New Mexico
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Albuquerque is New Mexico's welcoming gateway, and its residents—like its food and art—reflect a confluence of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo culture. Santa Fe is surrounded by mind-expanding mountain views and is filled with streets characterized by low-slung adobe architecture. Venture beyond New Mexico's cities and you'll discover a land of exceptionally diverse scenery, from the natural formations of Carlsbad Caverns, to river gorges with sheer basalt walls, to the aspen-covered slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

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Native American Culture: Across the Indigenous Lands of the Southwest

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Santa Fe

On a plateau at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—at an elevation of 7,000 feet—Santa Fe brims with reminders of four centuries of...

Southwestern New Mexico

Calling southwestern New Mexico a borderland may seem a bit obvious, but it is one in the broadest possible sense. The proximity of Mexico is...

Albuquerque

Today's smart traveler knows something special is afoot in this wonderfully diverse and charmingly quirky historic town hard by the Rio Grande...

Northwestern New Mexico

When you catch a New Mexican glibly saying they are "on Indian time," they're referring to a certain relaxed approach to schedules and numbers...

Taos

Taos casts a lingering spell. Set on an undulating mesa at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it's a place of piercing light and spectacular...

Southeastern New Mexico

Southeastern New Mexico retains a delicious feeling of wildness. The nearest interstate is generally as far as 200 miles away, and with few...

Northeastern New Mexico

You'll battle neither crowds nor hype in northeastern New Mexico, one of the most underrated sections of the state, and an area well worth exploring...

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

On the surface, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is deceptively normal—but all bets are off once visitors set foot in the elevator, which plunges...

Day Trips from Santa Fe

Santa Fe makes a great base for exploring the entire North-central Rio Grande Valley, a region rich in Spanish-colonial and Native American...

Outside Carlsbad Caverns National Park

On the Pecos River, with 3 miles of beaches, lawns, and picturesque riverside pathways, Carlsbad, New Mexico, seems suspended between the...

Las Cruces

The Mesilla Valley has been populated for centuries. The Spanish passed through the region first in 1598 and continued to use the route to reach...

Farmington

A rough-and-tumble, unpretentious town full of pickup trucks whose radio dials are programmed with country-and-western stations, Farmington...

Raton

Raton’s appealing setting at the foot of a lush mountain pass provides wide-open views of stepped mesas and sloping canyons from the higher...

Gallup

With a population mix of Navajo, Anglo, and Hispanic—plus a Mormon influence, a strong presence of other tribes, and a richly intertwined culture...

Silver City

Silver City began as a tough and lawless mining camp in 1870, and struggled for a long time to become a more respectable—and permanent—settlement...

Truth or Consequences

Yes, Truth or Consequences really did get its name from the game show of the same name. The show's producer, Ralph Edwards, suggested that a...

Ruidoso

A year-round mountain resort town on the eastern slopes of the pine-covered Sacramento Mountains, Ruidoso retains a certain rustic charm. Shops...

Old Mesilla

Historians disagree about the origins of Mesilla (called both Mesilla and Old Mesilla), which in Spanish means "Little Table." Some say the...

Cimarron

As you approach Cimarron from the south or east, you can't help but notice a massive, grayish-white pinnacle perched atop the mountain at the...

Gila National Forest

The Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway (also referred to as the Inner Loop Scenic Drive ) snakes through 75 miles of some of the...

Las Vegas

The antithesis of the Nevada city that shares its name, Las Vegas, elevation 6,470 feet, is a town of about 15,000 that time appears to have...

Alamogordo

Defense-related activities are vital to the town of Alamogordo and to Otero County, which covers much of the Tularosa Basin desert. Look up...

Lincoln

It may not be as well-known as Tombstone, Arizona, or Deadwood, South Dakota, but Lincoln ranks right up there with the toughest of the tough...

Zuni Pueblo

...

Socorro

The town of Socorro, population about 9,000, traces its roots back to the earliest Spanish expeditions into New Mexico when explorer Juan de...

