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Thanks again guys. I will have to look into Silver City more. I am libertarian so I certainly don't want to spend time in a far right environment like the majority of Utah. I always liked Gallup due to the fact that it seemed down to earth. Of course I never spent extended stretches of time there either.
Surprised Grants is a conservative as you are suggesting given its close proximity to Gallup. I think the Zuni's are awesome regardless.
Not familiar with Glenwood and will check that out too.
Grants is an economically depressed former-mining town. If you are considering the place as a possibility for a second home, than that may speak to a brighter future.
Grants is an economically depressed former-mining town.
With the Lee Ranch coal mine forming much of the town's economic base, shipping millions of tons of coal each year to power NM and AZ coal plants, I don't think "former" applies.
^ There is still mining that occurs there, but the town boomed on uranium mining until the 80's. It's heyday as a mining town is over for now, though may be revived at some point. Grants has had some success attracting folks due to its surrounding scenery. Also, Lee Ranch is between Grants and Gallup, I'm not sure that it can be considered a primary economic driver for Grants...
Wherever you decide to settle in NM check out the water supply. Even if you have well water you may not own it. We are not interested in a site away from municipal water and sewer. This is why we are looking in small towns or cities and not out in the wilderness/desert.
^ There is still mining that occurs there, but the town boomed on uranium mining until the 80's. It's heyday as a mining town is over for now, though may be revived at some point. Grants has had some success attracting folks due to its surrounding scenery. Also, Lee Ranch is between Grants and Gallup, I'm not sure that it can be considered a primary economic driver for Grants...
Wouldn't consider north of Mt. Taylor to be between Grants and Gallup. That's a bit like calling Moriarty between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Given the locations of many of the old uranium mines, don't see how you could make the argument about Lee Ranch being inapplicable to Grants but uranium mining being applicable when many of the uranium mines are actually between Grants and Gallup, and even further away from the town.
Wouldn't consider north of Mt. Taylor to be between Grants and Gallup. That's a bit like calling Moriarty between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Given the locations of many of the old uranium mines, don't see how you could make the argument about Lee Ranch being inapplicable to Grants but uranium mining being applicable when many of the uranium mines are actually between Grants and Gallup, and even further away from the town.
You're right, "between Grants and Gallup" is incorrect, and I'm sure Lee Ranch certainly has an economic effect on Grants. I guess having some familiarity with the area it seems like Lee Ranch has its own community up there, where as Grants functioned more as a "base" for the uranium mining of the past. Also, I was under the impression that uranium mines were primarily just east of Grants - nearer Laguna Pueblo.
But regardless, there's not much denying that Grants has seen hard times of late, and it's economic future is less than optimal...
Magnum -- interesting; we live in Albuquerque but have a second home near Phoenix! One thing that isn't completely clear is your interests in finding a getaway place, in terms of leisure, hobbies, cultural interests, how much you want to be away from cities and services. Places in NM have a lot of individual flavor and sometimes quirkiness. Jemez Springs is in a mountain canyon with a spa and very much flavor of its own. Los Ojos is a little spa village north of Santa Fe and Espanola. Truth or Consequences also has spas and its population is an interesting mix of red-meat-rancher conservative, artists, military and other retirees. It is more of a high desert place, and not green, though. NM has a lot of high desert steppe and pin~on-juniper small tree scenery. A few spots, though, do have more of the high-altitude green, such as the Jemez Mountains (the southeastern portion of which unfortunately had a pretty big forest fire this past year).
I'm also trying to figure out the well comment. People who live way out in the sticks are often on well water, which requires a permit from the state engineer's office. In some semi-rural places with higher population densities, such as northern Santa Fe County, permits are more in demand. Also, I think there has been some discussion about water rights trading in an area of southern Santa Fe county near the Turquoise Trail -- other people would know more about that.
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