ITS NOT NEW AND ITS NOT MEXICO

Except for Roswell, we had planned to just drive through the state, neither of us had heard much about it. But there was something about the lunar like desert landscape and the friendly people that drew us in.  New Mexico is unique, a little bit strange, drenched in history and absolutely beautiful - we just can't seem to leave.

After Roswell, we headed to the town of Alamogordo to visit the White Sands National Monument.  At three hundred square miles, it is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.  It is truly an amazing site.  The white is so bright it hurts your eyes.  The gypsum sand, resembles snow and while driving through the park, we couldn't help but think of driving through the snow for real.

one of the worlds natural wonders

we are still trying to get all the sand out of the truck

After hiking around for awhile, we rented a sled and took turns sliding down the dunes.  Let me just say, that its a lot more fun to be sledding in the heat and in bare feet then it is to be in the cold snow.

waxing the board for speed

we thought that the gypsum would be hot to touch but it actually was really cold

We came in the evening to see the sunset, it was awesome.

After being stuck in Alamogordo for five days waiting for truck parts to come, we headed for Truth or Consequences (T or C for short).  It was because of the name we came to the town.  It used to be called Hotsprings but was later changed because of a radio quiz show, by the same name, back in the 1950's.  The big draw here is the hot springs that run underground through the center of town.  We ended up going to the only outdoor one we could find as most are in hotel room bathrooms.  (Your bath water is actually the springs water). So nice to relax and watch the sunset and the stars come out.

sunset in Las Cruces 

We then went to see the Very Large Array.  The VLA is twenty-seven gigantic radio telescopes, set in a "Y" pattern on railroad tracks that are moved every three or four months.  They are used together to see things and not to hear things (i.e. they're not looking for aliens).  Other than that, all other information on them is beyond my brains ability to comprehend.

out in the middle of nowhere

Justin in there for scale

A lot of movies have had scenes filmed at this location - Contact, 1984, Independence Day and Terminator Salvation to name a few.

We moved on to the city of Santa Fe.  At 7200 feet, the elevation takes some getting used to.  This is a very visually stunning city.  Most structures are constructed in the adobe style with flat roofs and similar colors - even the usually ugly Motel 6 we stayed at was done in the adobe style.  But what we kept wondering was how people found their way around, if they didn't know the city, it would be impossible to use landmarks and so easy to get turned around - all the building blend together and are finished in earth-toned colors.  Don't get me wrong, I loved how it looked.  The city is easy on the eyes, there isn't tonnes of signage and we didn't see a building over four stories.  It all melds together - the shrubs, grasses, rocks and buildings.  Very mellow. It seems like a place where people could go, who need to reduce stress - or it could make them scream.

The city is loaded with art, artists, museums, galleries and delicious food.  The shops are filled with turquoise, pottery, blankets, the usual tourist trinkets and cowboy couture.  Everything here is a work of art.

It was so cold here, we couldn't stand it.  We actually had the heater on in our room.  Rain, clouds, grey, gloom, socks, coats - we had just been in intense heat weeks before, this was too much.  We had planned to head north to see the countryside but when we woke up in the morning and saw snow, we pointed the truck south to warmer temperatures.

Some interesting facts about New Mexico

• The state has its own official question - red or green?  It refers to what kind of chiles you want with your meal.
• The first atomic bomb (code name, Gadget) was detonated here in 1945, known today as the Trinity site.  You can visit the location twice a year, April and October.
• For a mere $200 000, you can take a ride into space.  Richard Bransons, Spaceport America will start taking passengers in 2013.  (We wanted to go see it but you have to do it as a tour and it was too expensive)
• This is Smokey the Bears birth-site (and grave-site).  He was an actual bear that was rescued from a forest fire.

In a nutshell you would come to New Mexico if you were interested in aliens, green chili, hot air balloons, deserts, Billy the Kid, pistachios, UFOs, art, Native American culture, nuclear history, beautiful sunsets and so much more.  We barely scratched the surface.

the town of Hatch - home of the great green chile burger

worlds largest pistachio 

chilies drying on the roof

We stayed in a lot of different towns in the state and one thing is the same with all of them - friendly people. It can actually take a long time to walk around because everyone wants to chat.  There seems to be a much slower pace of life here.  Its easy to feel relaxed.  What I think I'll remember most about the state though is the glowing blue sky against the mountains.  The landscape here is spectacular.

Next up, the Mother Road...