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I moved to NM last year (Farmington area) and as hard as I have tried I can't figure out why the license plates say "land of enchantment." NM is very trashy overall with the exception of a few decent neighborhoods. What is up with all the trailers? And broken down cars? And broken appliances in peoples yards? This place is really depressing and I am thrilled to move away this fall. I would like to know though, what is it that people love about NM? Can I have some insight on things to do around here without having to drive into Colorado? It seems like this place is mostly about porn shops, beer, and welfare. It is extremely difficult to find a nice restaurant or recreational activities.
I moved to NM last year (Farmington area) and as hard as I have tried I can't figure out why the license plates say "land of enchantment." NM is very trashy overall with the exception of a few decent neighborhoods. What is up with all the trailers? And broken down cars? And broken appliances in peoples yards? This place is really depressing and I am thrilled to move away this fall. I would like to know though, what is it that people love about NM? Can I have some insight on things to do around here without having to drive into Colorado? It seems like this place is mostly about porn shops, beer, and welfare. It is extremely difficult to find a nice restaurant or recreational activities.
You decided to live in Farmington. Don't know what to tell you...but any really small town (Farmington is roughly 40,000 people) in the middle of geographic emptiness that isn't a niche tourist town like Taos, NM or Durango, CO just is going to be what it is.
Nothing against Farmington or the good folks of Farmington, but I live in Albuquerque and am very familiar with the East Mountains towns of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Truth or Consequences, Jemez Springs, Ruidoso, and Silver City, and if you spend time in any of these cities and see the mountain vistas, desert views, sunsets/sunrises, open blue skies, smell chiles roasting, see the amazing architecture, etc., you'd understand then why they call us the "Land of Enchantment." Having said that, I don't know if I would ever have even a shred of interest in living in Farmington (again, with due respect to those that do or would as well).
New Mexico is geographically a huge state - the 5th biggest in the nation. Farmington is nothing like Albuquerque. Also, it is nothing like Santa Fe / Taos. Nothing like Las Cruces. And on and on. I just think that it is hard to judge the amazing attributes of the state of New Mexico and its natural breathtaking beauty off of one small town in the far NW corner of the state.
It is like if I move to a poor part of Detroit (not saying Farmington is any way comparable to Detroit - just an analogy) and instantly saying that the state of Michigan is all bad; no, just that portion of Detroit isn't the best. Or if you move to Amarillo, TX (and again, just a comparison - I actually like Amarillo) and state that Texas is "just too rural"...
I never understand fully how people can make blanket statements about states as huge as New Mexico when they are coming from the perception of just one little area of it. If you said, "Farmington isn't for me, I hate it here", OK, I can see that. However, with NM's girth, Farmington is in no way resemblant of the rest of the state, for better or worse.
It is like when people say "Texas is so humid." You can't say that about such a big state!! El Paso is in Texas and it is a desert - very dry. Aforementioned Amarillo is somewhat humid, but also can be dry. Texas, like New Mexico, is just too big to speak in negative generalities...if you don't like Farmington, fine, I surely cannot say I even blame you. However, you've got to see the rest of the state in depth and in detail and then you'd I am guessing understand the beauty that dictated the slogan.
Well, I don't live in New Mexico, but I a spent a lot of time there when I lived in neighboring rural Colorado. New Mexico is definitely an "acquired taste." Apparently, you didn't acquire it. Its "enchantment" comes from its mix of cultures, stunning (if sometimes stark) natural beauty, and--at least for me--the fact that it is more about the landscape itself than the works of man.
Now, a lot of New Mexico is impoverished--that's a fact. People often keep "junk" in their yards because some time they might need it. A lot of New Mexico (outside of the cities and resort areas that are trying to be something else) isn't the typical "yuppified" chain restaurant homogenized version that makes up a lot of the rest of America, so it probably doesn't have the restaurants or "recreation" of other areas. I will gladly forego that for the enjoyment of a New Mexico sunset, or enjoying true New Mexican food at a small cafe in one of the state's small towns.
Discovering the enchantment of New Mexico is like Louis Armstrong's comment about understanding jazz music, "If you have to ask what it is, you'll never know."
We are in the process of moving to Timberon (Ruidoso area) soon and think that NM is one of the most beautiful states because of the mountains and trees, etc.
