New Mexico as a Travel Destination-Part II

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New Mexico is unique among the states of this country in that it is a majority minority state. In other words, Hispanics are in the majority and Caucasians the minority. There is also a healthy number of Native Americans in the state. The benefits for the traveler are that you can enjoy the cultural mélange deriving from this situation. You will not feel racism or schisms between races like you do in other states. You will enjoy seeing art everywhere (all public works require a set aside for accompanying art). And the food… well, it is incomparable.

Part I of this series focused on the city of Santa Fe, also known as “the city different” to its inhabitants. This article will take you through Albuquerque, the other major city in New Mexico.

Celebrating its tri-centennial in 2006, Albuquerque was founded by the Spanish and remained a sleepy, little town until the railroad came through. Over the past 125 years, the city gained a major university, an air force base, a national research facility, and a population of more than half a million.
Everywhere you go in the city, you see representations of the mix of cultures and the sense of history.

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The National Hispanic Cultural Center officially represents the city’s Spanish heritage, but the bilingualism, the focus on red and green chile, and the adobe structures bring that feeling into everyday life. The Zia symbol that is everywhere brings the Native American culture into the mix.

Walk along Nob Hill, which is the neighborhood surrounding the university and you will sense the creative spirit of the area. Funky, one-of-a-kind shops displaying art, food, and paraphernalia will capture your attention. Walk on the campus and you will see a wide range of architecture, some of which is clearly from the early 1900s and Hispanic in origin. At sunset, look at Sandia mountains, which are crystal clear and a palette of changing colors.

Image Source: blaineharrington.photoshelter.com

Visit New Mexico and make sure that Albuquerque is part of your vacation. Part III of this series will take you through a few of the other notable sights of New Mexico.

Louis Habash writes as a freelancer about travel. A resident of Los Angeles, Louis Habash is a lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, and is able to combine these interests with travel.