Breaking Trail in Socorro
INTIMIDATING, SHARP PINK BLUFFS FACE the trailhead, but the path wraps around to follow a sloping ridgeline. Rob Selina brought me here because it’s his favorite hike, and likely for sentimental…
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Tag: Travel
Best Places to Stay Near the Gila
BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS CAN PICK any spot and set up camp, although some of the more scenic sites are popular for a reason. When the water starts to feel warm as you walk along the Middle Fork of the…
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To the Gila and Beyond
SEE THE GILA WILDERNESS like Aldo Leopold with a guided horseback trek from Joe Saenz, of Wolfhorse Outfitters, or Becky Campbell, of Gila Hot Springs Ranch. Hike to the undeveloped Lightfeather Hot…
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Shop New Mexico's Antique Shops
MAYBE IT’S OUR DRY climate or maybe it’s our appreciation for fine craftsmanship, but New Mexico is a gold mine for antiques shopping. Support local businesses, do something good for the environment…
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Motor Lodges Worth a Stay
Lulu Motor Inn. Just outside downtown Silver City, the Lulu blends retro touches like chrome-style handles on the microwave and minifridge, and a rotary phone on the nightstand. A contemporary…
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Discover Retro Charm in Ratón
AS YOU HEAD SOUTH down the steep curves of I-25 into New Mexico, the Raton Pass Motor Inn’s cheery turquoise siding and red-trimmed windows mark the first sign of humanity in the state. It’s both on…
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Find Southern Comfort in Mesilla
THREE YEARS AGO, JUAN ALBERT AND Claudia Gonzalez were scouting locations for a coffee shop and artisan market when they found an 1850s adobe along Calle de Guadalupe. A half block south of Mesilla…
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El Rancho Lights Up the Mother Road
THE LETTERS ON THE NEON SIGNS framing the route into Gallup follow a familiar pattern. A large blocky word beside one or two tilted script words—all written in gas-filled phosphorescent tubes—proclaim…
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Go Retro on Route 66
WEARY MOTORISTS TRAVELING the Southwest might feel a sudden onset of déjà vu when they glance up at the Sands Motel sign written in neon light, as though the hotel had been duplicated at every exit…
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Motels Making a Comeback
Monterey Motel. Originally built in 1946, this restored sister property to El Vado reopened in 2021. “Rooms at the Monterey have a bit more of a contemporary, chic aesthetic,” says Nate Valdez…
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