Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with newmexico

Ski New Mexico cheap?

abdulf — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:12:32 -0800

Cheap weekend ski trip in New Mexico? I've never been skiing before and I'd like to try. A group of friends wants to go to New Mexico to ski because it's within driving distance from Amarillo.

I've heard there are ski resorts around Santa Fe.

Say, a group of 6 or so people wanted to go skiing. No experience, no equipment. Maybe, around February 2010. How would we go about doing this in the most affordable way possible?

Is Albuquerque like I am imagining it?

filthy light thief — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:45:12 -0800

I'm looking to move out of California with my wife, with the goal of buying a home for the future filthy light thief family. Mrs. flt's parents have been looking at Albuquerque, New Mexico based on statistics (housing prices, employment, etc) and their brief visit to the city. How is Albuquerque for young families and adults in search of a lively city? More details inside. My wife and I currently live in California, and we'd like to stay except anywhere that seems to have the qualities we enjoy is out of our price range. Albuquerque has a temperate climate that is similar to coastal California, and I love the high desert in terms of appearance. Albuquerque seems to have plenty of open space for hiking and meandering.

We'd like a larger city with more diversity in amenities and attractions, as we've had our fill of smaller towns and college towns. For sake of comparison: of the three large California metropolises, we like San Francisco over the never-ending sprawl of Los Angeles and San Diego (though SF is far from affordable to own, on the salary of a government employee [me] and a high school math teacher [wife]). Does Albuquerque fit the bill?

Bonus points:
- walkable neighborhoods with amenities like parks and business districts a few miles from homes
- lively music/arts scene, local and/or touring
- reasonable public transit (ABQ RIDE is cheaper than local transit routes, if those prices are accurate)

Imaginary villages of old NM

Sara Anne — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:22:37 -0800

I'm looking for the name of an imaginary New Mexican village. A long time ago I took a class on New Mexican history, and learned of a village that was invented by a Spanish governor in order to fraudulently inflate the size of the population to his superiors. I have pored through all of my books from the class that I still have, but can't find anything about the incident. Google and Wikipedia have both failed me.

Clearly, this is why Texas produced ZZ Top.

AngerBoy — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:07:47 -0800

Why do I get a closer shave in some cities than in others? I live in north Texas, and I shave just about every other day during the work week. I follow the same routine with my showering and shaving regimen every time, and I generally get away with a pretty close shave and only nick myself once in a while.

I travel regularly to Albuquerque, though, and every time I'm there, I am blown away by how much closer, smoother, and more comfortable my shaves are. I never cut myself when I shave in New Mexico, and I always notice how much smoother my skin is after shaving there.

So what's the deal? Is it the altitude? Something funny in the water? Or is this just a classic case of confirmation bias?

Looks like I made a wrong turn at Albuquerque...

backseatpilot — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:11:00 -0800

Vacation in Albuquerque, and I'm looking to do a few specific things... other suggested activities also welcome. So I've decided to take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. I'm thinking of spending a week in the area, probably arriving the last weekend of the balloon festival (around October 10 or so). Planning on about a week in the area. I've found some information about things do to in the city proper, but I'd also like to get out into nature.

I'd like some suggestions for two activities in particular. First, some day hiking. I'm used to hiking in the woods and up hills in New England, so a change of scenery would be nice - something in the desert (are there any other options?), some heavy climbing is totally fine.

Second - a horseback trip. I have never ridden before, so I imagine a guided trip would be best, but preferably not something that's too touristy. Are there places that will do overnight trips? I don't mind joining up with a random group of strangers.

Any other suggestions for do-not-miss destinations or events? I'm not wedded to staying in the city for the entire time, so hopping around cities in the area (or day trips out of the city) is ok by me. Suggestions for places to stay (cheap B&Bs or quirky hotels)?

Which brings me to... can I do this without renting a car? I expect I'd need one to get to hiking/riding destinations, but inside the city? Or traveling to nearby cities? Could I get away with renting a car just for the days I'd actually be outside of the city limits?

Show Me the Way (in) Santa Fe...and Taos...and ABQ

rtha — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:08 -0800

Where and what should we eat/drink/see/look at/hike up etc. in Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque this weekend? We have a basic itinerary, but I would love some help in the "don't miss!" category. If you've been to any or all of these spots within the last year, and have personal recommendations, I'd greatly appreciate your advice.

Friday: We'll be in Santa Fe, having arrived the evening before. Plan A is to get up early-ish and head to Bandelier NM, end up back in Santa Fe in the afternoon and either: eat/drink/collapse OR Georgia O'Keefe museum, then eat/drink/collapse. Recommendations for places and items to eat and drink are desired. At the moment, there is no Plan B.

