New Mexico General Information Nickname: Land of Enchantment State bird: Roadrunner State flower: Yucca Flower Capital: Santa Fe Date of admission to the Union: 6th Jan 1912 Population: 1,819,046 (2000) Population density: 5.8/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 104,000/31 Time: Mountain (GMT - 7). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The State: New Mexico is graced with deserts, forests, cities, lakes and mountains. Its Pueblo Native American and Spanish cultures are still very much alive. Albuquerque, the largest city, has an international airport, and its Old Town, museums and cultural centres make it an important tourist destination and a good base for travelling through the State. Santa Fe, with its adobe architecture, is the USA’s oldest State capital. Other attractions include the Sandia Peak area and ski runs; the Carlsbad Caverns; the mountain resort of Ruidoso; the Spanish colonial village of La Mesilla; prehistoric Native American sites; and the Navajo Native American Reservation near Farmington. Travel - International AIR: International airports: Albuquerque International Airport (ABQ) (website: www.cabq.gov/airport) handles over six million passengers a year and is located 6km (4 miles) southeast of the city centre. Taxis, limousines and shuttle buses are available to Albuquerque and Santa Fe and regional buses serve other destinations in the State. Car hire agencies at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National and Thrifty. El Paso Airport (ELP) (website: www.elpasointernationalairport.com) also serves as a gateway into southern New Mexico – see the Texas section. RAIL: Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll free); website: www.amtrak.com) serves New Mexico on two routes. The ‘Southwest Chief’, connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, stops daily at Raton, Las Vegas (New Mexico), Lamy (with a shuttle service available to Santa Fe 27km (17 miles) away), Albuquerque and Gallup. The thrice weekly ‘Sunset Limited’, connecting Orlando and New Orleans to Los Angeles, stops at Lordsburg and Deming in the State’s southwest corner, as well as at El Paso (Texas). ROAD: The main bus companies operating in New Mexico are TNM&O and Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424 (toll free); website: www.greyhound.com). Approximate bus travel times: From Albuquerque to Santa Fe is 1 hour 15 minutes, to Taos is 3 hours, to El Paso is 6 hours, to Flagstaff is 6 hours 45 minutes, to Phoenix is 9 hours, to Denver is 10 hours, to Oklahoma City is 12 hours, and to Los Angeles is 18 hours. From Santa Fe to Taos is 1 hour 35 minutes. URBAN: In Albuquerque, most buses run Mon-Sat 0600-1800. Santa Fe has seven routes running throughout the city. Introduction ALBUQUERQUE: Situated near the centre of the State, Albuquerque nestles in the Rio Grande valley below the majestic Sandia Mountains. One-third of New Mexico’s population lives in the city, but it manages to retain some small-town qualities. The cultural influences of both the Native American and Hispanic early settlers is evident in everything from food to architecture. Visitors can explore the Coronado State Monument where Spanish explorer, Coronado, and his men stayed while searching for the seven cities of gold. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center traces the history of the State’s 19 Native American Pueblos. Exhibits feature contemporary works by pueblo artists and seasonal and traditional dances are performed. The National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico opened in 2000 in the historic Barelas district. When complete, the complex will feature a theatre and amphitheatre in addition to the art galleries and genealogical research centre that are now open. The Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway takes tourists 4.3km (2.7 miles) above the deep canyons of Albuquerque. It is the world’s longest single-span tramway and should be avoided by those who do not have a head for heights.Back on terra firma, visitors can walk through an active volcano, tour an ice-age cave and gaze up at the huge dinosaurs in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Excursions: Along the popular Turquoise Trail are former mining towns such as Madrid and Golden, which were left deserted when supplies of gold, turquoise and coal mines ran dry. On Interstate 25 at Budaghers, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the Traditions festival marketplace is dedicated to selling products and services made in New Mexico. Performances and exhibitions in the outdoor plaza and gazebo showcase New Mexico culture. SANTA FE: The ‘City of the Holy Faith’ is the oldest and highest capital in the country. It boasts more than 150 art galleries, most of which are within easy walking distance of the city centre. These include the Museum of New Mexico; Santa Fe Children’s Museum, with interactive exhibits; Institute of American Indian Arts Museum; Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, which includes displays of jewellery, weavings, pottery and paintings of Native American cultures; and the Museum of International Folk Art. Along the Santa Fe Trail are San Miguel Mission, one of the oldest churches in the country, and Loretto Chapel with its ‘Miraculous Stairway’. Further down the trail is the State Capitol, one of the newest capitol buildings in the country. Its unique design is modelled after the Zia sun symbol on the State flag. TAOS: Visitors to Taos can see the ancient Taos Pueblo, home to the Taos people long before the arrival of Columbus. Spanish colonisers arrived 400 years ago and examples of their craft and culture can be found at Millicent Rogers Museum and the 200-year-old Martinez Hacienda. The Old West also lives on at the home of 19th-century scout, Kit Carson, and in the nearby house where Carson’s brother-in-law and governor of New Mexico Territory was murdered. The governor’s wife and children escaped by