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First off, I have not been there so forgive me if this post seems ignorant. I got to thinking the other day, people talk so much about California, Arizona, and Texas but New Mexico seems left out. At least in my experience it seems you never hear about snowbirds going there, you never hear about people vacationing there, and you never hear about people moving to or from there?
Is it vastly different from the other three in some way? Or is it a well kept secret? I don't know if this seems vague or not, but it seems like it's not talked about much. Or am I just living under a rock?
NM generally speaking, is very low key, not flashy. AZ created the illusion of plentiful water in the desert, which NM never attempted to do. That attracted developers and transplants flocked to the developments. And California is... well, California. It has that beautiful coastline to attract vacationers, as well as redwood forests and Lake Tahoe, not to mention: Yosemite.
Texas? IDK, beats me what the attraction is. Go figure! lol I guess--the Gulf coast? *shrug* I've never heard of Texas as anyone's tourism destination.
NM was a majority Hispanic state until sometime in the 1960's or 70's. The Anglo world didn't "discover" it until then, with the exception of early artists' colonies in northern NM. It was a sleepy little backwater, where the locals all operated on the barter system, the original cashless society. Even now, it's 50% Hispanic + another roughly 10% Indigenous.
NM's is a rustic type of charm, which isn't what most people are looking for. It's about old-fashioned Mexican furniture from the Colonial era (or imitations of that), adobe-style architecture (or facsimiles of it), and a lot of xeriscaping (with the exception of a few neighborhoods in Albuquerque), which most people don't want. They want greenery, lawns, lush-looking landscaping.
I guess AZ also managed to attract employers, which NM hasn't done very well, so people don't go there looking for jobs. Some bring their jobs with them. A few are able to get jobs with non-profit orgs in the state, or with the colleges and State offices, and small businesses. There's an active hospitality industry and spa industry in a few locations, but that sector of the economy is shrinking. Santa Fe and Taos have been attracting fewer luxury tourists. Galleries, spas and other luxury services have been closing, though there are still a few. There's a reason why the state has a high percentage of retirees. It attracts retirees from New York and California, and people who can afford second homes in NM. People who don't need jobs.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 01-30-2023 at 04:18 PM..
NM generally speaking, is very low key, not flashy. AZ created the illusion of plentiful water in the desert, which NM never attempted to do. That attracted developers and transplants flocked to the developments. And California is... well, California. It has that beautiful coastline to attract vacationers, as well as redwood forests and Lake Tahoe, not to mention: Yosemite.
Texas? IDK, beats me what the attraction is. Go figure! lol I guess--the Gulf coast? *shrug* I've never heard of Texas as anyone's tourism destination.
NM was a majority Hispanic state until sometime in the 1960's or 70's. The Anglo world didn't "discover" it until then, with the exception of early artists' colonies in northern NM. It was a sleepy little backwater, where the locals all operated on the barter system, the original cashless society. Even now, it's 50% Hispanic + another roughly 10% Indigenous.
NM's is a rustic type of charm, which isn't what most people are looking for. It's about old-fashioned Mexican furniture from the Colonial era (or imitations of that), adobe-style architecture (or facsimiles of it), and a lot of xeriscaping (with the exception of a few neighborhoods in Albuquerque), which most people don't want. They want greenery, lawns, lush-looking landscaping.
I guess AZ also managed to attract employers, which NM hasn't done very well, so people don't go there looking for jobs. Some bring their jobs with them. A few are able to get jobs with non-profit orgs in the state, or with the colleges and State offices, and small businesses. There's an active hospitality industry and spa industry in a few locations, but that sector of the economy is shrinking. Santa Fe and Taos have been attracting fewer luxury tourists. Galleries, spas and other luxury services have been closing, though there are still a few. There's a reason why the state has a high percentage of retirees. It attracts retirees from New York and California, and people who can afford second homes in NM. People who don't need jobs.
Regarding Texas, Big Bend is quite an incredible national park. I was never in Hill Country until last month, around Fredericksburg, and I have to say this place reminded me of Napa Valley as well as the Sierra Nevada foothills. Roughly the same altitude 1300 feet as the foothills, and same flora as well. I was instantly attracted to it just like I am the Sierra Nevada region of the state. Beautiful, beautiful area. I used to think the same way of the state, and I've been to various other parts of the state, and up until I visited the Hill Country I felt the same way. Big Bend, totally different, feels just like New Mexico.
NM is a bit too "exotic" for some people who are complacent in their existence. It sort of thrives on neglect in its own way. We wouldn't be able to adapt well to a sprawling Phoenix or DFW. When I moved here my old friends and neighbors asked if I wasn't afraid of moving here by myself -- implying it was so far from "God's Country". It has a little frontier image left in it. You might hear 3 or 4 different languages spoken any day of the week.
It doesn't have the extremes -- no 14ners of Colorado, no Grand Canyon like Arizona, no sandy beaches like Texas or California. It has a more subtle human-scale attractiveness that has drawn writers and artists for decades. But visitors have to get off the interstate and get into the "outback" to see what we see. Many are uncomfortable doing that.
NM was also sort of the trunk of America's car. That is where you put stuff you were not wanting to show off to prying eyes. Nevada is a bit like that as well. The missile range is not very public. There was the Manhattan Project. The Trinity bomb site is open to the public only twice a year. Nuclear waste dump? -- sure, why not?
There is also a bit of mystery concerning the 22 Indian nations that have called NM home for thousands of years. They have different customs and languages. Unlike other parts of the US, the NM Indians were not permanently uprooted, en masse, and sent off to some other state. Those human footprints near White Sands tells us there have been people living here for over 20 thousand years. It has been part of the US only 175 years.
At least in my experience it seems you never hear about snowbirds going there, you never hear about people vacationing there, and you never hear about people moving to or from there?
We don't have as many snowbirds because our high elevation means we have cold winters with snow. Texans come here by the thousands to ski in the winter. Snowbirds flock to southern Arizona where the elevation is lower and winters are very mild.
Santa Fe and Taos have long been top destinations for world travelers. Tourism is a big industry in the state.
Regarding Texas, Big Bend is quite an incredible national park. I was never in Hill Country until last month, around Fredericksburg, and I have to say this place reminded me of Napa Valley as well as the Sierra Nevada foothills. Roughly the same altitude 1300 feet as the foothills, and same flora as well. I was instantly attracted to it just like I am the Sierra Nevada region of the state. Beautiful, beautiful area. I used to think the same way of the state, and I've been to various other parts of the state, and up until I visited the Hill Country I felt the same way. Big Bend, totally different, feels just like New Mexico.
My first experience with New Mexico was driving through I-40 and staying in Albuquerque for the night, I wasn't very impressed with the state as it was the first time I ever saw anything in real life resembling Mad Max. I might visit again and do a proper stay in the state but my first time left a bad taste in my mouth.
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