Strangely, New Mexico is one of the only states in the union that does not have any professional sports teams. So, what do you do if you are an avid sports fan and you happen to be on vacation in New Mexico?
The majority of sporting events found in New Mexico has to do with winter sports and horse racing. With several major ski resorts in The Land of Enchantment, downhill skiing is the winter sport of choice. However, skiing does not have to be strictly downhill. The resorts also have cross-country skiing and a huge following in snowboarding. So, if fast, downhill fun is your sport of choice, you can certainly find more than enough to satisfy your craving.
Another snow-filled fun activity that may not exactly be considered a sport, but can satisfy your craving for speed is tubing. Yes, this is what you think it is. You go to the top of a ski trail, usually the easy or beginner trails, and sit down on a large, black intertube. Hurtling down the hill with little control is often exhilarating enough for even the most serious adrenaline junkie.
If snowy weather is not your favorite weather to be in., then you may prefer a more gentlemanly sport. Horse races are a primary pass-time for many New Mexicans. New Mexico has five horse tracks throughout the state. Known for their clean facilities and often lovely locations, horse tracks have a lot to offer.
The Downs at Albuquerque
The Downs offers more than just live horse racing, though it does have racing starting again in August. Along with racing, however, the Downs offers casino activities to include slots and other games. It also offers live simulcasts for those individuals who prefer to watch the races from the comfort if the indoors. To finish it off, the Downs will offer basic lessons on how to bet on the horse races.
Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso Downs is your classic race track. They offer no frills, but you can get a great seat, bet on your races, grab a drink and have some fun.
Sun Ray Park and Casino
This horse racing park boasts a full service casino, as well. There is a known sports bar where you can meet and have a good time while watching the races in air conditioning. You can also rent out a banquet room and watch live entertainment. The horse track offers standard fare, as well as lesson in betting on races.
While there are several other race tracks around, they all offer similar entertainment. Even though New Mexico has no official sports teams, there are plenty of sporting activities available. Sledding, skiing, tubing, and horse racing are the post popular sports in the New Mexico areas. Along with hiking and biking, there are many opportunities to get fit, get some adrenaline, and enjoy the fantastic weather. With over 300 days of sun a year, New Mexico is a great place to enjoy nature at its best.
New Mexico has been dubbed The Land of Enchantment, and it is easy to tell why. The desert landscape runs into high plains and mountains, making it a diverse and relaxing environment. The great blue sky and the multi-colored sunsets are even more of a reason to hit the New Mexican trails.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Found in Silver City, if you are touring this area of New Mexico you will want to stop and dedicate a day to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. This national monument preserved an ancient American Indian way of life. You will see the homes of Native Americans that lived as cliff-dwellers over 800 years ago. Due to the weather in this area, the dwellings have been wonderfully preserved.
White Sands National Monument
You will never forget the sight of the brilliant white dunes of sand that make up White Sands National Monument. With 300 square miles of white dunes, you see nothing but sand in every direction, making you feel the vastness of the desert. Gorgeous gypsum dunes are the drawing point; however you will see lovely wildlife which has adapted to the climate as well.
Slaughter Canyon Cave
In Carlsbad, New Mexico you can slowly descend into darkness as you begin to explore Slaughter Canyon Cave. The tours of the cave run approximately 2 hours and goes along a 1.25 miles trail. You will be able to witness the world’s tallest underground columns, a fragile rim stone dam, and thousands of sparkling delights. If you enjoy adventure, this tour would be for you.
Chaco Canyon National Historic Park
The Pueblo Indians were the main inhabitants of this region of New Mexico from AD 850 to AD1250. This park was rich with the culture and society of Chaco Canyon. These ancient dwellings in the park are beautifully preserved, and while there, you can enjoy the lovely desert landscape, the native plants and animals, and the fantastic weather. It is truly a unique historical destination.