Cloudcroft

Cloudcroft was established in 1898 when the El Paso–Northeastern Railroad crew laid out the route for the Cloud Climbing Railroad. The natural...

Roswell

The true character of Roswell has been largely obscured over the last few decades by the brouhaha over UFOs. Rather than a hotbed of extraterrestrial...

Chimayo

From U.S. 285/84 north of Pojoaque, scenic NM 503 winds past horse paddocks and orchards in the narrow Nambé Valley, then ascends into the red...

Portales

Along with neighboring Clovis, this farming and ranching community bills itself as the world's top producer of Valencia peanuts, a specialty...

El Morro National Monument

From Albuquerque, take Interstate 40 77 miles west to Grants, Exit 81, then turn south onto NM 53. Proceed 43 miles, past the lava fields of...

Aztec

The many Victorian brick buildings and quaint outlying residential blocks give charming Aztec, the seat of San Juan County, the feeling of a...

Santa Rosa

A visually charming little town loaded with history, Santa Rosa also has the only body of water in the state—the Blue Hole—where divers can...

Tucumcari

Tucumcari is a tumbledown little town with intriguing early- to mid-20th-century architecture. Neat little houses on quiet, tree-shaded streets...

Springer

A stroll under the shady oaks of Springer's main street is a journey into the past; if it weren't for the modern-day cars driving by, you might...

Carrizozo

Back when railroad crews began using this site as a supply center, the community that rose up was named after carrizo, the reedlike grass...

Elephant Butte

...

Magdalena

Magdalena, population 300, enjoyed its heyday about a hundred years ago as a raucous town of miners and cowboys. It was once the biggest livestock...

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

...

Clayton

Clayton, which lies flat on the high prairie at an elevation of 5,000 feet, seemingly grew up out of nothing. Downtown is sleepy and sunny,...

Madrid

Abandoned when its coal mine closed in the 1950s, Madrid (locals put the emphasis on the first syllable: mah -drid) has gradually been rebuilt...

Navajo Dam

Navajo Dam is the name of a tiny town a few miles below Navajo Lake State Park, as well as the name of the dam itself. At the base of the dam...

Fort Sumner

Besides its historic significance as one of the area's earliest military outposts and the place where Billy the Kid was killed, the town of...

Bloomfield/Salmon Ruins

...

Grants

The largest community on old Route 66 between Albuquerque and Gallup, little Grants has an intriguing museum and enough chain hotels and inexpensive...

Los Alamos

Look at old books on New Mexico and you rarely find a mention of Los Alamos, now a busy town of about 18,000 that has the highest per capita...

Jicarilla Apache Nation

...

Mora

Originally settled in 1835 by land grantees, Mora was seen by the Mexican government as a buffer between their territory and encroaching Americans...

Quemado

Quemado (pronounced kay- ma -doh) means "burnt" in Spanish, and the town is supposedly named for a legendary Apache chief who burned his hand...

Dixon

The small village of Dixon is home to a number of artists as well as a couple of the wineries that are helping put the northern Rio Grande Valley...

Hatch

Hatch bills itself the Chile Capital of the World. And although chiles are grown elsewhere in the state—and some might argue taste just as good...

Lincoln National Forest

...

Acoma Pueblo

...

Peñasco

Although still a modest-size community, Peñasco is one of the "larger" villages along the High Road and a good bet if you need to fill your...

Truchas

Truchas (Spanish for "trout") is where Robert Redford shot the movie The Milagro Beanfield War (based on the novel written by Taos author...

Pie Town

During the 1930s and ’40s, it was said that the best pie in New Mexico was served at a little café in Pie Town, a homesteading community just...

Fort Union National Monument

...

Capitan

Capitan is famous as the birthplace and final home of Smokey Bear, the nation's symbol of wildfire prevention. The original bear concept was...

Laguna Pueblo

...

San Patricio

Ranchers, farmers, artists, and others who appreciate the lush, green loveliness of the Hondo Valley live in San Patricio and the nearby villages...

