New Mexico

Vintage postcard Carlsbad Caverns National Park

New Mexico is an intriguing state as there is such variety in the landscape, the culture and the amazing places to visit.  Although I have made many trips through the state, I have never had the chance to see the Carlsbad Caverns.  There are 118 caves in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  The number of birds, animals and insects in this area provide a wealth of information for botanists.  The bat population numbers around 400,000 or more and includes more than a dozen species.  Their outward flight each evening must be a spectacular sight!  The website for further information on the park can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm .

Another delightful sight I have missed is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta held the first week in October each year.  Although I have seen other balloon launches, this one features over 500 balloons.  Albuquerque has also hosted several international balloon competitions over the years.  Gallup is another New Mexico City that hosts an annual Red Rock Annual Balloon Rally.  The skies are fantastic in New Mexico with either desert or mountain backdrops – or both.  The balloon launches are photographed extensively.

Vintage card of New Mexico Sunset

One of the things that always strikes me about New Mexico is the clear sky.  I’m sure it rains or snows at times, but it has always been clear for miles when I have traveled there.  At sunrise and sunset the display is usually fantastic and the night sky seems to hold more stars than anywhere else. The air is almost always crisp and cold or hot and dry.  Extreme temperatures don’t seem so bad when the humidity is so low.

New Mexico is one of the western states that are fairly large.   It embraces 121,412 square miles (314,460 km²) with a very low population density.  Although there are several large cities such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Las Cruces and Gallup, on average there are only about 17 people per square mile or less than 7 per square kilometer.  About ten percent of the population is American Indian – the largest number of Native Americans in any state except Alaska’s Inuit population. There are 22 different tribes in New Mexico, the largest of which are the Pueblo or Navajo.  Almost fifty percent of the population is of Hispanic origin. 

 Taos Ski Valley

The landscape ranges from sage brush and sand deserts to high altitude snow covered mountains.  Taos Ski Valley is well known and is one of many family owned ski resorts in New Mexico.  The nearby Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years.  It is both a National Monument and a World Heritage Site.

 

Gila Cliff Dwellings at Silver City

There is a long list of National Parks, Recreation Areas, Management Areas, Monuments, and Forests in addition to all of the State sites.  Chaco Canyon, Pecos National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument, White Sands, Aztec Ruins, and Los Alamos are a few of the most well known. 

 For more information check out the website for New Mexico at http://www.newmexico.org  Albuquerque  has its own site at http://www.itsatrip.org  The National Park Service has links to each of their parks at http://www.nps.gov