Billy the Kid Museum
Fort Sumner is the heart of Lincoln County which has one major claim to fame. This town was the home of the Wild West’s infamous Billy the Kid. This classic museum includes Billy’s very own chaps and rifle, along with over 60,000 authentic relics from his time of infamy. So if you like all thing from the Old West, this museum is a must see.
International UFO Museum
Are you fascinated by the idea of UFOs? This town is home to the famous Roswell Incident. It was alleged that a UFO crash landed in Roswell in 1947. This museum was built to preserve the bizarre history of this town, as well as educate individuals about UFOs, aliens, and other strange occurrences.
While New Mexico has many things to attract tourists, it also offers some unique history based on its location and its Native American background. If you are looking for some one-of-a-kind opportunities, look to New Mexico to offer them to you in abundance.
The gorgeous sunsets, the deserts, and the lovely mountains make New Mexico called the Land of Enchantment. Most people who live in New Mexico have the opportunity to enjoy 35 diverse state parks. If you are looking to New Mexico for a vacation, you will be able to find a great many things to do.
Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Elephant Butte was created from a reservoir in 1916. While not the largest of the state parks, Elephant Butte is a great area for camping, hiking, picnicking, and any variety of water sports. With over 200 miles of shoreline, the Butte is one of the best areas for fishing. So pack up your gear and enjoy a break.
City of Rocks
This state park was formed by volcanic ash after 35 million years ago. Based on the formation of the wind and rain over the millions of years, this is how the City of Rocks got their name. Known for its hiking trails, 62 camping sites, and the plethora of birds it is a veritable buffet of unique opportunities. This park also contains New Mexico’s first astronomical observatory.
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park
This park is an indoor/outdoor living museum. It is host to 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulent plants. Boasting an indoor aviary and walk through zoo, it is possible to see native plants, like cacti and succulents, as well as bobcats, mountain lions, and bison.
Manzano Mountains State Park
This state park is nestled in the foothills of the “Apple Tree” Mountains. This park is steward for a variety of different native species of trees, such as the Ponderosa Pine, and the Alligator Juniper. This rare Alligator Juniper was named such due to the checkered pattern of the bark on the older trees that resemble an alligator’s hide. In the winter, this park is home to excellent snow shoeing and cross country skiing.
Conchas Lake State Park
Conchas Lake offers a variety of water sport activities. This includes boating, fishing, and water skiing, along 60 miles of beautiful beach shoreline. If you are an avid warm water angler, you will also have the opportunity to catch walleye, largemouth bass, blue gill, crappie, and channel catfish.
Oasis State Park
Completely out of character for the mostly desert landscape of New Mexico, Oasis State Park has grassy plains, cottonwood trees, shifting sand dunes, and a small fishing lake. For a true bird watcher, this park offers some of the best opportunities to watch a large variety of birds.
Cimarron Canyon State Park
This beautiful 33,116 acre wildlife area has the largest wildlife area in the state. Set in the high country of New Mexico, this high mountain park offers close viewing of elk, deer, bear, turkey, and grouse. It also includes wonderful granite formations that offer hiking and camping sites.
While New Mexico has many more state parks to explore, these are some of the most popular ones in the state. Enjoy your visit and take your time exploring the many activities available to tourists in New Mexico.
While New Mexico is known for its great weather and friendly disposition, as well as its delicious New Mexican food, it is also home to some unique events each year.
Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally
Hosted in mid-January, this colorful event takes place over two days. Nearly forty fantastic hot air balloons rise gracefully into the air each morning. During these two days, a variety of activities along with the balloons, are planned. Great food, fun activities, and a visit from the Mayor make these two days a special tribute to this kind of peaceful sport.
Hacienda Dona Andrea de Santa Fe Giveaway
This ski Santa Fe giveaway is a much anticipated event for skiers across the nation. If you win, you receive a three day getaway filled with romance, skiing, and horseback. This contest, which runs through the end of each January, is sponsored by Ski Santa Fe in order to promote the beauty, romance, and recreation available at their winter resort.
