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New Mexico Tourism Department
Photo CD
Media Relations
491 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-827-7400 tel
505-827-7402 fax
800-545-2070 toll free

PRESS KIT

New Mexico: Land of Enchantment

New Mexico: A sense of style built upon centuries of culture and landscape; where first impressions stoke the fires of the everyday imagination; and everyday life is influenced by exploration. It is the evening star near the mountaintops in the north, the full moon rising above the eastern plains, the sun slowly setting on another incredible day out west, and the sense of a season beginning to change.

New Mexico is a cloud perched on a mesa top, a road that disappears into magical, red hills, the play of shadows on a mountainside. It is farmers, cattlemen, scientists, engineers, businesspeople, artists, writers, and dreamers; speaking in many languages, coming from many cultures.

The power of New Mexico is, and has always been, its people, living together in a lovely, yet challenging environment, infl uenced by a blend of languages, traditions and lifestyles. Indeed, the beauty of New Mexico – emerging from her history, architecture, art forms and community festivals – is unlike any other place.

Ancient civilizations, Route 66, El Camino Real and the Santa Fe Trail conjure up mental images of days gone by, of heritage and history, of rural America. These images and a million others are not only a part of the past. They are here and now. www.newmexico.org

press twoNew Mexico History

The ancestors of contemporary Native Americans in the state lived in many areas more than 1,500 years ago, leaving behind bountiful archaeological evidence of their existence and lifestyles. They lived in kivas, dug in the ground with ground-level roofs constructed of wood, branches and mud. Some of these ancient Indians also dwelled in cliff-side caves. Still others built impressive stone structures at Chaco Canyon, aligned with the seasonal skyward paths of the sun and the moon.

Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was the first European to comprehensively explore New Mexico in 1540 after hearing grandiose stories about the existence of gold related. Juan de Oñate later established the first official European colony in New Mexico in 1598 at San Gabriel. Pedro de Peralta was appointed governor and ordered to establish Santa Fe as the new capital in 1607. Santa Fe reigns as the oldest capital in the U.S.

With the coming of the Santa Fe Trail, followed by the railroad, more people than ever came to New Mexico. On Jan. 6, 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state of the Union - a unique blend of modern cities and high tech industries with timeless cultures and a profound wealth of historical significance.

route 66New Mexico’s Six Regions

From the hustle and bustle of the state’s largest city to the tranquility of a unique nature preserve, traveling in Central New Mexico can be as exciting or relaxing as you choose. Whichever road you follow, the region promises plenty of fine attractions and jaw-dropping scenery.

Albuquerque combines a unique blend of multi-culturalism, natural beauty, profound historic attractions, spectacular climate with four distinct seasons, museums, galleries and shopping to create a distinct and unforgettable visit for every kind of visitor: Albuquerque BioPark, the Albuquerque Aquarium, Río Grande Botanic Garden, Río Grande Zoo, Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, Historic Old Town, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, Sandia Park Tramway, Nob Hill, American International Rattlesnake Museum, Petroglyph National Monument, Sandia Peak Ski Area, and the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, to name a few.

Other villages and attractions include the Village of Corrales, Casa San Ysidro, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Jémez Mountain Trail, Jémez State Monument, Coronado State Monument, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

hermitFrom the Santa Fe Trail to Route 66, Northeast New Mexico was made for driving.

View four states from the rim of a dormant volcanic cone at the Capulín Volcano National Monument; visit Cimarrón, a one-time stop on the Santa Fe Trail; step back in time at the Kit Carson Museum at the Philmont Scout Ranch; travel to charming Las Vegas, home to 940 buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places and surrounded by a variety of historic sites like Fort Union National Monument, the Las Vegas Museum/Rough Riders Memorial Collection, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge and Storrie Lake and Villanueva state parks.

See the ruins of New Mexico’s largest American Indian Pueblo at Pecos National Monument. More than 2,000 Pecos Indians lived in 600 rooms terraced up five stories. Also on the site is the battlefield of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass; and enjoy the great outdoors in the Santa Fe National Forest and Pecos Wilderness Area, where you can fish, hunt, hike and camp.

