Land of Enchantment

New Mexico is the gem of the Southwest, History and landscape merge to form an impression that will not leave once you have visited. The Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo cultures dance together to form an unforgettable tapestry of culture. The high mountain and desert frames the cooperative and competing cultures.

New Mexico contains the oldest city in the United States, Taos Pueblo, that has been continuously inhabited for nearly one thousand years. The state was settled by Europeans from Spain via Mexico long before the the Pilgrims that came on the Mayflower. Coronado led an expedition to New Mexico from 1540 to 1542 to discover the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. He died not knowing that he had discovered something much more significant and valuable than the Seven Cities of Gold, he had opened up the Land of Enchantment to the world.

The mix of Spaniards and the Pueblo tribes was rocky but ultimately successful. The Pueblo Indians revolted and expelled the Spaniards for a short period of time in the late Seventeenth Century. However, the Spaniards returned and the cultures united to defend themselves from attacks by Apaches.

The Anglo Americans first came as small trapping parties into the high Rocky Mountains that dominate New Mexico. The beauty and bounty of New Mexico was not lost upon the new visitors. Santa Fe became a regular stop with trappers. The area officially was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican-American war. The territory housed the future states of New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Colorado.

Once again, the mix was ultimately successful but had its violent and rocky periods. The Navajo population was forced on the "The long walk" to the Bosque Redondo Reservation where many died until they were allowed to return to their native lands. Much of those lands are now part of the large Navajo Nations that encompass much of Northern New Mexico and Northern Arizona. Settlers from Texas began to settle in the Southern part of the state.

The modern state of New Mexico boasts of many large vistas and a diverse population. Sixteen national parks and monuments are scattered throughout the state. Albuquerque is a large bustling and growing city that houses the University of New Mexico. The ancient city and capital, Santa Fe, is a large tourist destination and living repository of history. Southern New Mexico remains the center of a large cattle and dairy industry. Agriculture continues to thrive.

However, one must travel to New Mexico to truly experience and understand the Land of Enchantment. Perhaps it will be an afternoon sitting at a table on a street cafe in Santa Fe or hiking a trail in the Rockies or gazing at a ruin of an ancient pueblo or viewing a dance at a living pueblo or listening to a guitar in a Spanish village...at some point you will know why New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment.