There’s no place exactly like New Mexico and, if you’ve ever had to leave for any length of time, chances are you’ve missed home. While most of the things on this list can be found in other states, it’s the combination of all these factors that makes our state unique. Here are 20 things people miss about New Mexico when they leave:

  1. Our open landscapes

Flickr/OpenThreads There are many places in New Mexico where you can see for miles.

  1. Our wilderness areas

Flickr/Lisa Haneberg Both the Gila Wilderness and the Pecos Wilderness are perfect for when you want to leave stress behind and spend a little time in nature.

  1. Freedom

Flickr/Bureau of Land Management There’s a certain feeling of freedom that comes with having vast tracts of land to explore.

  1. Our mountains

Flickr/Paul L. McCord Jr. The scenery here wouldn’t be as breathtaking without them.

  1. Our backroads

Flickr/Christopher Michel Stumble across great little restaurants, bizarre rock formations, and unexpected attractions when you investigate New Mexico’s backroads.

  1. Little traffic

Flickr/Shawn Brandow Sure, New Mexico has traffic jams but, when you visit other states, it feels like there are a lot more cars and worse gridlock.

  1. Solitude

Flickr/pedrik If you want to be alone for a while, that’s easy enough to achieve.

  1. Our blue skies

Flickr/cstewart21 People from other states want to know what filter or technique is used to make the sky seem so blue in photos. No special techniques - just nature.

  1. The light

Flickr/Jessie A. M. B. Wagner BA MM The way the sun streams through clouds, especially after rain, makes you think of the heavenly light in Baroque artwork.

  1. The dry heat

Flickr/snickclunk It isn’t until you’ve visited a city with humidity, during the height of summer, that you appreciate our dry heat. It lets us truly enjoy the warmer months.

  1. Our sunrises and sunsets

Flickr/Lisa Haneberg The ones in New Mexico are unmatched.

  1. Our night skies

Facebook/Elena E. Giorgi The low levels of light pollution take stargazing to a whole new level.

  1. Fall foliage

Flickr/Sathish J The aspens!

  1. New Mexican cuisine

Yelp/Jina K. Other states have regional dishes, but we have our own cuisine.

  1. Our history

Flickr/donzermeno People have been living here for a long time and many of our ruins and historic buildings remain.

  1. The unique architecture

Flickr/Harold Wright We have many gorgeous adobe buildings, and towns with Old West-style architecture.

  1. Our parks and monuments

Flickr/Wil C. Fry White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns in particular are state treasures.

  1. The wildlife

Flickr/J. N. Stuart

  1. Decorating with farolitos

Flickr/Michele It’s not Christmas without them.

  1. The people

Flickr/Lee Ruk That’s who really gives New Mexico its character.

What do you miss about New Mexico when you leave? Have you ever lived anywhere else? If you are from the Land of Enchantment, here are 14 things people do in New Mexico that are so relatable.

Flickr/OpenThreads

There are many places in New Mexico where you can see for miles.

Flickr/Lisa Haneberg

Both the Gila Wilderness and the Pecos Wilderness are perfect for when you want to leave stress behind and spend a little time in nature.

Flickr/Bureau of Land Management

There’s a certain feeling of freedom that comes with having vast tracts of land to explore.

Flickr/Paul L. McCord Jr.

The scenery here wouldn’t be as breathtaking without them.

Flickr/Christopher Michel

Stumble across great little restaurants, bizarre rock formations, and unexpected attractions when you investigate New Mexico’s backroads.

Flickr/Shawn Brandow

Sure, New Mexico has traffic jams but, when you visit other states, it feels like there are a lot more cars and worse gridlock.

Flickr/pedrik

If you want to be alone for a while, that’s easy enough to achieve.

Flickr/cstewart21

People from other states want to know what filter or technique is used to make the sky seem so blue in photos. No special techniques - just nature.

Flickr/Jessie A. M. B. Wagner BA MM

The way the sun streams through clouds, especially after rain, makes you think of the heavenly light in Baroque artwork.

Flickr/snickclunk

It isn’t until you’ve visited a city with humidity, during the height of summer, that you appreciate our dry heat. It lets us truly enjoy the warmer months.

The ones in New Mexico are unmatched.

Facebook/Elena E. Giorgi

The low levels of light pollution take stargazing to a whole new level.

Flickr/Sathish J

The aspens!

Yelp/Jina K.

Other states have regional dishes, but we have our own cuisine.

Flickr/donzermeno

People have been living here for a long time and many of our ruins and historic buildings remain.

Flickr/Harold Wright

We have many gorgeous adobe buildings, and towns with Old West-style architecture.