Ice Cave and Bandera Crater

...

Artesia

Artesia got its name from artesian wells that were dug here in the late 1800s to tap the abundant water supply just below the ground's surface...

Santa Fe

On a plateau at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—at an elevation of 7,000 feet—Santa Fe brims with reminders of four centuries of...

Albuquerque

Today's smart traveler knows something special is afoot in this wonderfully diverse and charmingly quirky historic town hard by the Rio Grande...

Taos

Taos casts a lingering spell. Set on an undulating mesa at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it's a place of piercing light and spectacular...

Las Cruces

The Mesilla Valley has been populated for centuries. The Spanish passed through the region first in 1598 and continued to use the route to reach...

Farmington

A rough-and-tumble, unpretentious town full of pickup trucks whose radio dials are programmed with country-and-western stations, Farmington...

Raton

Raton’s appealing setting at the foot of a lush mountain pass provides wide-open views of stepped mesas and sloping canyons from the higher...

Gallup

With a population mix of Navajo, Anglo, and Hispanic—plus a Mormon influence, a strong presence of other tribes, and a richly intertwined culture...

Silver City

Silver City began as a tough and lawless mining camp in 1870, and struggled for a long time to become a more respectable—and permanent—settlement...

Truth or Consequences

Yes, Truth or Consequences really did get its name from the game show of the same name. The show's producer, Ralph Edwards, suggested that a...

Ruidoso

A year-round mountain resort town on the eastern slopes of the pine-covered Sacramento Mountains, Ruidoso retains a certain rustic charm. Shops...

Old Mesilla

Historians disagree about the origins of Mesilla (called both Mesilla and Old Mesilla), which in Spanish means "Little Table." Some say the...

Cimarron

As you approach Cimarron from the south or east, you can't help but notice a massive, grayish-white pinnacle perched atop the mountain at the...

Gila National Forest

The Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway (also referred to as the Inner Loop Scenic Drive ) snakes through 75 miles of some of the...

Las Vegas

The antithesis of the Nevada city that shares its name, Las Vegas, elevation 6,470 feet, is a town of about 15,000 that time appears to have...

Alamogordo

Defense-related activities are vital to the town of Alamogordo and to Otero County, which covers much of the Tularosa Basin desert. Look up...

Lincoln

It may not be as well-known as Tombstone, Arizona, or Deadwood, South Dakota, but Lincoln ranks right up there with the toughest of the tough...

Roswell

The true character of Roswell has been largely obscured over the last few decades by the brouhaha over UFOs. Rather than a hotbed of extraterrestrial...

Cloudcroft

Cloudcroft was established in 1898 when the El Paso–Northeastern Railroad crew laid out the route for the Cloud Climbing Railroad. The natural...

Zuni Pueblo

...

Socorro

The town of Socorro, population about 9,000, traces its roots back to the earliest Spanish expeditions into New Mexico when explorer Juan de...

Chimayo

From U.S. 285/84 north of Pojoaque, scenic NM 503 winds past horse paddocks and orchards in the narrow Nambé Valley, then ascends into the red...

Portales

Along with neighboring Clovis, this farming and ranching community bills itself as the world's top producer of Valencia peanuts, a specialty...

Santa Rosa

A visually charming little town loaded with history, Santa Rosa also has the only body of water in the state—the Blue Hole—where divers can...

Aztec

The many Victorian brick buildings and quaint outlying residential blocks give charming Aztec, the seat of San Juan County, the feeling of a...

Magdalena

Magdalena, population 300, enjoyed its heyday about a hundred years ago as a raucous town of miners and cowboys. It was once the biggest livestock...

Springer

A stroll under the shady oaks of Springer's main street is a journey into the past; if it weren't for the modern-day cars driving by, you might...

Madrid

Abandoned when its coal mine closed in the 1950s, Madrid (locals put the emphasis on the first syllable: mah -drid) has gradually been rebuilt...