Saturday: Head to Taos via the scenic route. We will stop in Chimayo. Other can't-miss stuff on the way? Any recommendations eating/drinking/must-see spots in Taos are most welcome. We're going to try to get to the powwow that's this weekend, so my fry-bread needs will be taken care of.

Sunday: Drive to ABQ. Any places along the way that we shouldn't miss?

Monday: In ABQ. Our only solid must-do thing is Petroglyph NM, so any recommendations for food, drink etc. are most welcome.

Obviously, we like to eat and drink. We like to hike. We like to go birding. We're not huge on shopping, but if you have a jeweler/art gallery/artisan that we really shouldn't miss, let me know. If you have particular trails at Bandelier or Petroglyph NMs, or around Santa Fe/Taos, please let me know.

Sights and activities for a two week trip to New Mexico for a budget traveller bumming a free ride.

ageispolis — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:50:41 -0800

Last minute trip down to New Mexico came out of no where but I'm leaving tomorrow with a backpack and wanted to know what one could do for a couple weeks. I don't even have enough time to grab a guidebook and my only plans so far are to read The Border Trilogy. The ride is stopping overnight somewhere Utah then finally in Taos. I've got little money to spend regardless, what should I see and do here? I'm looking for a relaxed, unique, authentic Southwest American experience.

Road trip! Wisconsin to Arizona

charmston — Sun, 11 May 2008 09:24:05 -0800

From Thursday-Saturday, I'll be moving from Eau Claire, WI to Mesa, AZ. I have to drive. Money-saving tips? Day 1: Eau Claire, WI to Wichita, KS
Day 2: Wichita, KS to Albuquerque, NM
Day 3: Albuquerque, NM to Mesa, AZ

I have family to stay with in Wichita, but will have to get a hotel in Albuquerque. I'm open to tips ranging from gas station rewards programs to driving tips.

Guide us on our great South Western road trip

ZackTM — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:18:17 -0800

Road trip from Raleigh, NC to San Deigo California. Long schedule inside, please provide any insights you have! So we're taking a road trip all the way from Raleigh, NC to San Diego, CA. I need your advice for breathtaking sights, awesome bars, incredible hikes, delicious food, etc.

This is a 10 day road trip starting on Thursday, April 24th (this week!). We (25 year old guy, girl, and dog) are both really outgoing people who appreciate nature and having a good time. We plan on getting hotels for some of the trip but the bulk of it will be camping. We don't really know where we should camp or anything else so everything you can tell us helps!

Here's the tentative schedule:

Thurs 24 - Raleigh, NC to Savannah, GA
What should we do in Savannah? Tours, bars, restaurants? Is there any good camping nearby or should we get a hotel? If we get a hotel, we'll probably want to go out drinking, so where should we go?

Friday 25th - Savannah, GA to New Orleans, LA
We want to take in as much local culture as possible, so whats the best restaurants and sights we should visit? We will be staying in a hotel in the French Quarter because we want to go out and see what it's like to party in New Orleans. Where should we go?

Sat 26th - New Orleans, LA to Austin, TX
We will be spending Saturday - Monday in Austin. What should we do? We both are thinking about one day moving to Austin so we'd like to get a real feel for the city so we can see if it fits our personalities. Any one know any good concerts there this weekend?

Monday Evening 28th and on
We are pretty wide open from this point on. We want to stick to a southern-western route and hit up all the awesome places to hike, camp, and visit. We don't need to be in San Diego until Friday evening so we have a lot of flexibility. What things did you do in New Mexico / Arizona that took your breath away? Are there places we just HAVE to camp? I think we want to see the Grand Canyon for sure, so that might need to be incorporated into the route too.

Please include any anecdotes, links, stories, pictures, whatever! We are taking laptops with internet access the whole way so we're gonna make it up as we go along and we need all the advice we can get. Any supplies we need to bring that we might not have thought of? Are there any other places we should post this question in order to get the best info possible?

Bonus question:
Do you know any good books or whatever that can serve as conversation starters? I'm picturing a book that has questions like "Do you believe in God?" that we just take turns asking each other and learning about one another. Good bonding stuff to make the trip less monotonous.

Deer hunting in New Mexico?

vorfeed — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:19:01 -0800

Deer hunting in New Mexico: your experiences or advice appreciated! I'm putting in for a deer tag (for deer taken by rifle; it will probably be a mule deer) here in New Mexico. I don't have any experience with deer hunting, so I'd like to hear from others who've hunted deer in NM. In particular, what's a good unit to put in for, and good areas within the unit to try? Does anyone have a lead on private-land hunting that doesn't involve outfitters and/or paying the landowner a ton of cash? I live in Espanola, but I'm willing to travel pretty much anywhere in the state. I haven't done this before, so general muley hunting advice is also welcome!

