When I think of New Mexico, I always think of chiles, adobe architecture, sandy pink colored mountains, and indigenous culture. Being here just south of Santa Fe for two months, we adhered to our Rule of Three (see our “One, Two, Three…Get Lost” blog for more details on that) and found these interesting facts about this beautiful and sometimes strange state.
HISTORICAL FACTS
🌶️Smokey, the famous firefighting mascot, was founded here by Taos Pueblo firefighters in 1950. By the way, it’s Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear.
🌶️Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America dating back to 1610, 10 years before the pilgrims hit Plymouth Rock.
🌶️“Sandia” means watermelon in Spanish. These mountains were named by the indigenous valley people due to the color of the mountain peaks.
LOCAL CUISINE FACTS
🌶️New Mexico is the first state in the country with an official state scent. It’s no surprise that it is the smell of roasting green chiles. Yum!
🌶️ 5,5oo year old ears of popping corn were discovered here in a bat cave. They are the oldest on record.
WEIRD (AND LITTLE KNOWN) FACTS
🌶️ Most of us have had the humiliating experience of having to wear a sombrero at a Mexican restaurant while people sing Happy Birthday. Don’t be tempted to dance while wearing that here. Dancing while wearing a sombrero is illegal and may land you in jail.
🌶️ 75% of the roads in New Mexico are unpaved. We found that out the hard way on our bone jarring trip from Placitas to Golden.
🌶️There are more cows than people in the state due to all of the sprawling cattle ranches.
The Land of Enchantment is a beautiful place to visit with its mountain chains, charming towns, and indigenous culture that permeates every aspect of life here. Just be careful traveling those bumpy dirt roads while watching the cows and smelling those amazing green chiles. And please think twice about dancing in your sombrero.
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