My question to you is, why would you want to move to Farmington (or anyplace) that you consider trashy and don't like? I don't know anything about Farmington because I have not been there but if you think it's a trashy place to live and you don't like trashy, why would you be living there in the first place?
Farmington isnt New Mexico, its just part of it. Its got a huge mix of cutlre.YOu go from Desert to just plain to mountains. I love it here and personally cant see myself moving/
I moved to NM last year (Farmington area) and as hard as I have tried I can't figure out why the license plates say "land of enchantment." NM is very trashy overall with the exception of a few decent neighborhoods. What is up with all the trailers? And broken down cars? And broken appliances in peoples yards? This place is really depressing and I am thrilled to move away this fall. I would like to know though, what is it that people love about NM? Can I have some insight on things to do around here without having to drive into Colorado? It seems like this place is mostly about porn shops, beer, and welfare. It is extremely difficult to find a nice restaurant or recreational activities.
Very strange how attitudes differ so much.
I have been all over New Mexico from the time I was a small child, and have just returned from two recent trips to Farmington. I LIKE Farmington myself. We used to go skiing at Ruidoso/Sierra Blanca, drove on up through Carrizozo, Tinnie, etc. Wonderful country.
But I also drove all over this last trip.....Los Alamos, Farmington, Santa Fe, Alamogordo, Tularosa et al....and I was thinking to myself as I pulled in my driveway here....
"They don't call it the land of enchantment for nothing..."
Location: Somewhere along the path to where I'd like to be.
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Heck, I'm from Ohio and in the few times I've driven through New Mexico, I only saw a small portion of it - and I thought it was absolutely gorgeous! Even small-town Gallup has its own unique charm. The drive along I-25 through Santa Fe and down into Albuquerque is beautiful. I love that forested area.
I thought it was so strange to encounter a blizzard while driving east on I-40, because back here in the east, you don't think of the desert SW as a place that would actually see snow. But it was really cool! (No pun intended.) I can truly understand why they call it the Land of Enchantment. It's authentic southwest, without all the outside influence from other states trying to mold it into something it isn't. You really should give the rest of the state a try.
I would like to know though, what is it that people love about NM? Can I have some insight on things to do around here without having to drive into Colorado? It seems like this place is mostly about porn shops, beer, and welfare. It is extremely difficult to find a nice restaurant or recreational activities.
Completely baffled by your statement, you need to get out more.
My last couple of weeks...
Woke up early to go hiking and enjoyed the sunrise from my yard...
(Notice there is not one beer or porn shop in any of my photos)
This last Sat. and Sun. alone I took the tram up the Sandias in Albuquerque, hiked out to the cabin, went mountain biking, watched Joe West on the patio at the Cowgirl in Santa Fe, hit up the Tesque Pueblo flea market, discovered the little towns of Madrid and Cerrillos, went to an art show, and drove all the way back to Socorro on Sunday night.
There is TONS of stuff to do in Farmington, guarantee it.
as hard as I have tried I can't figure out why the license plates say "land of enchantment."
Oldest Capitol in North America....Santa Fe c1607
Oldest continuous inhabited city in North America...Acoma Sky City c1150 A.D.
22 Indian Pueblos and Reservations
Two ancient lava flows..El Malpais (Grants) and Valley of the Fires (Carrizozo)
Old West forts c1800's Ft.Craig, Ft.Selden. Ft.Union, Ft.Stanton, Ft. Cummings
One of the most famous outlaws in America...William Bonney a.k.a. Billy the Kid c1859-1881
Highest mountain peak in all Southern Rim United States.....MT. Sierra Blanca 12,003 ft
White Sands Monument 275 SQ miles of pure White Gypsum Sand Dunes
Carlsbad Caverns ...over 300 known caves and 113 for tour.
Mountain rainges in all regions...Mogollons in the West, Sangre De Christos in the North, Sacramentos and San Andres in the South, Guadalupes in the East
Over 400 Ghost Towns and Mining Camps and old Cemeteries
UFO crash ? ...Roswell c1947
First Atomic Explosion...White Sands Missle Range c1945
Most powerful female Cattle Baroness in the USA...Susan McSween c1845-1931 White Oaks
Six National Forests...Apache-Sitgreaves, Carson, Cibola, Gila, Lincoln, Santa Fe
Rio Grande River...3rd longest in USA at 1,885 miles flow.
Anyway........i could go on and on but thats a few reasons for the ''Enchantment'' in my eyes.....
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