, mountain men – who have passed through this area left their mark.

For more information, visit www.oldwestcountry.com or www.newmexico.org. v

Hatch

Just down the road from Las Cruces, Hatch is known as the “Chile Capital of the World”. Local farmers grow more than 12,000 hectares of the red-hot cash crop that is a staple of New Mexican cuisine. Every Labour day weekend, the city hosts a huge celebration, with chile roasting, chile contests and parades of countless chile dishes. Both Hatch and Las Cruces served as gateways to El Camino Real, the royal road that connected Santa Fe and Mexico City in Spanish colonial days.

Left: the land around the gila cliff Dwellings national monument is much as it was when the mogollon people inhabited these rock houses in the late 13th century. Center: the Very Large Array consists of 27 huge, moveable radio antennae placed along railroad tracks, near Socorro. these giant transmitters played a major role in the film Contact. Right: the Gila wilderness is the world’s first designated wilderness, created in 1924. A dirt trail connects the wilderness to the catwalk, a metal walkway attached to a gravity-fed water pipeline.

New Mexico Tourism Dept./Mike Stauffer New Mexico Tourism Dept./Mike Stauffer

New Mexico Tourism Dept.

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The Holiday Inn Express in beautiful Silver City is your ticket to a Southwest adventure. Let our friendly staff aid you in exploring the wonders of the Silver City area from a convenient homebase that features a fully equipped cardio workout room, spa facilities, complimentary Express Start breakfast and free high speed internet access in every room.

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