New Mexico has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the United States of America. Advice on siteseeing, activities and reservations.
New Mexico has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the United States of America. The Carlsbad Caverns is a "must" see as is visiting the Native American reservations and the ancient dwellings of the Taos Pueblo. New Mexico, although a desert state, has plenty to do; try skiing, hiking white water rafting, horseback riding, old
civilizations to explore, camping and views galore.
Carlsbad Caverns are one of nature's most truly magnificent creations. It is in the Guadalupe Mountains which border the Texas and New Mexico border. When you visit the Caverns there are three tour options to take. Which tour you choose will depend upon your time, interests, and physical abilities. Take all three tours if you want, it is worth it. The Natural Entrance Route and The Big Room Route are one mile self-guided tours. The King's Palace Route is a one mile Ranger guided tour.
The self guided tours are nice because you can take your time and explore. The Ranger guided tour is educational and easy.
To enter the Caverns you go down an elevator which descends the entire 750 feet below the ground in a matter of minutes. Unless you take the Natural Entrance route which is entered through a cave in the desert. The Caverns are full of stalactites and stalagmites and gorgeous mineral formations. All of the different rooms or caves have interesting and creative names; the bottomless pit, the giant dome, the rock of ages, painted grotto and the totem pole to name a few. The price to enter one or all three sections is only $6.00 per person and is good for three days. The temperature in the caverns is always 56 degrees to protect the rock formations. Wear low-heeled, non-skid shoes for walking on the paved cave trails, which can become slippery.
While in New Mexico be sure to visit Albuquerque. It is the largest city in the state and is also home to the University of New Mexico. There is definitely a college atmosphere and you can feel the culture, see plenty of musical talent, and see some really unique shows.
While in Albuquerque you are just hours away from nearby state parks and Native American reservations. Sandia Peak is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Albuquerque. You can hike to the top of it or take the tram straight to the peak. The hike is 9 hours with an 8,000 foot trek to the top, so it is only for expert hikers. Near Albuquerque you can visit Petroglyph National Park. It has trails lined with rocks bearing the signs, symbols, petroglyphs of an ancient group of early Americans. These are some of the continent's oldest writings of both Native American and
Spanish settlers. You can also explore the irrigation systems designed and built by the ancient Anasazi Indians which brought life and water to the harsh desert.
Santa Fe has a lot of history, an interesting college atmosphere, exciting night life, amazing food and plenty of museums ranging from the Georgia O'Keefe Museum to a Phillips collection. You can take a ride on the historic Santa Fe Rail line which leaves from an old train station and takes you on a scenic trip out into the wilderness near Santa Fe. Santa Fe definitely has that old western feel.
As for hiking there are some challenging overnight trails in Taos, which is north of Santa Fe. In the winter this is the location of a very popular ski resort; in the summer it has its year round population and is a very relaxing place full of artists and wanderers.
New Mexico is so vast and so breathtakingly beautiful, everyone should visit it someday!