Get your kicks along the fabled Route 66 in Santa Rosa, home of the Route 66 Auto Museum and Blue Hole, a mecca for scuba divers. Enjoy the great outdoors in the Santa Fe National Forest & Pecos Wilderness Area, where you can fish, hunt, hike and camp. See the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons, fossils and replicas of prehistoric creatures at the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari.

rocksSouthwest New Mexico boasts ghost towns, Native American treasures and a taste of the Wild, Wild West. From the onetime home of Billy the Kid to ancient Native American cliff dwellings, vast deserts to the state’s largest lake, Southwestern New Mexico welcomes travelers with a taste for adventure.

Las Cruces, New Mexico’s second-largest city is a crossroads of Hispanic, American Indian and European cultures, fertile river valleys and vast deserts. Its relaxed, unhurried atmosphere is perfect for enjoying its many attractions. Explore the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, experience frontier life at the Fort Selden State Monument, see where Billy the Kid stood trial for murder in the historic town of Old Mesilla, and learn about the origins of the U.S. missile and space programs and the beginning of the nuclear age at the White Sands Missile Range Museum & Missile Park.

Nestled in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains, Silver City is surrounded by great attractions: explore the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, stroll the Catwalk National Scenic Trail and take a dip in the mineral pools at Faywood Hot Springs. Truth or Consequences is famous for its hot springs, water sports at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, and the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway. Deming is home of the annual Great American Duck Race and a stone’s throw from both Pancho Villa and Rockhound state parks

cumbresNorth Central New Mexico offers an impressive list of attractions for travelers, from the worldclass museums and galleries of Santa Fe to the longest continually inhabited Native American Pueblo in Taos to the scientific enclave of Los Alamos. In Santa Fe, step back in time at three of the oldest buildings in the U.S: the Palace of the Governors on the Santa Fe Plaza, San Miguel Mission and the Oldest House, which dates back to the 13th century. Visit the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, the Museum of Fine Arts, Canyon Road (Santa Fe’s most famous art district), the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art.

Visit the Taos Pueblo near Taos, a National Historic Landmark; see the home of famous frontiersman Kit Carson; discover the works of the Taos Society of Artists at the Ernest Blumenschein House, the Harwood Museum and the Taos Art Museum; enjoy world-class skiing at Taos Ski Valley.

Take a trip on America’s longest narrow-gauge railroad, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, as it winds its way out of Chama; visit the Santuario de Chimayó, a legendary shrine often described as the Lourdes of North America; and discover the past (Bandelier National Monument and the Manhattan Project) and future (Bradbury Science Museum) in Los Alamos.

shiprockNew Mexico’s Northwest Region is a veritable treasure trove of Native American culture; nearly every landmark in the area has some kind of Native American legend attached to it. From the Acoma to the Zuni pueblos and beyond, you will be treated to the rich cultural heritage of New Mexico’s indigenous peoples. Popularly known as Sky City, Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the U.S. Take a guided walking tour of the Pueblo and the San Esteban Mission, a beautiful and rustic structure built atop the mesa in 1640; shop for the beautiful Acoma Pottery at the Sky City Cultural Center & Haak’u Musuem; and enjoy gaming and luxury accommodations at the Sky City Casino Hotel.

More than one thousand years ago, a unique culture centered at Chaco Canyon, built monumental public buildings, straight roads and ceremonial kivas (underground ceremonial chambers). For 500 years, Chaco was the center of this culture that united a vast area of the Southwest.

In Farmington, visit Aztec Ruins National Monument, enjoy water sports at Navajo Lake State Park, and step back in time at the Salmon Ruins Heritage Park. Enjoy nightly Indian dances, a gallery of Native American art and more at the Gallup Cultural Center; and camp, backpack and explore Red Rock State Park. Visit the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants; read the “autographs” at El Morro National Monument; enjoy the unique formations at El Malpais National and the Ice Cave; wonder at the inspiring Shiprock on the Navajo Nation; and visit Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico‘s largest.

roswellSoutheast New Mexico is the ideal destination for a legendary vacation. This is Billy the Kid country. Follow in the outlaw’s footsteps by visiting sites along the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. For a legend of a different sort, visit Roswell, where a UFO allegedly crashed to Earth in 1947. And be sure to venture underground to explore the fascinating caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

In Alamogordo, discover the history of space exploration at the New Mexico Museum of Space History and visit the world’s largest deposit of gypsum sand at White Sands National Monument. In Carlsbad, learn about the native flora and fauna at the Living Gardens Zoo and Gardens State Park or star-gaze in the nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Visit Billy the Kid’s gravesite, see historical items from the 1800s at the Old Fort Sumner Museum, and learn about the “Long Walk,” the forced march of Apaches and Navajos at Fort Sumner State Monument.

Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett at Lincoln State Monument, the restored frontier town of Lincoln, also home of the historic Wortley Hotel and the Lincoln County Overland Stage Company’s authentic stage coach tours. Explore the “Roswell Incident” at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell and enjoy bird watching at the nearby Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Spend a day at the races in the cool mountains of Ruidoso, where you can also golf, fish, camp and explore to your heart’s content. See one of the largest and most interesting petroglyph sites in the Desert Southwest at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site near Carrizozo.

hummerNew Mexico’s Vast Recreational Offerings

New Mexico’s outdoor recreational activities are as varied as the state’s visitors, as varied as the state’s landscape and as rich as its deep blue and fire-hued skies. Thirteen National monuments and parks, 34 state parks, five National forests, 19 Native American Pueblos, two Apache reservations and the Navajo Nation join with private industry to offer enough camping, biking, golf, fishing, climbing and water sports to please the most ardent outdoor adventurer.

Wide, open spaces form what is likely to be the first and lasting impression: Light, color and scenery, soaring mountains and huge forests, with all the usual opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation, made different by the local atmosphere.

New Mexico’s abundance of sunshine and variety of beautiful terrain in every region of the state goes hand in hand with the sport of golf. Nowhere are there public courses in locations unparalleled in natural beauty like there are in the Land of Enchantment.

The many lakes, streams and rivers of New Mexico beckon anglers searching for trout, bass, walleye or catfish, from the cool waters in the upper mountains near Taos, Chama and Lincoln County to the vast Elephant Butte and Navajo lakes.

Hiking and biking in New Mexico can be rugged and wild or urban and tame. Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing recreational pursuits in the state. Taking to the trails on two wheels is a wonderful way to see the state’s numerous national and state parks and forests, and experience the unspoiled beauty of New Mexico.

New Mexico offers the best quarter horse and thoroughbred racing in the Southwest, and New Mexico’s growing casino business has joined horse racing in providing games of chance for adventurers willing to test their luck.

Inspired moments are inevitable in New Mexico, the horizons filled with possibilities.

BalloonsSome of New Mexico’s Top Annual Events

The Whole Enchilada Fiesta each September in Las Cruces is a three-day celebration of southern New Mexico’s traditions, people and great food. The festival attracts more than 70,000 visitors and has the third largest attendance of any annual event in New Mexico. http://www.enchiladafiesta.com/

Santa Fe Indian Market each August includes 1,200 artists from about 100 tribes who show their work in over 600 booths. The event attracts an estimated 100,000 visitors to Santa Fe from all over the world. Quality is the hallmark of the Santa Fe Indian Market. http://www.swaia.org/market.php

Santa Fe Spanish Market & Fiestas each July offers a real taste of New Mexico’s vibrant Spanish culture - dance, music, food, art. http://santafe.org/

The Hatch Valley Chile Festival every September is a hot and spicy taste sensation. Events include a chile cook-off, chile roasting, tractor pulls and Chile Queen parade. http://www.hatchchilefest.com

The International Balloon Fiesta in October in Albuquerque features hundreds of colorful hot air balloons and vibrant blue skies. http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

The Intertribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup in August each year brings together more than 30 tribes to participate in dances, rodeo contests, Indian art sales and exhibits. http://www.gallupintertribal.com/

The New Mexico State Fair at Expo New Mexico is each September in Albuquerque. http://exponm.com/en/

The Festival of the Cranes near Socorro is in November. Birding events feature Cranes, Snow Geese, Ducks, Winter Song Birds, Raptors and Falcons. http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/aboutfestival.html

The annual UFO Festival in Roswell is over July 4th Weekend. Thousands of believers descend for a long weekend of music, lectures, fun, food and fantasy. http://www.roswellufofestival.com/