Flickr/Wil C. Fry

White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns in particular are state treasures.

Flickr/J. N. Stuart

Flickr/Michele

It’s not Christmas without them.

Flickr/Lee Ruk

That’s who really gives New Mexico its character.

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Address: New Mexico, USA

The OIYS Visitor Center

Things People Miss About New Mexico January 01, 2021 Leah What are the best things about living in New Mexico? There are many things you could say when listing off the best things about New Mexico. This state is full of beauty in many ways. The culture and history are rich and alive. You can check out festivals, explore historic sites, and so much more. New Mexico is also a great and unique food scene. The cuisine is one-of-a-kind, with tons of fantastic restaurants serving it in their own ways. Plus, the chile is the best in the world. If you love nature, the Land of Enchantment is also a wonderful place to be. With everything from deserts to mountaintops, you can find a bit of everything here. What stereotypes are there about New Mexico? If you are moving away from New Mexico and heading to a different place, you might get asked a few silly questions from your new neighbors that stem from stereotypes. You might get asked what you think about the United States now that you’re in it - some people think New Mexico isn’t actually part of the 50 states. Other people might question if you’ve seen any UFOs or had any other kind of extra-terrestrial encounter. Even if they may seem a bit far-fetched, these stereotypes are usually meant in good fun. Where is the best place to live in New Mexico? If you plan on living in New Mexico instead of leaving it, there are many wonderful places to live. Corrales is considered one of the best for its safety and schools. If you like a small town vibe, Mesilla, New Mexico is a great choice. It has historic charm, picturesque scenes, and great livability scores that factor in multiple statistics. Looking for a spot to retire? Las Cruces is considered one of the best towns for that. The nice weather, convenient nearby amenities, and a low cost of living are all reasons it’s been named as such.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Things People Miss About New Mexico

January 01, 2021

Leah

What are the best things about living in New Mexico? There are many things you could say when listing off the best things about New Mexico. This state is full of beauty in many ways. The culture and history are rich and alive. You can check out festivals, explore historic sites, and so much more. New Mexico is also a great and unique food scene. The cuisine is one-of-a-kind, with tons of fantastic restaurants serving it in their own ways. Plus, the chile is the best in the world. If you love nature, the Land of Enchantment is also a wonderful place to be. With everything from deserts to mountaintops, you can find a bit of everything here. What stereotypes are there about New Mexico? If you are moving away from New Mexico and heading to a different place, you might get asked a few silly questions from your new neighbors that stem from stereotypes. You might get asked what you think about the United States now that you’re in it - some people think New Mexico isn’t actually part of the 50 states. Other people might question if you’ve seen any UFOs or had any other kind of extra-terrestrial encounter. Even if they may seem a bit far-fetched, these stereotypes are usually meant in good fun. Where is the best place to live in New Mexico? If you plan on living in New Mexico instead of leaving it, there are many wonderful places to live. Corrales is considered one of the best for its safety and schools. If you like a small town vibe, Mesilla, New Mexico is a great choice. It has historic charm, picturesque scenes, and great livability scores that factor in multiple statistics. Looking for a spot to retire? Las Cruces is considered one of the best towns for that. The nice weather, convenient nearby amenities, and a low cost of living are all reasons it’s been named as such.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

There are many things you could say when listing off the best things about New Mexico. This state is full of beauty in many ways. The culture and history are rich and alive. You can check out festivals, explore historic sites, and so much more. New Mexico is also a great and unique food scene. The cuisine is one-of-a-kind, with tons of fantastic restaurants serving it in their own ways. Plus, the chile is the best in the world. If you love nature, the Land of Enchantment is also a wonderful place to be. With everything from deserts to mountaintops, you can find a bit of everything here.

What stereotypes are there about New Mexico?

If you are moving away from New Mexico and heading to a different place, you might get asked a few silly questions from your new neighbors that stem from stereotypes. You might get asked what you think about the United States now that you’re in it - some people think New Mexico isn’t actually part of the 50 states. Other people might question if you’ve seen any UFOs or had any other kind of extra-terrestrial encounter. Even if they may seem a bit far-fetched, these stereotypes are usually meant in good fun.

Where is the best place to live in New Mexico?

If you plan on living in New Mexico instead of leaving it, there are many wonderful places to live. Corrales is considered one of the best for its safety and schools. If you like a small town vibe, Mesilla, New Mexico is a great choice. It has historic charm, picturesque scenes, and great livability scores that factor in multiple statistics. Looking for a spot to retire? Las Cruces is considered one of the best towns for that. The nice weather, convenient nearby amenities, and a low cost of living are all reasons it’s been named as such.