Taos Winter Wine Festival
This winter festival has evolved over time to become one of the premier wine tasting events in the region. Hundreds of restaurants and local wineries provide their fare with dishes that complement the wines they have brought for sampling. This event even provides daily seminars giving participants the opportunity to meet winemakers and vineyard owners.
Santa Fe Winter Fiesta
On the streets of historic Santa Fe, 10 days of food, fun, and music are set for mid February. The events include skiing, snow shoe scavenger hunts, Native American cultural tours, cooking classes for Santa Fe cuisine, art classes, and more. All of these events are sponsored to assist local schools for their fine arts classes. The proceeds will be given to the local arts programs for the elementary and middle schools of the area.
New Mexico Centennial
New Mexico based artists and others from around the states converge to create fine pottery, glass, jewelry, baskets, and fiber arts. While many people do not participate in the creating of the arts, tourists can see a wide variety of art based on the original ways of creating the art. Many Native Americans will even show tourists and locals how to do some of the traditional artistry.
Las Cruces Jam Festival
This two month long series of events focuses on the art and culture of jazz. With art on loan from Washington, D.C. along with local artists and photographers that show the history of jazz through the years. Great music is the only prerequisite for these two months. You will hear classic jazz, swing jazz, discordant jazz, and everything in between. So swing by this exciting time in Las Cruces and enjoy local food and music.
When visiting New Mexico, there is always something unique and exciting going on. If you know the months that you are planning to be in the area, look ahead at the local Chambers of Commerce and you will be able to plan an exciting trip that is just as unique as you.
When most people think about New Mexico, they think about the desert. While this is definitely part of the New Mexican landscape, there is another side of the state that is covered with beautiful mountains. It’s these mountains that provide a wintery wonderland of snow.
Many people only think of Colorado when they think of a ski trip, while Colorado is a good state for the slopes, New Mexico has its own to be proud of. New Mexico is home to eight well-known ski resorts. If you are a snow bunny or a ski bum, these resorts range from the very beginning skier to the black diamond professional.
Angel Fire Resort
Angel Fire is 8,600 feet above sea level in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The weather at Angel Fire is perfect for a winter getaway. With daytime temperatures in the 30s, you can stay cool while kicking up a sweat. Angel Fire has 74 trails ranging from basic, about 26% or the trails, to expert, about 24% of the trails. Full-day lift ticket prices are $64 for adults and do not include rental of skis, sleds, poles, or any other equipment. Considered affordable and laid back, Angel Fire is a great resort.
Pajarito Mountain
This resort may be the best kept secret in New Mexico. With no “lift-line” there are many trees that have been kept making the terrain plentiful and fun to ski. Pajarito has a top elevation of 10,400 feet. It is a unique area to ski because it is non-profit, run by the Los Alamos Ski Club. A full day ski pass on this gem of a mountain is $55 for a full day.
Ski Apache
Located in one of the most southern locations in New Mexico, it is located near Ruidoso, a quaint village in the mountains. This resort caters to the beginning and medium level skiers and snowboarders. With 55 trails, you will be busy and exhausted after a nice stay in the local town of Ruidoso. The area has one of the largest casinos around, so you can enjoy your down time with some local entertainment as well. A full day pass will run you $54.
Ski Santa Fe
This gorgeous resort is just miles from the artistic center of New Mexico, Santa Fe. With enough powder to entice the most avid powder snow skiers out there, this resort boasts 73 trails with the majority of them being for intermediate or advanced level skiers. Santa Fe resort has frozen their prices for a year in order to help with the recession. A full day pass will run you $60.
Taos Ski Valley
Taos’ claim to fame is their abundance of natural terrain, gorgeous weather, and enough powdery fluff for all. The resort is family owned and makes you feel as though you are a valued guest when you arrive. With 110 trails, there is enough variety for everyone. But with 51% of the trails tailored for experts, Taos has become a popular draw for professionals all over the world. A full day pass at Ski Valley will run you $71.