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Taking a new tack here. Let's discuss the positive things about the state. I'll start it off with a list of topics and a brief example of my own, each of these could easily be its own thread:
The outdoors. One random fond memory I have is hiking with my wife back down one of the trails from the Crest on the east side of the Sandias one sunday afternoon, trying to hurry back down before nightfall and running into Dan Lopez, then president of New Mexico Tech, who was sprinting the opposite direction up to the Crest. Stopped to chat with him for a bit. The three of us were the only people on that entire side of the mountain that afternoon. Green old growth forests, the opposite of what you see on the west side of the mountain.
Art scene. I have been in a lot of major urban centers around the world, and with the exception of New York City, I have never encountered an art scene as rich or extensive as that in New Mexico. Every time I'm in NM I take the time to go visit galleries and artists and it's always rewarding. Anywhere else in the world you will not encounter as diverse an offering of world-class art as in NM.
Hispanic culture. Tightness of family and friendships, large extended families, the feeling of unity, the feeling of working towards common goals throughout a lifetime, sitting around the table sharing stories, jokes, gossip, opinions on every topic, an underyling sense of a continuity of culture. Meeting random Puerto Ricans or Hispanics in different parts of the country (or even in NM) and when they find out that you share a common background they immediately welcome you as one of their own. These are things that define Hispanic culture.
Science. As with art, it's hard to find other places in the world that have such a diverse concentration of world class science happening. From one of the best engineering schools in the country, to the VLA, the national labs, the many military bases, the birthplace of Microsoft. Everyone is a high tech worker nowadays, but the quality of students coming out of NM Tech sets them on a higher level, even compared to engineers here in Silicon Valley.
The pace of life. Laid back, not rushed. Taking things as they come. The peaceful easy feeling as the Eagles wrote about. Worried about where your next buck is coming from, but not making it the most important thing. Other things are more important than that. The "sleek eyes towards the sky" as Jimmy Santiago Baca wrote.
The desert. It's a special place. Frustrating and overwhelming at times, but a place of repose and reflection, or as my music teacher always said "the light and timelessness". I have spent many hours by myself in the desert, sitting on top of a mesa looking out at the landscape, walking around arroyos finding pieces of old Indian pottery, riding my dirt bike on the criss-crossing roads of the West Mesa, the air charged with ozone during the afternoon thunderstorms,
Taking a new tack here. Let's discuss the positive things about the state. I'll start it off with a list of topics and a brief example of my own, each of these could easily be its own thread:
Hispanic culture. Tightness of family and friendships, large extended families, the feeling of unity, the feeling of working towards common goals throughout a lifetime, sitting around the table sharing stories, jokes, gossip, opinions on every topic, an underyling sense of a continuity of culture. Meeting random Puerto Ricans or Hispanics in different parts of the country (or even in NM) and when they find out that you share a common background they immediately welcome you as one of their own. These are things that define Hispanic culture.
Don't forget our vibrant, increasingly dynamic Native American culture too. The Pueblos, the Navajo Nation and others are rooted in thousands of years of tradition, but in recent years have become increasingly active in revitalizing those traditions through a host of contemporary art forms and expressions...
The food -- Local New Mexico cuisine stands out from the run of the mill southwestern cooking. It's not new and it's not Mexican as the saying goes. It's also not just all about chiles or heat but great natural and healthy ingredients and traditional dishes that stand the test of time. At the same time, there is some innovative fusion and international style cooking that incorporates the local traditions into a more modern presentation.
What makes New Mexico special is to me anyway, are several things, such as the national monuments and parks that are in the NW, NE, and SE corners of the state. At last count I came up with 12 national monuments. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the top 5 parks in the nation IMO.
The reminders of the old west? Yep, got some of those--Ft. Sumner, where the site of the grave of Billy The Kid is. And then there is the Lincoln County Courthouse and the Billy The Kid incident near Ruidoso. And the St. James Hotel in Cimarron where a number of famous people stayed; Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, "Black Jack" Ketchum, Buffalo Bill Cody to name a few. The various mountain ranges in Catron County; Tularosa, San Mateo, Magdalena, Datil, and others. Shiprock mountain. Driving to the top of the Capulin Volcano. There is more--much more!
New Mexico is a big state. You can spend a year, two years, in the Land of Enchantment and not see it all. The stretch of the Llano Estacado area, which is near the Texas border in the east/southeast part of the state. Bandelier National Monument. Gran Quivera. And the beautiful White Sands National Monument.
Despite the fact that I grew up within walking distance of one of the reservations, and that a couple of my nephews are half-native american, I know embarrassingly little about the culture. I suppose my sister knows much more than I do. I have been pleased on a number of occasions to see young kids recently on the reservations talking to their parents in their native pueblo languages (Tiwa, etc). I know that in elementary schools in places like Jemez they provide native language classes to the kids.
Regarding mountains in October: one of the nice things about NM is the longer camping and hiking season compared to Colorado. In NM you can be out in the high country easily in October, and often in November before snows and temperatures make it difficult. One of the last times I camped out was late October north of Pecos on the Mora tributary. I stuck a thermometer outside the tent, and it registered an overnight low of 15F. About as low as I personally like to go. But in Colorado you're limited to about May to August or beginning of September.
Let's not forget about piñon nuts. Anybody who has never picked them should do it at least once in their life. It's a good excuse to get outdoors and if you're doing it with family and friends, it's good for camaraderie. In the years when there's crops, there's plenty of places around the state where you can pick them, both readily-accessible and off the beaten track, so if you want to be more adventurous and make it an excuse to do some off-roading or get onto dirt roads in the foothills, that's ok too. There's an old joke that God was flying with Peter over the United States surveying the land, and when they flew over NM, God noticed everyone on their hands and knees, and he was pleased, he told Peter "Look at all these people praying, such devout Catholics", and Peter said "No, they're just picking piñons".
A big positive: you don't get beat up here. You are at will to be a free spirit, and you are not going to get the incestual in your space culture that you have present in big cities in the northeast, south, and midwest. It is a live and let live mentality.
Physical geography: the 11 western states enjoy advantages that the rest of the country cannot compete with. New Mexico is adorned with topography that is only surpassed by California, Utah and Colorado. There are more natural features here to be appreciated and examined.
Holding open doors and having them held open. A sincere good morning or good afternoon is de rigueur. 10 minutes to be in a place where I'm not likely to see anyone else and my dogs can run loose. Vestiges of wilderness not far from town. A multi-culturalism where we actually all work together and get along for the most part. And of course green chile roasting in the fall.
There are a lot of other things but more than anything else, it's home.
Despite the fact that I grew up within walking distance of one of the reservations, and that a couple of my nephews are half-native american, I know embarrassingly little about the culture. I suppose my sister knows much more than I do. I have been pleased on a number of occasions to see young kids recently on the reservations talking to their parents in their native pueblo languages (Tiwa, etc). I know that in elementary schools in places like Jemez they provide native language classes to the kids.
Yes, the local cultures remain quite vibrant and many of the Pueblos, especially, have put a lot of care and resources into preserving their languages and traditions and ensuring they're passed on to future generations. In addition to Jemez, several other Pueblos have taken over their local school systems to ensure language and culture are perpetuated.
In recent years - and probably in part as a result of the new resources made available by tribal gaming in New Mexico, but also because of institutions like the Pueblo Cultural Center, the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque, and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe - it feels like there has been a real renaissance among young Native people in New Mexico, not just in terms of traditional art forms but also in contemporary arts like muralism, sculpture, comic books, literature, music and cuisine. There are a lot of younger people who are motivated and making things happen. This movement is really bubbling up and the sense of excitement is palpable.
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