New Mexico

For culture and history, you can’t beat New Mexico.  From its pueblos to Spanish colonial cities to historic forts and cowboy hideouts, there are plenty of places to explore.  Taos Pueblo is one of the state’s top attractions but there are 19 total pueblos, scattered throughout New Mexico. Not all of them are open to the public but a road trip to the ones that are offers a fantastic look at the culture of the Native Americans.  Cliff dwellings can be visited at both Bandelier and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monuments.

Santa Fe has been the state capital since 1600 and boasts beautiful Spanish architecture, as well as great art, shopping and outstanding New Mexican cuisine. 

Gunfighter Billy the Kid made his own history around the Lincoln and Ruidoso area.  Drive the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway for a taste of the Old West.  And nostalgia buffs will love the section of old Route 66 that is preserved in the state, especially along Albuquerque’s Central Avenue.

For more recent history, you can visit the museums and sights of the atomic age – the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos (where the atomic bomb was invented), and if you plan it right, the Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was tested (it’s only open twice a year to the public).

Roswell is a top destination for UFO enthusiasts. This was where a UFO supposedly crashed in 1947.  Since then the town has gone alien mad with a UFO Festival in July, and a museum devoted to UFO’s. Find out what all the fuss is about and make this a stop on your family road trip!

New Mexico is also home to spectacular Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The huge cave system is this park’s major tourism draw and the immense Big Room is the most popular thing to see. But take a ranger-led tour to some of the undeveloped parts of the caves for a true underground experience! Above ground Carlsbad has some wonderful hiking trails too.  Summer visitors can witness the amazing bat flight, when hundreds of thousands of bats leave the caves to feed at dusk and return in the pre-dawn hours. Don’t worry – these are Brazilian (aka Mexican) free-tail bats that eat only insects.
Another top natural attraction is White Sands National Monument where the beautiful white sand dunes can be visited via hiking trails or on the 8 mile long Dunes Drive.

There are also plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and explore by foot, horse, mountain bike, raft or simply head up the world’s longest passenger aerial tramway, Sandia Peak Tramway, for spectacular views over Albuquerque.

Whatever your interests, New Mexico certainly has a lot to offer.  There is something here for everyone to do!