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

...

Elephant Butte

...

Clayton

Clayton, which lies flat on the high prairie at an elevation of 5,000 feet, seemingly grew up out of nothing. Downtown is sleepy and sunny,...

Tucumcari

Tucumcari is a tumbledown little town with intriguing early- to mid-20th-century architecture. Neat little houses on quiet, tree-shaded streets...

Carrizozo

Back when railroad crews began using this site as a supply center, the community that rose up was named after carrizo, the reedlike grass...

Mora

Originally settled in 1835 by land grantees, Mora was seen by the Mexican government as a buffer between their territory and encroaching Americans...

Los Alamos

Look at old books on New Mexico and you rarely find a mention of Los Alamos, now a busy town of about 18,000 that has the highest per capita...

Grants

The largest community on old Route 66 between Albuquerque and Gallup, little Grants has an intriguing museum and enough chain hotels and inexpensive...

Fort Sumner

Besides its historic significance as one of the area's earliest military outposts and the place where Billy the Kid was killed, the town of...

Dixon

The small village of Dixon is home to a number of artists as well as a couple of the wineries that are helping put the northern Rio Grande Valley...

Quemado

Quemado (pronounced kay- ma -doh) means "burnt" in Spanish, and the town is supposedly named for a legendary Apache chief who burned his hand...

Acoma Pueblo

...

Lincoln National Forest

...

Hatch

Hatch bills itself the Chile Capital of the World. And although chiles are grown elsewhere in the state—and some might argue taste just as good...

Capitan

Capitan is famous as the birthplace and final home of Smokey Bear, the nation's symbol of wildfire prevention. The original bear concept was...

Truchas

Truchas (Spanish for "trout") is where Robert Redford shot the movie The Milagro Beanfield War (based on the novel written by Taos author...

Laguna Pueblo

...

Pie Town

During the 1930s and ’40s, it was said that the best pie in New Mexico was served at a little café in Pie Town, a homesteading community just...

Peñasco

Although still a modest-size community, Peñasco is one of the "larger" villages along the High Road and a good bet if you need to fill your...

San Patricio

Ranchers, farmers, artists, and others who appreciate the lush, green loveliness of the Hondo Valley live in San Patricio and the nearby villages...

Artesia

Artesia got its name from artesian wells that were dug here in the late 1800s to tap the abundant water supply just below the ground's surface...

Southwestern New Mexico

Calling southwestern New Mexico a borderland may seem a bit obvious, but it is one in the broadest possible sense. The proximity of Mexico is...

Northwestern New Mexico

When you catch a New Mexican glibly saying they are "on Indian time," they're referring to a certain relaxed approach to schedules and numbers...

Southeastern New Mexico

Southeastern New Mexico retains a delicious feeling of wildness. The nearest interstate is generally as far as 200 miles away, and with few...

Northeastern New Mexico

You'll battle neither crowds nor hype in northeastern New Mexico, one of the most underrated sections of the state, and an area well worth exploring...

Day Trips from Santa Fe

Santa Fe makes a great base for exploring the entire North-central Rio Grande Valley, a region rich in Spanish-colonial and Native American...

Outside Carlsbad Caverns National Park

On the Pecos River, with 3 miles of beaches, lawns, and picturesque riverside pathways, Carlsbad, New Mexico, seems suspended between the...

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Albuquerque

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Day Trips from Santa Fe

Northeastern New Mexico

Northwestern New Mexico

Santa Fe

Southeastern New Mexico

Southwestern New Mexico

Taos

Albuquerque

Northeastern New Mexico

Southeastern New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Northwestern New Mexico

Southwestern New Mexico

Day Trips from Santa Fe

Santa Fe

Taos

Albuquerque

Day Trips from Santa Fe

Northwestern New Mexico

Southeastern New Mexico

Taos

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Northeastern New Mexico

Santa Fe

Southwestern New Mexico

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The 11 Best Hotel Bars in Santa Fe

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