I'm not looking for a trophy... I just want to fill my freezer with venison, so I am not all that particular. I mainly want to maximize my chances of getting a tag/landowner's permission, and then have a decent chance of getting a deer. Thanks for any tips you can give me!

Politics and environmental issues in the US Southwest: good sources for news and gossip?

salvia — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:55:14 -0800

Anyone follow environmental issues or general politics in the US Southwest (AZ, NM, UT, CO)? I'm trying to get a crash course about what's happening in the region and then stay up to speed. What are the best sources for political gossip? For environmental news about the region? All I've got so far are the major newspapers, High Country News, and a couple (rarely updated) blogs.

I'm most curious about the key environmental and regional planning issues in the southwest now. Who are the big players (nonprofits, state agencies, cities, others), and what are they working on?

I realize this is a broad question, but anything will be much appreciated. I work on these sorts of issues in the Bay Area, and since I love the US Southwest, I wish I had a better understanding of what is going on down there.

Backpacking near Albuquerque

salvia — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 12:05:50 -0800

Best place to go backpacking within a two-hour drive of Albuquerque? Warmer / lower elevations are better (the temperature is supposed to drop ten degrees this week -- lows in Santa Fe around 20 degrees F. Santa Fe is at 6500 ft. or something, and the mountains around it are much higher).

But feel free to share anywhere good. I might be willing to handle some cold to be somewhere really great.

Thanks for any suggestions you have!

Seeing the industrial and political landscape of the southwest

salvia — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:25:55 -0800

I'm taking a road trip through the southwest, and I'd like to see places with an interesting backstory or that show you "behind the scenes." I'm interested in places with political, economic, environmental, or industrial significance. Can you recommend some? Here's the route: Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Moab, Phoenix. I have 11 days. I've done most of this as a tourist before, so I'm interested in seeing some of the more hidden sights.

As I said, I'm interested in the politics, economics, history, environmental, and industrial factors behind the landscape. I'm still modifying the route so I can check out interesting places. Here are the kind of places I'm talking about:

- power infrastructure (Black Mesa, the Glen Canyon Dam)
- water infrastructure (aqueducts, river diversions?)
- the nuclear program (I'm missing the Trinity Test Site visitor day by a week! Should I still go to Alamogordo? Where to go near Los Alamos?)
- mining booms and busts, related pollution (Moab's uranium tailings pile; oil, gas, and coalbed methane development)
- industrial-scale production of anything from cattle to computer chips
- Native American history (the Cochise stronghold)
- prisons, military bases, and other nearly-blank spaces on the map (obviously, I can't enter, but I would like to know they're there)
- anything else related to political, economic, or cultural geographies (I really like Jake Kosek's stuff)
- wildlife protection or environmental restoration areas, current environmental disputes

I'm interested in current or upcoming issues, not just history, and I have just started trying to get up to speed about some of the work going on now. If you have anything interesting you'd like to share but would need kept fairly quiet, my email is in my profile. (I work for an environmental nonprofit, so I understand that certain information is sensitive and needs to stay fairly confidential to keep sites from being defaced or overrun with visitors, or to protect ongoing acquisitions, negotiations, or investigations.) Thank you!

Good places to live in the US southwest

salvia — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:26:56 -0800

What would be a good place to live, work, and start a family in the US Southwest? Smaller towns are particularly welcome. I've always wanted to live in the US southwest and am looking ahead to potentially moving there in a few years. I'd be moving there to settle down and start the next phase of life, which will hopefully include starting a family at some point in the future.

I'd consider everything east of the Sierras (Lone Pine, Big Pine, Joshua Tree), west of Amarillo, TX (couldn't do Austin), or from Denver heading south. I'm not that into mountains and snow, but I'm not ruling anything out (especially because I'm assuming everywhere will get a little warmer and dryer than it is now).

My favorite places are small towns where you can bike from one end to the other and potentially live without a car. I would consider larger places like Albuquerque and Tucson if I lived downtown.

I'm hoping for a diverse place. I'm fairly political and would like to be part of a progressive community, but I'd rather not live in a complete bubble of white, rich, well-educated liberals. I also have this pet peeve: rock climbing, yoga, mountain biking, snowboarding, detoxifying my body via lemon juice fasts -- I like these things and all, but conversations about gear and the backcountry put me to sleep in short order. It's also important that the town's economy extends at least slightly beyond just tourism. Even art sold to tourists would be a welcome relief from restaurants and souvenir shops. I'd consider it a bonus if there are environmental nonprofits where I could potentially work, but that's not my only option. To sum up, by looking for a place with a diverse socioeconomy and some civic engagement, I'm hoping I'll find a good place to work and some friends I relate to.

