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Speaking of the area, I think the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center off the highway at the Grants exit is one of the prettiest I've ever been to, anywhere in the U.S. The building design. The view of the malpais outside the back windows! The small museum inside. The expertise and helpfulness of the staff within. I also like that it's a shared operation among the National Park Service, BLM, and the USFS.
Oh, well, if we're just talking about spectacular views in NM irrespective of buying property there, then I'd agree with all of the above...
You originated this thread and were the first to offer specific examples of views, and neither of those were from places where people can see them from their picture windows.
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Originally Posted by Mzurie
Ah, views. Here are two that are always uplifting to me:
San Augustin Pass going east on 70 from Organ toward White Sands
On Highway 380, the view of basin between San Antonio and Carrizozo
For that sort of thing, I can't think of a more scenic spot in the state than where I live, where NUMEROUS houses have views of Sierra Blanca peak or surrounding mountains. In fact a buyer often pays a premium in order to have a "view lot." And others pay very hefty site development costs in order to live high up a mountainside, or on a peak, and then suffer the access difficulties getting to their house.
Similar situations exist in other towns and cities around the state where people pay a premium to live "up high" where they have panoramic views of their area.
@Joqua - if I gave the impression I was complaining about the direction my original post headed - I wasn't complaining - just noting there was a change. I was/am quite happy to go with the flow. I love remembering all of the fabulous views NM has to offer.
Since I don't know the whole state, I used my two examples as just that - examples. Maybe there are communities that have similar views.
I don't recall if you're around Ruidoso or if you're in High Rolls/Cloudcroft .... I like to visit those areas a lot, but in the winter, it gets colder than I like and also it's pretty scary for a wuss like me to drive on the mountain when the road gets icy or snowy. And there are the other factors you cited above. That's what made Alamogordo so great - I could enjoy all the benefits of being in the mountains, but none of the downsides. (No pun intended.)
I appreciate this query is probably annoyingly vague and specific, but what the heck?
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Originally Posted by Mzurie
@Joqua - if I gave the impression I was complaining about the direction my original post headed - I wasn't complaining - just noting there was a change. I was/am quite happy to go with the flow. I love remembering all of the fabulous views NM has to offer.
What the heck. The view below is not from my house. It is a three minute slow walk from my house. It was taken in March, thus
some snow on the mountain:
Yes New Mexico has many fabulous views...
I can not walk to this place from my house, it is 9.2 miles (more or less). This was taken in June. My family doctor who is older than
me rides his bike up here frequently:
I'm reminded of another fabulous view, and this is a place people live - White Rock City adjacent to Los Alamos. The view is from the White Rock Overlook park with the Rio Grande flowing far below the mesa and a panoramic view of the Sangre de Christo mtns. in the distance.
I don't recall if you're around Ruidoso or if you're in High Rolls/Cloudcroft .... I like to visit those areas a lot, but in the winter, it gets colder than I like and also it's pretty scary for a wuss like me to drive on the mountain when the road gets icy or snowy. And there are the other factors you cited above. That's what made Alamogordo so great - I could enjoy all the benefits of being in the mountains, but none of the downsides. (No pun intended.)
Hey mzurie! Are you the NM City-Data poster that has a home in Timberon? If so, do ya still own it? No, I'm not interested in moving from Alamogordo, I'm just curious. I agree with you about Alamogordo being in a great location. BTW-the other night at the GCRMC Sleep Center (my work) we had a microburst hit right on the roof! The house just east of us lost some wood pieces to their fence outta the deal. We just lost our internet connection for a few days. It was crazy-sounding from inside while it was going on, though. Whoa.
Has anyone moved from the beach to New Mexico and what did you think? Personally I hate the beach I want to live somewhere with gorgeous views and I love some of the stuff I'm seeing in this thread! Are you allowed to just drive on whatever desert dirt roads you find? What about the land? How do you know what's public and what's not with such a wide range of mountains and flatlands? I'd be afraid of trespassing and getting shot! Is Castle Law applicable in NM?
Are you allowed to just drive on whatever desert dirt roads you find? What about the land? How do you know what's public and what's not with such a wide range of mountains and flatlands? I'd be afraid of trespassing and getting shot! Is Castle Law applicable in NM?
Places where the general public is either not allowed or discouraged from going are usually either fenced off or marked with "no trespassing" signs. There is a lot of public land in NM and maps are the key to locating boundaries. The different entities (Nat. Forests, BLM lands, national and state parks, etc) have their own rules and regulations that the public is expected to abide by.
Pretty simple actually, and hard to get in trouble if one uses a little common sense.
Has anyone moved from the beach to New Mexico and what did you think?
I moved here from Kauai. I much prefer it in NM. The beaches on Kauai are awesome, but the living isn't easy. And I actually prefer the climate here. Hot, humid and rainy (on the N and E side anyway) are not my thing.
I traveled and camped all over the west several years back. If land isn't posted or fenced or has obvious signs of "improvement" then you are probably safe. And a lot of public land that you can camp on *is* fenced BTW. You can get maps to be sure. I've never been threatened in any way when I've wandered onto private land. It would be rare to find someone in NM who is that touchy. In northern CA you have to be careful with the pot fields out in the boonies, but that isn't an issue here.
And a lot of public land that you can camp on *is* fenced BTW.
It's fenced for a reason. There are many areas fenced now that weren't 50 years ago. It became necessary with the surge in ATV and other off-road vehicle activities that were causing degradation of the natural landscape. Both BLM and Nat. Forest have rules about driving off-road on their lands. The National Forest also fences off to limit access to roadside areas for camping. Before the fencing, a person could legally pull off and camp just about anywhere.
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Are you allowed to just drive on whatever desert dirt roads you find? What about the land?
So to be specific, it's usually alright to drive on obviously traveled roads, but it's usually a violation to drive overland where there is not an obvious road. And in designated wilderness areas, ALL travel on mechanical conveyances is forbidden - including mountain bikes.
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