1. Ordering Christmas Gets Your Mouth Excited
Chiles are much more than a New Mexican stereotype, they’re a lifestyle. New Mexicans buy their salsa in bulk and definitely like the heat cranked up more than most. But you have to know how to order it.
When you order an enchilada or burrito, you can either order it “red” for red chiles or “green” for green chiles. If you want a little bit of both, you can order it as “Christmas.” Red chiles are believed to be more mild and the greens are believed to be spicy. But the secret is supposedly that the peppers are actually pretty much the same. The level of heat depends on the ripeness.
2. You And All Your Friends Are Real-Life Cowboys
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Living in New Mexico is as close to living in the Wild West as you’ll probably ever get. Don’t believe me?
Cimarron is the self-claimed “Cowboy Capital of Northern New Mexico” because Buffalo Bill Cody lived and ran a goat ranch nearby. Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, and Jesse James stayed at the St. James hotel. And the legendary Billy The Kid had the bounty put on his head by New Mexico’s governor in 1881. There are two museums in Fort Sumner claiming to have his gravesite.
These days, New Mexicans are allowed to openly carry a gun without a permit almost anywhere including state parks and forests, and restaurants (as long as they don’t serve hard alcohol, obviously). Even the landscape looks like something out of a movie—no wonder portions of “The Lone Ranger,” “Wyatt Earp” and “No Country For Old Men” were filmed at Ghost Ranch.
3. You Have Plenty Of Space For Everything
When you go for a drive in New Mexico, it’s very possible to find yourself driving solo without another town in sight for 50 miles. These trips can be incredibly calming and simultaneously isolating, sometimes leaving you feeling like you’re the only person left on the planet.
The speed limits tend to be high and aren’t even that heavily enforced much of the time, which makes for a very open, freeing drive out in the middle of the desert with no one else but you and your thoughts. And you definitely begin to wonder if this is what it will feel like after you survive the alien invasion.
4. …But You Never Leave Home Without A Backup Of Everything… Or Two
When you end up on these rides, it’s common to not see another car for hours. That’s great when solitude is what you’re looking for, but it’s also kinda scary in case of an emergency. Cell reception isn’t always reliable and you never know when a tire is going to blow out or when you might have to swerve to avoid hitting a family of quail and end up in a ditch.
That’s why people in New Mexico keep a backup of everything in their car (at least, the smart ones do.) The rule of thumb is to always have a spare tire, an extra gallon of gas, water and an emergency kit. Oh, and don’t forget a spare blanket or two handy, because the days might be sweltering hot, but those night temperatures drop fast.
5. World Wonders Right In Your Backyard
Speaking of the Enchanted State, it’s clear once you get here how New Mexico got its namesake. The state is full of amazing wonders everywhere you turn.
Visit White Sands National Monument, where the sand is actually gypsum crystals, and look over a sea of white sand dunes. If you don’t feel like you’re standing on a different planet, you’ll think you died and went to heaven. The Loretto Chapel’s staircase is an incredible feat—it has no visible support and is held together with wooden spikes rather than metal nails. It’s believed to have been built by one man single-handedly with no advanced tools.
And the Ojo Caliente has been known for its healing properties thousands of years by the Tewa tribes. The geothermal mineral water flows from an ancient volcanic aquifer and has been called a miracle cure.
6. Everyone You Know Has Seen A UFO
UFO’s are common conversation in New Mexico. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who claims to have legitimately seen one, and you might even run into people who say they got beamed up.
Roswell is of course, known for the supposed UFO crash back in 1947, and Midway is where the infamous and fast moving Roswell Rods can be seen (and have been recorded). And in Dulce some believe there’s a secret facility under the Archuleta Mesa where aliens and humans work on genetic experiments in the Nightmare Hall.
Believers say outsiders never hear about any of these stories because the locals are too scared. The locals respond by saying that they saw “E.T.” as a work of fiction, not a documentary.
7. The Best Time To See Lightning Up Close
New Mexico is home to one of the coolest yet hidden Earth sculpture landmarks, The Lightning Field. Built in 1977, The Lightning Field is 400 stainless steel poles sticking out of the ground in a mile long grid erected by artist Walter De Maria. During sunset on a stormy summer evening, electricity fills the sky and makes your hair literally stand on end. Oddly enough, actual lightning strikes rather infrequently, but that’s not the point of the piece.
The Lightning Field is meant to be viewed in small, private groups and is only open six months out of the year. Visitors have to make advanced reservations to stay overnight in the one small cabin. Many people travel to The Lightning Field to mark another stop along their list of extreme art pilgrimages.
8. Having Some Of The Best Kept Foodie Secrets
New Mexico is full of surprises. It’s a huge producer of pecans and pistachios (yes, really) with multiple ranches across the state. You can even stand in front of the world’s largest pistachio in Alamogordo.
And when it comes to wineries, most people think of California and Sedona. But New Mexico’s wine industry is older than California’s. With more than 42 wineries New Mexico produces an average of 700,000 gallons every year. The annual New Mexico Wine Festival brings residents out from all over the state to celebrate one of the best parts of the Enchanted State.
9. Unearthing Ancient Artifacts Every Day Like It’s No Biggie
New Mexico is an archaeologist’s dream. If you’re ever looking to channel your inner Indiana Jones, it’s definitely the place to go.
Arrowheads and fossils are unearthed almost everywhere in the state. Bandelier National Monument covers over 33,000 acres with ancient petroglyphs and masonry walls built into cliffs. And Taos Pueblo is a 1,000 year-old adobe considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the country.
10. All The Reminders Of How Crazy And Awesome Life Is In New Mexico
There are certain things about life in New Mexico that make you remember how unique and special it really is. Like when:
-You hang a Christmas wreath made up of green chiles on the adobe house you paid way extra for.
-You schedule a roadtrip to go see Zozobra burn.
-You have to explain that New Mexico is a state, not a country. Again.
-Ordering five tons of crushed rock for your front “lawn” feels completely normal.
-You enjoy biscochitos with your coffee.
-You cross Route 66 while driving on Route 66 in Albuquerque.
Did we miss anything? Tell us what you think is unique about New Mexico in the comments below!
