The ‘Old’ New Mexico
by Howe Sim
Picture-perfect
sunsets. Ancient cultures. Unique architecture. Captivating landscapes. New
Mexico’s otherworldliness has enchanted visitors for centuries: from the
prehistoric nomadic peoples who built farming settlements here during the late
Ice Age to the Spanish conquistadors who first occupied the region in the
1500s.
Today, many artists and
photographers come to capture its natural beauty and mystique on canvas and in
photographs. Despite the arrival of the 21st century – and its accompanying
economic and environmental transformations – its people have managed to
preserve its sense of self, remaining deeply rooted to tradition and to the
earth. Here is a list of my most cherished New Mexico experiences, the ones
that best remind me of times otherwise long forgotten.
1. Acoma Sky City. This Native American
pueblo is said to have been established in 1075 AD, making it the oldest
continuously inhabited community in the United States. Its adobe and rock homes
were built on top of a 367-foot sheer sandstone mesa, ideal for protection against
intruders. At one time, several thousand Native Americans lived in dwellings
crowded onto the 70-acre mesa. Today several Acoma families reside here year
round, with most tribal members living in nearby villages. The pueblo has never
had electricity or running water: drinking water is brought up from below and
water for other uses is collected in several small reservoirs.
A guided tour through Acoma Pueblo will
take you through the streets of this centuries-old village
Visitors to Acoma can
only see the village on a guided walking tour. Call ahead to ensure it’s open,
as it does close to tourists several days a year. Tours begin in the new 40,000
square foot Cultural Center at the base of the mesa, which also houses a museum
and gift shop. This is one of the few pueblos in New Mexico where still
photography is permitted (for a $10 fee). A tribal member serves as tour guide
and will take you through the village’s narrow dirt streets and to its
370-year-old church of San Esteban del Rey. During the tour, you’ll have ample
opportunities to buy locally made thin-shelled pottery and sample some
authentic fry bread topped with honey. After your hour-long tour, you can
return to the visitor center via the ancient sandstone stairway that the
original Acoma residents had to use daily. Several festivals open to the public
are held in Sky City each year, though cameras are forbidden those days.
Sky City is perched on top of a 367-foot
sandstone mesa
Another popular
visitor- and camera-friendly village in northern New Mexico is Taos Pueblo,
where 150 residents still live in straw-and-mud plaster homes, also without the
benefit of electricity and running water. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is
famous for its multi-story residential adobe complex. Residents here still
practice ancient rituals: adobe outdoor ovens are used to cook corn and bake
bread, and most drink water directly from the sacred Blue Lake.
This multi-story adobe complex is the
centerpiece of Taos Pueblo
2. Three Rivers Petroglyph Site.
This is one of the few locations in southwestern New Mexico giving visitors
direct access to ancient rock art. The glyphs here date back to 900 AD, and
were created using stone tools by the Mogollon peoples. There are well over
20,000 images here, depicting handprints, wildlife, plants, humans, and various
geometric designs. A rugged half-mile-long trail links many of the most
interesting petroglyphs in this balsaltic ridge. Another impressive collection
of basalt-etched petroglyphs can be found in Northern New Mexico’s Petroglyph
National Monument.
Many primitive rock art images are
accessible to visitors at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
3. Historic Route 66. Fast forward to the
1950s and imagine that you are a road warrior whizzing across a stretch of
desert on Route 66 past tumbleweeds, teepees, and rattlesnakes. This memory of
your first cross-country drive – from Chicago to Los Angeles – has become
romanticized, representing unprecedented freedom to travel across the American
West in search of a better life. While the original highway has been largely
replaced by other roads or covered up by interstates, Route 66 still exists in
New Mexico if you know where to look.
Old 1950’s signage still exists along
portions of the original Route 66
In Albuquerque, you’ll
find surviving service stations, signage, diners, and 50’s motels along many
miles of old road. The sights of America’s Mother Road continue to change with
the emergence of new businesses and development along the old highway.
Thankfully, Route 66 Historical Associations and similar groups have done much
to preserve these vintage treasures. Pick up a couple of Route 66 books and a
few good maps and head out to recapture magic from a different era!
Keep an eye out for remnants of America’s
glorious past
4. White Sands National
Monument.
Within the Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico is the world’s largest gypsum
dune field (275 square miles), of which half has been designated the White
Sands National Monument. Over millions of years, rain and snow dissolved gypsum
from the surrounding Sacramento and San Andres mountains and carried it down
into Lake Lucero. Here, the dry winds evaporate the water, allowing the white
gypsum to crystallize. Prevailing northeasterly winds result in constant
rolling hills of fine-grained gypsum, some reaching 60 feet in height.
Soaptree yuccas manage to survive in the
highly alkaline White Sands park
White Sands National
Monument is located 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo, and is open to visitors
year-round. Call first to ensure that the US 70/82 is open: the road is
occasionally closed for a couple hours because of missile testing on the
adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Most visitors traverse the 16-mile Dune
Drive through the center of the fields by car, stopping at established parking
areas to climb (and even slide down) a dune. Near the entrance to the park is
the popular Dune Life Nature Trail. This self-guided hour-long hike will point out
the hardy plants, trees, and grasses that tolerate these highly alkaline soils.
You may be lucky enough to spot some of the birds and lizards that also reside
here. Ranger-guided nature walks take place daily from Memorial Day to Labor
Day.
The Dune Life Nature Trail shows hikers
how plants and animals survive this hostile environment
5. New Mexico’s
Distinctive Architectural Style. In towns throughout New Mexico, you will encounter
the state’s unique architectural styling, reflecting the diversity of its
regional cultures. Traditional New Mexican homes use ancient Pueblo-style
architectural elements such as sun-dried mud-mortared clay bricks mixed with
grass, and roofs supported by long beams protruding through exterior walls. The
Spanish later introduced heavy over-sized Moorish doors, followed by English
settlers whose influences included Victorian-style double-hung windows and
second-story porches. Even in modern-day downtown Santa Fe and Albuquerque’s
Old Town, you will still see many examples of the convergence of these early
architectural styles. In fact, since 1957, most city building codes impose some
degree of conformity to one revival style or another – further evidence of the
state’s desire to cling to simpler times.
This Taos-area church features a roof
supported by long beams protruding through exterior façades