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I was reading the posts on Raton, and it made me think of passing through that area many years ago. Drove over from Alamosa through Red River and Cimmaron, and as I was heading up towards Raton, a bunch of pronghorn started running alongside my car on through the high desert. Then I saw the mesas above Raton and the whole feeling of the place struck me as the essence of the High Southwest. Many other places to love in NM, of course, but the high plains and mesas feel the most New Mexican to me. Just a unique kind of scenery. Some strange archetype in my mind, I suppose. Perhaps that is why I am inclined to like Las Vegas.
How about you?
(No right or wrong answers on this thread. Just wanting to hear about places and peoples' impressions of them.)
Last edited by Fiddlehead; 10-01-2011 at 10:41 PM..
I took the drive along the turquoise trail and came to a small town that had a very old adobe church with a graveyard next to it. There was nobody else around and the only sounds I heard were a barking dog and the whistling wind. It felt like I was in a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western and seemed very NM to me.
I would guess that the most "advertised" images of NM are those containing adobe structures of one kind or another, yuccas, coyotes and road runners, red-dirt bluffs and mesas, and big-sky panoramic views.
But that denies the wide variety of terrain and "other than" views in this diverse state. But it's hard not to think of NM in those terms, IMO.
In attempting to answer this question, I thought I'd first have to figure out the least New Mexican locations in New Mexico. After all, if there's a most location, there'd have to be locations that aren't as much.
But then when you look at it.. how can something not be New Mexican much at all if it's in the state? It's New Mexican by definition.
So, my vote for least New Mexican location is Hobbs, merely on a cultural basis. Four corners might be second least, because people there aren't thinking more than 25% about NM. Still wondering about the most New Mexican location.. perhaps the statehouse in Santa Fe, if only because it's a gathering place for the entire state's elected representation. But now that we've got a Texan-funded governor in office.. I'll probably have to revisit that thought.
I was reading the posts on Raton, and it made me think of passing through that area many years ago. Drove over from Alamosa through Red River and Cimmaron, and as I was heading up towards Raton, a bunch of pronghorn started running alongside my car on through the high desert. Then I saw the mesas above Raton and the whole feeling of the place struck me as the essence of the High Southwest. Many other places to love in NM, of course, but the high plains and mesas feel the most New Mexican to me. Just a unique kind of scenery. Some strange archetype in my mind, I suppose. Perhaps that is why I am inclined to like Las Vegas.
How about you?
(No right or wrong answers on this thread. Just wanting to hear about places and peoples' impressions of them.)
That's interesting because I feel Raton and Las Vegas are two of the least New Mexican places. A lot of victorian style buildings in those two towns. Probably from the end of the 19th century. I like Raton, but it doesn't have a New Mexico feel to me.
That's interesting because I feel Raton and Las Vegas are two of the least New Mexican places. A lot of victorian style buildings in those two towns. Probably from the end of the 19th century. I like Raton, but it doesn't have a New Mexico feel to me.
I hear you, and I agree the Spanish /Pueblo culture is essential to understanding NM, but something about the Northeast interests me. I will admit it could well be pretty similar to the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and SE Colorado too. But there are still Spanish names to be seen and, well, it has a cool feel.
The majority of the campaign funding for this governor came from oil people in Texas.
What do they hope to gain? Is there some big push for Texas industry to rule New Mexico? Seems like they already buy up most of the nice real estate, do they want to do a bunch of developments or something?
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Sorry for the ignorance.
