state nickname: Land of Enchantment
state motto: Crescit eundo / It grows as it goes

Earlier this February, I was cruising on a sandy gray day through the oil fields, into the town of Jal. The sign read: The Enchantment Starts Here. It's kind of like that, especially if you possess the kind of attitude that can see oil fields as enchanting.

Like many of the Western states, New Mexico is vast and varied. Mesas, green chiles, piney hot springs, rainbows, oil fields, aliens, and empty spaces are the first things that come to mind.

The crossroads of New Mexico is Albuquerque, where the I-25 and I-40 meet. Albuquerque is a colorful town, made all the more special by its isolation from other cities.

Albuquerque has put some care into its downtown area, and there's some nightlife there; try staying at the Route 66 Hostel and walking downtown. There's also a touristy-simulacra-feeling Old Town area, kind of like Old Town Sacramento. I'd prefer to head east on Central, though, and hit the University district for coffee and walking about and bookstore-browsing. The Peace & Justice center is at 202 Harvard; R.B. Winnings coffee is at 111 Harvard (other coffeehouses within a few blocks are Irysh Mac's (110 Yale) and Satellite)... Annapurna chai house, on Yale & Silver, is a great place for a bowl of dal. La Monanita Co-op is even further along Central, in the Nob Hill neighborhood.

Eastern New Mexico... well, you run into the problem with the oil fields and natural gas wells. Stop by Penny's Diner in Vaughn for some cherry pie and coffee, and head southeast to the forests and mountains near Ruidoso. Roswell is worth stopping by if you're in the area-- the alien-paraphenelia is cute; aliens as town-survival-strategy... Nearby Artesia is trying to survive, too, by putting a huge effort into graphic design and advertisements trying to entice prospective residents: "Artesia: It's Your Move." In the era of collapsing buildings, a small town's got to have a survival strategy...

I haven't had the chance to explore much of southern New Mexico yet, but White Sands is supposed to be lovely, and word is that the hot springs hostel in Truth or Consequences is a good place to revitalize and meet other travelers. Northern New Mexico is full of famous travel destinations, including artsy (touristy) Santa Fe and Taos (see the pueblo, visit the characters up on the mesa). Los Alamos is hidden away in a lovely forest, which seems like it would have great hiking if it wasn't all government-restricted; but you can pass through it on your way to the little town of Jemez Springs. Jemez is more off-the-beaten-path, and 6 miles north of the town on Hwy. 4 you can find some natural hot springs.