digging through the wall of their adobe home with kitchen utensils. NORTHWEST REGION: The northwest region is home to the oldest surviving Pueblo, Acoma, the newest, Laguna, and the largest, Zuni. Some Pueblos are open to the public daily, others only on feast days. The region also includes part of the country’s largest reservation – the Navajo. The Navajo are noted for their beautiful silver and turquoise jewellery, sand paintings and other crafts. Nestling on a high plateau in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Aztec stretches along the Animas River. The Aztec Ruins National Monument is the main attraction with its restored Great Kiva, which was once used for religious ceremonies. The nearby Animas and San Juan rivers provide some of the best trout fishing in the nation. SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO: White Sands National Monument in the Tularosa Basin contains the world’s largest gypsum sand dunes. They were formed when rainwater dissolved gypsum in a nearby mountain and then collected in the basin’s Lake Lucero. As the desert weather evaporated the lake water, the gypsum crystals were left behind and eventually formed the continually growing sand dunes. Carlsbad is home to the Pecos River, Living Desert State Park and the Presidents Park Amusement Village. The world-famous Carlsbad Caverns were explored in 1922 and declared a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge a year later; they were redesignated as part of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1930. Visitors can descend 250m (830ft) into the caverns down a steep, slippery path, before touring the many chambers and passages. The surrounding area also features the Guadalupe Mountains, where the rugged wilderness of the American West has been preserved. Attractions in the southwest corner of the State include Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, with more than 40 stone and timber rooms carved into the cliff’s natural caves, and Silver City, a beautiful mountain retreat. Social Profile Food & Drink: Most menus feature tortillas, which are flat discs of Mexican bread made of wheat flour or cornmeal and baked on a hot dry griddle. Native American fry-bread is deep-fried wheat bread, often eaten with honey or served as the base of a Navajo taco. Another speciality, the sopaipilla, is a piece of wheat bread that puffs when deep fried. An enchilada is meat and cheese, spread on or rolled in a corn tortilla and smothered with green or red chilli sauce. Burritos are meat, beans and diced potatoes wrapped in a flour tortilla, sometimes smothered in hot sauce and cheese. Chile rellenos are whole green chiles, stuffed with cheese, battered and fried. Theatre & Concerts: Santa Fe has an active theatre scene and lively music venues with top-class acts. The Santa Fe Opera performs beneath the stars against a beautiful mountain backdrop. In Albuquerque, performing arts range from ballet to Spanish folk operetta, and from medieval music to barbershop choruses. Shopping: Silver jewellery is a great buy. Native American craftsmen often use turquoise streaked with threads of silver or gold. Other popular gemstones include coral, lapis lazuli (dark blue), malachite (green), jet and pink shell. A small animal shape carved from stone is called a ‘fetish’, and may be strung with beads on a necklace. Each pueblo has characteristic styles and colours of pottery ranging from brightly coloured pots to plain clay ones. Other special buys include Navajo rugs; wooden dolls; retablos, which are wooden boards painted with an image of Christ or a saint; and painted carvings called bultos. Sport: The high mountains and dry air make for great downhill and cross-country skiing. There are nine major skiing areas in the State. Horseracing is also popular and six racetracks offer up to 300 days of races each year. For those who enjoy horse riding, there are many dude ranches and riding stables located across New Mexico. Hiking or exploring underground caverns are other options, as is whitewater rafting on the Rio Grande or Rio Chama. Mountain streams and well-stocked lakes are perfect for fishing. Special Events: The following is a selection of events taking place in 2003: Mar 7-9 National Fiery Foods Show, Albuquerque. March 19 St Joseph’s Feast Day, Laguna Pueblo. Apr American Indian Week, Albuquerque. Apr 24-26 Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Albuquerque. May Taos Spring Arts Celebration, Taos. May 1 Feast Day, San Felipe Pueblo. May 2-4 Civil War Weekend, El Rancho de las Golondinas. Jun Rodeo de Santa Fe. Jun 1-Jul 31 Summerfest, Albuquerque. Jun 29-Aug 25 Santa Fe Opera Season. Jul Cultural Encounters on the Santa Fe Trail; Spanish Market Show and Sale, Santa Fe; Eight Northern Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show. Jul 4-5 UFO Encounter, Roswell. Aug Mountain Man Trade Fair and Rendezvous, Santa Fe; Indian Market, Santa Fe. Aug 5-10 82nd Annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup. Sep Santa Fe Fiesta; New Mexico State Fair, Albuquerque. Sep 19-21 International Bat Festival, Carlsbad. Oct 4-12 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque. Oct 10-12 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium, Ruidoso. Nov 14-16 Festival of the Cranes, Socorro. Dec 3-7 Santa Fe Film Festival. Climate Before ‘Land of Enchantment’ became the official State description, New Mexico was known as ‘The Sunshine State’ because it receives well above the average national levels of sunshine each year. But with a State as large and varied as New Mexico, the climate differs considerably from one place to the next. In villages and cities such as Angel Fire and Las Vegas, which are 1.5km (1 mile) above sea level, temperatures above 100°F (37.7ºC) are not uncommon. In winter, snow falling in the lowlands frequently melts by midday, but ski areas maintain good bases from late November into mid-April. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.