The Land of Enchantment State. That just about says it all. Hot air balloons, cliff dwellings, desert rock formations, spicy cuisine, and friendly people. And if that’s not enough, you can visit the home of the nuclear bomb or a town dedicated to UFOs. There’s enchantment for everyone in New Mexico, and you can go home green and glowing.
Our first stop was in Gallup, yet another Route 66 town still basking in the highway’s glory. We found some great bargains at the City Electric Shoe Shop. It seems this was one of the first stores in town to get electricity, and the distinction stuck. Fantastic selection of Western gear. I wanted us all to get matching cowboy boots, but I was overruled. Party poopers.
Onward to Taos, a charming, laid-back, artsy town where we relaxed at a comfortable hacienda.
Modern-day Taos surrounds the Pueblo started 1,000 years ago by the native Tiwa people. About 3,500 Tiwa live in the Taos area today, including 100 who live in the Pueblo much like their ancestors did, in adobe buildings without electricity or running water. Visitors are welcome to wander around and learn about the Tiwa way of life. The most sacred sites are off-limits to visitors, and the Tiwa may enter only while wearing traditional clothing and speaking their native language. Their language is not written, but it is taught in the schools and homes, so most of the Tiwa are fluent.
Many times during our trip through the West, we were reminded of the struggles Native Americans have faced in our country. In North Dakota, we learned about Teddy Roosevelt’s commitment to the environment and his efforts to preserve the land for future generations. His beliefs collided with those of the Tiwa in New Mexico. President Roosevelt helped create the Kit Carson national forest near Taos, but several acres of the forest had long belonged to the Tiwa. For 64 years, the Tiwa fought to have their land returned, and President Nixon finally did so.
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Moving even further back in time, we visited Bandelier National Monument, site of some ancient cliff dwellings. The first dwellings we encountered were simple and easy to explore.
Further along the trail, however, we found a special “room” used for ceremonial purposes. There was only one problem with the special room – it was 140 feet straight up the side of the cliff. The Park Service generously provided four very tall ladders:
They also provided warning signs for those with a fear of heights, fear of ladders, or just a general fear of death. I fall into several of those categories, so I was prepared to camp at the bottom of the ladders and cheer the rest of the family on as they scrambled to the top and back. But as luck would have it, we were visiting the cliff dwellings on a momentous day – July 30th. My birthday. My 50th birthday.
I had envisioned spending my birthday relaxing at a spa in Santa Fe, gazing at Georgia O’Keefe paintings, and shopping for turquoise jewelry. Instead, for reasons that can’t be explained, I decided to prove my youth and agility by braving the ladders and reaching the summit. This was one of the worst ideas I’ve had in a long time.
The ladders were fairly stable, but a bit slippery along the sides, and very tricky to mount and dismount. I took my time. Guess I move slowly when facing my mortality, dangling precariously from a steep ladder atop a jagged cliff. It didn’t help that the kids raced up and down like monkeys and made encouraging remarks like, ”Wow! That ladder is REALLY steep!” and “Going down is much harder than going up”. And my personal favorite, “Watching mom get on and off the ladders is kind of like watching (86-year-old) Grandma get in and out of a car!” Smart-alec kids.
I’ll admit I was proud of myself for conquering the ladders, but my legs and nerves were pretty rattled at the end of it all. Thank goodness I’ll only turn 50 once.
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We pulled into Albuquerque just as the game was starting. The stadium was beautiful (can that term be applied to baseball stadiums?) and we were eager to take our seats. This was one of the few activities we had planned (and paid for) in advance. We were about to watch the minor league Albuquerque Isotopes take the field. They may not have a winning record, but they’ve got to have the best name in all of professional baseball.
Well, our luck finally ran out, and before the ‘topes could score, the skies opened and the rain poured out. And poured. And poured. Fortunately, we found shelter in the team store, where we outfitted ourselves from head to toe in proper Isotope gear. After about an hour, the rain stopped and the grounds crew bravely marched onto the field to begin mopping up. This was every bit as entertaining as a game. They slipped and slopped and the umpires frowned and frowned. Sadly, after about an hour of sloshing and sponging, the umpires determined that the game would not continue. Well, drat. We were devastated. Didn’t get to see a single pitch.
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Our travels through New Mexico took us along I-25 and 40, highways 522, 64, 68, 30, 502, and 4. While in Albuquerque, we strolled through Old Town and admired some of the state’s famous chilies — more are grown in New Mexico than any other state:
We had some fantastic New Mexican food at Sadie’s, a famous local eatery that knows how to use those trademark chilies. We loved the tasty sopaipillas, delicate pillows of fried dough that were served savory or sweet. I had one large sopaipilla filled with ground meat, spices, and cheese, and we all had way too many small, warm sopaipillas drizzled with honey.
We learned about aerodynamics and played with the simulators at the Hot Air Balloon Museum.
A couple of us (you can guess which two) even awoke with the dawn to watch some hot air balloons take flight. Well worth the early wake-up call.
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We’ve had several, brief conversations with locals, but our chat with an amiable guy named Sam in Gallup, New Mexico, was especially memorable. We usually ask, “What is your favorite thing about living in ___?” And people typically hem and haw, giggle a little, and say something profound like, “Well, I really like the weather”. We met Sam in a gift shop in Gallup, and he eagerly directed us to some of the town’s sights. When I asked Sam his favorite thing about New Mexico, he didn’t hesitate for a minute:
“My reservation, my tribe, my land, my culture. The richness that my ancestors brought to this area, after all they went through. We have a spiritual connection to the land.”
No wonder he calls the place home.
10. New Mexico
Hot air balloons