7 Playfully Peculiar Towns In New Mexico
New Mexico remains a state of great mystery. Between the secrets harbored in the closed city of Los Alamos, to the multiple suspected alien encounters, and the haunting abandon ghost towns, nothing here is of the ordinary. The vast desert lands create a melancholy atmosphere where nothing is quite what it seems. Explore the unique characteristics of New Mexico in these seven playfully peculiar towns.
Roswell
The town of Roswell is synonymous with aliens due to the discovery of debris, which started a conspiracy theory that it was a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft. This was back in 1947, and the rumors still swirl. Learn about the crash and more at the International UFO Museum and Research Center. The museum was founded to educate the community about ‘The Roswell Incident’. Written, audio, and visual material related to the significant incident, as well as other unexplained UFO phenomena, is collected in the museum. Learn more about space exploration at the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Planetarium. The dome offers star shows, presentations, and hands-on activities. The goal is to help people understand the impact of space science on the changing universe. If you visit at the right time, you can catch Star Parties at the Planetarium, which allows visitors to use the planetarium’s telescopes to view events in our solar system. For a truly unique and trippy experience, take a trip through The Roswell UFO Spacewalk. The blacklight adventure features a spacewalk, retro sci-fi art, and original style toys and souvenirs to remember your time in outer space.
Carlsbad
Start your adventure in Carlsbad 750 feet underground at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Hike the Big Room, a 1.25-mile trail that takes you through the largest cave chamber in North America. The cave offers stalagmites and stalactites, possible bat sightings, and a rope ladder from 1924 that early pioneers used. Head back above ground to check out another landmark in Carlsbad that has grown much attention. The Pecos River Flume is a unique river because it crosses over itself, and was one featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. The flume was originally constructed of wood, but a flood in 1902 destroyed it, and it was rebuilt in concrete. Today, it is used as part of the Carlsbad Irrigation System for carrying Pecos River water from Lake Avalon to drier areas. Learn more about the history of the town at the Carlsbad Museum. Opened in 1931, it is the state’s first municipal museum. Artifacts of local history and Native American relics can be found on the second story of the Southwest Adobe building that serves as the original museum.
Santa Rosa
Immerse yourself in a truly beautiful land formation in Santa Rosa at the Santa Rosa Blue Hole. The crystal blue waters of the swimming hole include a truly original feature, a cave system whose depths are still unknown. Grated off for security, select groups have been allowed access for exploration, but the full length of the caves is still undiscovered. Enjoy a relaxing swim in the natural pool located off historic Route 66. Another truly interesting landmark in Santa Rosa is the Puerto De Luna. A local ghost town that attracts multiple visitors to this town that was once a thriving community. One of the main attractions of the ghost town is the Guadalupe County Courthouse. It sits in ruins and is missing its roof, but the original red brick structure is still standing in the center of town. Abandoned houses and old gas stations also provide an eerie look into the past that was once a flourishing town. For another Route 66-related venture in Santa Rosa, stop in at the Route 66 Auto Museum. What started as a car restoration business quickly grew into a museum due to the owner’s passion for cars. The museum features vintage cars as well as retro, classic, and street rods, all in pristine condition.
Alamogordo
Learn about the local history of Alamogordo, Tularosa, Ruidoso, La Luz, Cloudcroft, and other Sacramento communities at the Tularosa Basin Museum of History. Exhibits of pottery, ranching, scouting, and more are on display from entities as the White Sand Dunes National Park and early Native Americans. Artifacts and stories from the town’s role in the atomic and space ages are also displayed. For another museum visit and more space exploration, visit the New Mexico Museum of Space History. The Tularosa Basin is the home to the Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range, and is a hub of experimentation and innovation that has advanced our understanding of the cosmos. As a result of that exploration, the museum houses rocket launches, satellites, the coveralls worn by the only scientist who has walked on the moon, and The Daisy Track. Finally, for a truly one-of-a-kind attraction, make your way to PistachioLand, home of the World’s Largest Pistachio. Standing 30 feet tall, the pistachio attracts visitors to the founder’s nut farm as a memorial roadside attraction.
Deming
Kcymaerxthaereal. Hard to spell, harder to pronounce, a kcymaerxthaereal is a "parallel universe that intersects with much of our linear Earth, but with different stories, creatures, peoples, even laws of physics and qualities of existence." And in Deming, one of those parallel universes exists. Triangles is a result of a supposed impact on Earth from the Kcymaerxthaereal period. The impact site is marked by an installation that refers to the unusual way that the Chej-Asos people perceived triangles. Visit this unsuspecting site and experience all its mysteries. Another middle-of-the-desert attraction in Deming is Cabinetlandia. The thought-provoking desert attraction includes a graveyard, a game of horseshoes, a library, and a mailbox. The art installation is an attempt to mock the individuals who purchased acres of land on Mars as a utopian destination. Explore the secluded area and understand the message it is trying to convey. For a lighter, more standard park visit, spend some time at Voiers' "Pit" Park. What was once an old gravel pit has since been transformed into a grand park with an amphitheater and pavilion. Amenities also include a mile-long trail for the community to enjoy nature.
Grants
A peculiar attraction in Grants is a frozen tundra found under the desert. As unbelieve as it might be for these two environmental conditions to exist together, it is well and thriving at The Bandera Volcano Ice Cave. Formed over 3,000 years ago by the Bandera Volcano, the lava tube is surrounded by a landscape that reflects the volcanic past. Take the stairs down to the ice cave and enjoy the cooler temperatures and frozen lake in an insulated volcanic rock that shuts out the world above. Another pop culture attraction is near the “Fire and Ice” Park. The Route 66 Drive-Thru Arch is a tribute to the well-known road. Neon lights, painted flames, and a classic shield shape form the 18-foot arch for tourists to drive through and snap a photo with their car parked underneath. One last awe-inspiring attraction in Grants is the El Malpais National Monument. The volcanic park features focal points of lava flows, cinder cones, lava tube caves, and sandstone bluffs. The lava fields offer nationally protected historic trails that include views of the bluffs. Learn about how this diverse landscape has become a rich habitat for plants and animals.
Jemez Springs
In this small town in New Mexico, the Jemez Historic Site represents the Indigenous Jemez people for whom the town was named. Though the ancient village now sits in ruins, once a year it comes back to life with the glow of hundreds of farolitos (little lanterns). Immerse yourself in the history of the people who were here before by exploring the grounds, which include a Kiva, a sacred underground structure used for meetings and rituals. For another uniquely original experience, stay a while at the Jemez Hot Springs. The resort features therapeutic mineral pools carved into the natural landscape. Submerge yourself in the mineral hot springs while listening to the calming sounds of the Jemez River that runs just beyond the pools. For one last experience in Jemez Springs, and another aquatic-based one, visit the Soda Dam. The rock formation is over 7,000 years old, and in the warmer months, the Jemez River can be found flowing under the giant dome. In the winter, massive icicles form inside this rare geological feature that was formed by deposited layers of calcium carbonate from the nearby mineral-rich hot springs. Enjoy the beauty of the rock structure resembling a dam.
Hot Springs, ancient ruins, and Route 66 memorabilia are just a few things that can be found on a visit to this southwestern desert state. The massive land holds many naturally formed landmarks, some that have no explanation for how they got there, which only adds to their allure. Roam off the beaten path to discover some of these more secluded, lesser-known attractions that are somewhat of a mystery still to this day. Learn the history, culture, and geography in these seven playfully peculiar towns in New Mexico.
