3 Things About New Mexico - from Traveling Boy

Traveling Boy means the travel adventures of the Traveiling Boitanos

We didn't know about
New Mexico

hot air balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism Department

What are some of the “things” or activities that residents of New Mexico do for fun?

ANSWER: Maybe more than anything else New Mexico is about adventure. With more than 300 days of sunshine each year and a remarkably varied landscape there is no end to the outdoor activity in the “Land of Enchantment.” Skiing, mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding are among the many common pastimes. But if there is one activity that has to hold the top spot on that long list of activities it is hot air ballooning. New Mexico boasts the top two annual ballooning events in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and the Red Rock Balloon Rally in Gallup. The weather and the terrain are perfect for flying balloons, while the deep blue skies and distinctive scenery are perfect for photographing balloons. The fiesta in Albuquerque holds the unofficial title as the single most-photographed event in the world.

What's one thing the public probably does NOT know about New Mexico?

New Mexico man stringing together a bunch of brightly colored chilis

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism Department

ANSWER: New Mexico has an official state vegetable that is actually a fruit. The chile pepper, in its many food forms, might be the single most consistent ingredient in New Mexican food. Note that New Mexican and Mexican foods have some distinct differences, and also note that chile is spelled with an “e” in New Mexico. Chili with an “i” is a Tex-Mex creation of hamburger, beans and tomato sauce. Green chile from the Hatch, NM area is known around the world for its unique flavor. And red chile, which is quite simply the ripe version of green chile, is vital in numerous New Mexican dishes. In most cases when you order food in a New Mexican restaurant you will choose your favorite between red and green. In fact our official state question (yes, we have the only official state question in the U.S.) is “Red or Green?” Our other state vegetable is the pinto bean, which is technically a legume. But that’s another story.

What has New Mexico contributed to the world?

Los Alamos, New Mexico
Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism Department

ANSWER: Among many other contributions New Mexico ended World War II. Maybe that overstates it a bit, but not much. Los Alamos, NM was home to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s, tasked by the U.S. government with development of an atomic weapon. In July of 1945 on a portion of what is now the White Sands Missile Range the “Gadget,” as it was code-named, exploded with the force of 18-thousand tons of TNT. The rest is, well, history. Today Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque are among the world’s centers for research and technology.

For further information about New Mexico, click-on: www.newmexico.org/

Send your feedback to editor@Travelingboy.com.

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