New Mexico Travel

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Before the Pilgrims stepped ashore in Massachusetts, European settlements were already thriving in what is now New Mexico. Spaniards following the Rio Grande north from Mexico had established missions and ranches in the river valley at the end of the 16th century And in 1610 they founded the town of Santa Fe.

In the early 19th century, American settlers arrived in New Mexico with the completion of the Santa Fe Trail from Missouri — and by 1850 the land that had been part of the Spanish West was a U.S. territory destined to become the 47th state. Despite Americanization, it is the original Spanish culture, blended with that of the Indians who occupied the land long before the Spaniards arrived, that gives New Mexico its special character.

Mesilla, New Mexico

We've visited New Mexico often. But my husband, Henry, and I somehow missed picturesque Mesilla until recently, when an RV park owner steered us that way. Many of the village's adobe buildings near its central plaza date to the 1850s. In fact, the historic building that houses La Posta de Mesilla restaurant once was a stagecoach stop.

Smokey Bear Historical Park, New Mexico

Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico is a tribute to the most beloved symbol of forest fire prevention--and the actual resting place of the real Smokey.

Mystery Stone, New Mexico

The Mystery Stone near Los Lunas, New Mexico is a hidden wonder--almost too well-hidden, I grumbled to my wife, Betty (below), as we climbed a trail.