Your Key To New Mexico – The Land of Enchantment

Bienvenidos! Come with me on a journey through our beautiful state. You will fall in love with our brilliant blue skies and over 325 days of sunshine annually. If you are an outdoors person, you won’t want to miss our majestic mountains, wide open landscapes, canyons, mineral hot springs and mesas. Four World UNESCO Heritage sites are located here in New Mexico.

As you can imagine, it will be difficult to tell you everything to see and experience, so I am going to choose just a few of my favorite places!

My #1 pick is always Santa Fe. It is such a magical city, and the highest capital in the USA with an elevation of 7,000 feet.  Santa Fe is known as “The City Different” because of its unique cuisine, adobe and territorial architecture, hundreds of art galleries and a centuries-old union of three different cultures: Native, Spanish and Anglo. I recommend taking a trolley tour of the city to familiarize yourself with the area while learning about its rich history. Make sure to stop at the Roundhouse, our unique state capital featuring a $5 million art collection. 

Bandelier National Monument:  Take the incredibly scenic drive to this ancient site. Evidence of human history stretches back more than 10,000 years. Eight hundred years ago, the ancestral Pueblo people built masonry buildings and dwellings in the soft rock cliffs. Stroll the canyon and climb ladders down into caves and view a  Kiva ceremonial chamber.

Taos:  Nestled between the Taos Mountains and the Rio Grande Gorge, the Taos Pueblo is a stacked-adobe village and the only living Native American community with the distinction of being both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. Tours are available, however, the Pueblo closes for six weeks in February and March for religious observances. 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park:  Another of New Mexico’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the caverns feature 119 known caves worn into the limestone beneath the Chihuahuan Desert. If you visit in May through October, you can see the swirling cloud of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats exiting the cavern at sunset. 

Albuquerque:  Of course, I cannot close without mentioning “The Duke City,” as I live and work here! Set along the Rio Grande River, the history of Albuquerque can be traced back to 1706. Old Town is known for its charming adobe buildings with secluded courtyards. There are many unique things to experience here. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is owned and operated by 19 of our Pueblos and features weekly traditional Native dance performances. The Sandia Peak Tramway glides up  more than 10,000 feet to Sandia Peak. The International Balloon Museum is a must for all visitors. Albuquerque is the perfect place to check hot air ballooning off your bucket list. During the first two weeks in October, we are host to the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, and people come from all over the world to experience over 600 balloons ascending into the turquoise blue skies all at once. 

These are just a few suggestions to experience, explore and enjoy. I do hope that you will visit this most enchanting land – you are in for the experience of a lifetime!