Then there is that wild card of "starting a family." I'm not on the verge of this by any means, but I am looking ahead at things like being able to afford a house and having it be a decent place for a kid to grow up. In my earlier freewheeling travels, I didn't think at all about things like schools or what it'd be like to be a kid in a place like that. Since I'm not prepared to examine those factors, I'd at least like it to be a place with a fair number of families (not just ski bums and retirees), and a fair number of people my age (almost 30) kinda headed in the same direction.

I'm most eying Paonia, Flagstaff, Tucson (I hear such good things but have been unimpressed in my visits... I must be missing the good side), Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Moab (any economy beyond the mountain bike scene yet?), Manitou Springs (? never been there, just saw the Colorado Springs thread), Bishop, and Joshua Tree. I suspect there are a bunch of possibilities in Colorado I don't know yet, but for some reason I have not been that excited by most places I've been in the state (including Denver, Boulder, Durango, Crested Butte, and Telluride). Thanks for your thoughts.

Aspens in New Mexico?

1f2frfbf — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:35:45 -0800

Amateur photographers want to find aspens in New Mexico. I will be visiting my father in Las Cruces, NM on the first week of October. We recently read in the National Geographic about the decline in Aspen populations, so we'd like to stage our own "Last Chance to See" trip. What's the best/closest place to go see a stand of aspen in a natural environment (ie. National or State Park, National Forest, etc), and how far would we have to go to find then in fall color?

Weekly Rentals in Santa Fe, NM

billtron — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 15:40:00 -0800

RentalFilter: Three couples looking for a house to rent in Santa Fe, NM, late July or early August, 2008. Preferably away from the plaza would be better. Two of us stayed at 10,000 Waves a few years ago and loved it, but that's too pricey for 6 people. Any recommendations beyond vrbo.com?

Is moving to Las Cruces, NM, to be involved in space exploration a solid idea?

humannaire — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:53:30 -0800

Is moving to Las Cruces, NM, to be near other budding space explorers a good idea? Las Cruces is where Spaceport USA is being built. It's being built in Upham, NM, to be exact, but Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences are the nearest actual cities, 45 miles to the North and 30 miles to the East, respectively.

Space exploration is one of my major preoccupations, and I seek to make it my avocation. (Presently, I spend my time with a private company revealing facets of local eco-systems to vistors of Key West.)

I have a background in academic research and am an author of a space travel book for pre-teens.

And I am ready to make the transition to the field of my dreams. That is, training young minds for space exploration.

Is Las Cruces the place to relocate my new future?

From L.A. to Santa Fe and back. By Car

PenguinBukkake — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:10:07 -0800

From L.A. to Santa Fe and back. By Car, necessarily. Next month. I'm planning a 1.5 day drive, a 3 day stay in Santa Fe (already taken care of, thanks), a 1.5 day drive back to L.A. Where should I sleep en route? I'm thinking Flagstaff, right? Sightseeing in or around Flagstaff? (touristy stuff is OK unless it's something horribily overcrowded or plainly for kids). Is the drive too long/boring? Any better ideas to make the trip more fun? Suggestions? Thanks.

Good Times in the Southwest

slowfasthazel — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:24:01 -0800

What should we see during our week in the Southwest? My boyfriend and I have planned a week long trip to New Mexico and Arizona.

We will be there the third week in May and the itinerary is:

-Saturday afternoon: fly into Albuquerque, pick up rental car, drive to Santa Fe, we'll be staying with family

-Wednesday morning: drive to the Grand Canyon, we'll be staying at a hotel at the South Rim

-Friday morning: drive to the Phoenix area, staying overnight with more family

-Saturday night: fly home from Phoenix

We would love some recommendations for awesome places to visit, good places to eat, other cool stops to check out along the way. We are anticipating doing at least one day trip when we are in Santa Fe and spending Thursday hiking around the rim.

We like off-beat, crazy roadside attraction type of fun, if that helps. (Having said that, we are staying at the touristy South Rim, because previous Grand Canyon posts said that was the best way for a first timer--in this case me--to get the full blown Grand Canyon experience.)

Bonus points: I really want to see a ghost town, but the internet is giving me mixed reviews about which ones are worth it. Something within a 3 hour radius of Santa Fe, or on on the way to the Grand Canyon would be ideal.

