New Mexico's motto is "Land of Enchantment" and I can see why. This is a land of multi-cultural engagement going back over a thousand years. Indigenous cliff dwellers settled in this region about 9500 B.C.E. Their descendants currently reside in New Mexico, consisting of 23 modern Pueblo tribes. These ancient cliff-dwellers interacted with Navajo, Apache, and other tribes from about 1100 (Navajo) and the 1400s (Apache). The state capitol, Santa Fe, was founded in 1610 by Spanish explorers riding north from Mexico, looking for the Aztec legendary cities of gold. Spanish claimed the land as "Nuevo Mexico," and Spanish and Pueblo tribes battled for many years. In 1710, Spanish governors founded Albuquerque, and in ensuing years negotiated land treaties with indigenous tribes. In 1821, after Mexico achieved independence from Spain, the land was part of Mexico. After many controversies over the land (including disagreements between French, Mexican, and indigenous tribes) the state boundaries we know today were created in the late 1800's, and New Mexico became a state in 1912 (its admission delayed because of its large Hispanic population). It is the fifth largest state by geography. Over 47% of modern New Mexico residents are of Hispanic/Latino heritage; 10% Native Americans; 36% white (non-Hispanic), and about 2% each African-American & Asian. There are many people of mixed race dating back hundreds of years. 28% of modern New Mexicans speak Spanish in their homes, and 5% speak an indigenous language. This is one of the most diverse states in the U.S., and the white Europeans are the more recent immigrants, beginning large entry into the state through the Homestead Act in the late 19th century.
We entered New Mexico from Colorado, and near that border we saw increasing signs of Spanish heritage, and drove by the Spanish Peaks for a long time.
As soon as we entered New Mexico, we began to see pueblo-style buildings dotted along the mountain highway. We entered Taos, New Mexico, our overnight stay.
I had booked a night at a resort in Taos, thinking it would be like the small-ish resort room in Aspen. This one was $212/night for a King suite, which was the going price for a Comfort Inn on the highways we'd been traversing. The hotel was much more than we expected. It was a beautiful resort, El Monte Sagrado, located on a landscaped property with a koi pond next to a patio outside our door and lots of space in the two-room suite.
The food was delicious! We ate at the restaurant on-site, and had the best hatch chili relleno I've ever eaten. It had a charred flavor and was just the right level of spicy. Paul had a beef tenderloin that was also tender and delicious. We shared an order of roasted Brussel sprouts. We ordered room service for breakfast. I ate a wonderful "power bowl" of berries and a corn-based hot cereal. Paul had pancakes. If we are ever in Taos, we'll stay here again if we can.
After a restful night at the Taos resort, we proceeded to the Puye Cliff Dwellers archology site near Los Alamos, NM. I had wanted to visit this spot for many years, and was not disappointed. We learned about the ancestral Pueblo Indians who lived in this spot from about 900 A.D. to about 1540 A.D. Initially excavated beginning in 1907, it was named a National Landmark in 1966 and is operated today by direct descendants of the people who lived there. The Santa Clara pueblo is nearby, where descendants of the Puye people live today. We took the mesa tour on top, where we were driven to the top and shown the remnants by a very knowledgeable guide. We had the option of walking down to go inside the homes built into the cliffs, but with my knee problems and the heat, we opted to ride back down. Paul remarked at how difficult the life must have been - living on the mesa to keep watch from intruders, subsistence farming, and the pounding heat and recurring droughts. And yet, we saw signs of a vibrant culture there.
From there, we drove the short distance to Los Alamos, NM, site of the labs where Oppenheimer and others performed experiments to create the first nuclear bombs. Before tackling this difficult history, we ate at a lovely restaurant, The Blue Window Bistro, and rested for the night.
The following day, we toured the various local sites related to the Manhattan Project, including a small visitor center, a local museum, and a larger science museum. It was in this small town that the military enlisted a group of scientists and miliary personnel to create a nuclear bomb. We learned about the struggle between the two cultures (military & scientists), with the former wanting to keep the work in intellectual "silos", and the latter wanting broad collaboration. The scientists largely won that philosophical battle, with Oppenheimer insisting on weekly seminars for the scientists to teach each other about their work. We also learned how many of the personnel struggled with the moral questions concerning whether to build the bomb and how to use it. And, we saw the devastating results on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with history on the debate about whether creating such unspeakable horror actually saved lives. I do not pretend to have any answers to such difficult questions, but one couldn't help but feel humbled and saddened by the events that took place. Today, Los Alamos hosts a military lab that focuses on bomb detection and prevention of tragedy, and homeland security.
From Los Alamos, we drove another short drive to Santa Fe, the state capitol and center of the arts. The beautiful vistas were just what we needed to decompress from the history.
In Santa Fe, we ate a late lunch at a wonderful Spanish Tapas restaurant, La Boca. We browsed the very expensive shops without buying anything before heading to Albuquerque.
We stayed in Albuquerque for 5 days. The constant driving and the heat caught up with us, and we mostly stayed in our Airbnb the entire time. We had planned to go into Old Town and up the Sandia Peak Tram, but we just didn't have the energy. It was hot & dry, but the cacti were in bloom in our neighborhood. I was so tired I didn't even take a picture of the cactus blooms! We did find a nice coffee shop nearby, which we frequented. Humble Coffee featured locally sourced ingredients and home-made syrups.
Five days later, we drove out of Albuquerque to Texas, where we planned to visit our nephew, niece, and their children in Dallas. The drive from Albuquerque to the New Mexico border was beautiful.
