New Mexico calls itself the Land of Enchantment, and for once the tourism slogan is not an exaggeration. This is a state where ancient pueblo dwellings sit beneath enormous skies, where the desert erupts in volcanic lava fields and white gypsum dunes, and where the food will make you sweat in the best possible way. It is unlike anywhere else in the United States.
The state's character comes from the collision of three cultures -- Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo -- that have shaped everything from the architecture to the cuisine to the way people talk. You will hear Spanish on the streets of Espanola, see Pueblo feast day dances at Laguna and Zuni, and eat green chile on practically everything in Albuquerque.
Santa Fe draws the most visitors with its galleries, adobe architecture, and world-class opera, but the real New Mexico lies beyond the capital. Taos has its ancient pueblo and ski valley. The northwest corner holds Chaco Canyon, one of the most impressive archaeological sites in North America. Along the Rio Grande, small towns like Truth or Consequences offer hot springs and a slower pace. In the south, White Sands is otherworldly, and Roswell has made a whole economy out of a supposed UFO crash.
Route 66 cuts across the middle of the state through Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, and Tucumcari, with fading neon signs and vintage motels still hanging on. The back roads are even better -- US-60 through Pie Town, Datil, and Magdalena is one of the loneliest and most beautiful drives in the American West.
New Mexico is not a wealthy state, and the infrastructure can be rough in places. Distances are vast, cell service is spotty outside the cities, and some roads are unpaved. But if you are the kind of traveler who values authenticity over convenience, this is your place.