Thanks!

Vacation group accomodations near Santa Fe

mcstayinskool — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:20:29 -0800

Hotel/House rental ideas for 8-10 guys in Santa Fe or between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. I've got an annual trip coming up in June with 8-10 guys for 3-4 days. This year we are heading to the Santa Fe area of New Mexico.

Outside of major chain hotels, can anyone give recommendations for places to stay? Proximity to food and beer...er I mean, beer and food, are a big plus. We'll probably be hanging out, playing poker, etc. so suites are preferable to hotel rooms. Kitchen facilities also a plus.

Last year I posted a similar question for this same trip, that time going to Portland, OR. Great success-- we ended up staying at Northrup Inn, as suggested in the thread, and it was great.

Gimme some sun!

DawnSimulator — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:36:27 -0800

My teenaged son and I leave for Albuquerque/Santa Fe in a few days. Anything cultural, archaeological, culinary we absolutely should not miss? Thanks!

Which way to you want to go, up or down?

nadawi — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:09:59 -0800

As previously discussed, Eattheweak and I will be finding our way from Denton, TX to Olympia, WA. We're trying to nail down the particulars. Help us pick our route and then tell us what to do on it! We have two paths we keep knocking back and forth. Both routes go across texas, up to Santa Fe (it's where I'm planning to spend my birthday, any suggestions for what to do there?), skirt across Colorado and stop somewhere in southern Utah. Now the first option(warning: yahoo maps link, it could take a while to load) is to go west, straight across Nevada, to California. From there it's north to Olympia. The other option(yahoo maps) is to go north in Utah, through Idaho, over the line in Washington and across to Olympia.

Do these routes seem to work? We plotted them on an atlas and on Yahoo Maps but we're sure there's a lot we're not taking into account.

As we've managed to figure out here are the things to keep in mind:

Route A seems to have less high mountains. Route B leaves less of a chance of being stranded in a desert. Route B would let us visit his brother. I am concerned also of how boring a drive through Utah/Idaho will be. He is concerned about the day we'll drive through Nevada and not see another living soul.

So, hivemind, what to do? I have a 99 V6 Chevy Malibu. It's getting serviced and new tires before we go. We're loading everything in the car, so it will be weighed down, but we won't be pulling anything behind us.

Also: if you've managed to read this far, what the hell do we do for entertainment on the way? Any awesome places we just have to stop off? We're thinking lots of mixtaps and a couple books on tape (so far we have John Hodgeman's book and On the Road). What else do we do?

Phoenix to Santa Fe & back on two lanes...

i_cola — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:06:59 -0800

Slightly insane road trip. Phoenix to Santa Fe and back in four days with a wedding in the middle. Route & overnight stop questions. I land (from the UK) in Phoenix around 5pm the Thursday before Labor Day. I'm meeting with a friend from NYC & we're driving to Santa Fe. [Ideally we'll be in Santa Fe 5pm on the Friday but the wedding isn't until Sat.] My flight leaves Phoenix the following Monday evening so a drive back to PHX leaving after lunch on Sunday seems appropriate.

Route: Two-lanes rather than freeway so I'm looking at heading east on Route-60 to Show Low and then taking a good route on to Santa Fe. A different route on the way back would be good.

Overnight accommodation: 3+ hours out of PHX would put me near Show Low, AZ. There's the usual Days Inn etc. crop there...any other recommendations. On the way back I'm after something a slimilar distance, maybe up to 5 hrs, out of Santa Fe.

General: Any stops would be up to 30 mins rest & stretch but any fine points along the way could be cool. Obligatory hot springs or somesuch?

I know the area (which is why I want to do this!) having driven Flagstaff-Silver City-Santa Fe & Williams-Phoenix and am used to the distances having covered thousands of miles in the US but any help on this particular trip would be very much appreciated.

Thanksgiving in Albuquerque

arathorn — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 16:14:30 -0800

I'm going to be in Albuquerque for Thanksgiving. Any can't miss attractions or activities (preferably outdoor)? Thanks!

Good runs in Santa Fe, NM?

ph00dz — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 18:24:16 -0800

Good runs in Santa Fe, NM? I'm going to be in NM this weekend and I feel compelled to see how poorly I run at the higher elevations of Santa Fe.

I'll be in the downtown square area, but have a rental car, a Camelback, and a decent sense of direction. I don't want to get lost, though... and I doubt the rental car will be able to handle much off-road action.

'Course-wise, I'm always down for a challenge, so long as it's not too insane. 8-10 miles would be ideal and dirt paths are preferred, but really I'm just looking for something interesting.