AZ on the list ? North and NE of Phoenix …. Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, etc …. This area is on my radar. Or TN ? MDS
Sir, as usual, you nailed it. Personally, I can't do winters above the 40th parallel. I can do summers below, but only in the mountains. Truth is there are so many beautiful places, it is hard to pick one. Here is my Santa Fe story. The year is 1974 (I only know this because I have pictures dated with that year. Yes, I mean real photographs.) It is a long, long, long story, but a buddy and I took a short cut that took us to the Great Divide in Colorado. After clearing the pass, which was nothing more than some tracks, we came upon a sign that said, "Headwaters of the Rio Grande." There was a spring bubbling out of the rocks. We followed it all through Colorado to Santa Fe. As we got close to town, we suddenly saw a space ship sitting in the dessert. It was the Santa Fe opera house. That was my introduction to Santa Fe. Sadly, today, Santa Fe is not what it used to be. Yes, the Old Town is cool, for a while. But outside of there, it is the same old, same old, you see all through the West. I realize saying this means I'm old. But what was will never be again.
To follow up, I love driving through the West. One of my regrets is not following through on Geology. If you ever get a chance, head north out of Cedar Breaks, Utah. Unbelievable. The forces involved in making those mountains are unimaginable.
Without a doubt. It is getting harder and harder to find places that are true to their roots. Frankly, I'm inclined towards Appalachia.
I have had business in N.M. for 20 years. Traveled there annually and frequently. Mountains and desert with alternate climates. Great driving roads all over the State. Like the Old West compared to gentrified AZ. and CO. Cheaper and simpler. Very cultural, spiritual. Santa Fe small town cosmopolitan. Easy drive to the airport in ABQ. Would live there now instead of on an Island near Savannah, but I love the water and seafood more. Sadly, I need to drive to get to good driving roads. In NM they are out your front door.
Robert, I did not reread my post to you regarding your questions about living in NM. Sorry. We lived in Silver City, NM. When we lived in CO. we lived in Monument(Co Springs) & on High Desert called Silver City.
Gary, There certainly are some magnificent views in the Gila as well as Northern NM. Best regards, Robert
NM is what caused me to fall in love with the SW. I attended UNM. ALB was a little rough around the edges. In the 70's there was a college town feel, not so much anymore. Crime, drugs, and illegal aliens seem to rule. Santa Fe was great, but it is probably a bit of a tourist trap now. A bit like what the morons that run Sedona that have taken a wonderful place and have destroyed it. But very little beats the desert SW for views, open spaces and skies with the best sunrises and sunsets on the planet.
Let's face it. For those of us of a certain age, all urban areas suck. The values we grew up with are gone. I can't say more because I'll get banned. But the truth is I don't want to live in this new urban culture. I'm too old to change. I want to live with people who have the same values as I do. This means you have to get out of the city. Another reality is the border is the ultimate mean street. Kids under 12 have been huffing glue and paint for generations. I'm not pointing fingers, but I'm not ignoring the obvious. Be careful out there. That said, I love the West. I wish I had paid more attention to geology when I was in school.
Why not back to Fountain Hills and then travel a few months in the summer when it's too hot? You could even rent a lake home in MN or WI for a few months MDS
New Mexico leans way left up north and Santa Fe leans further left. Really hard to get a doctor's appointment, even in Albuquerque since docs are deserting because of sky high malpractice rates. As stated, really great roads with little traffic on weekends once you get away from the big towns. Spent a lot of time fly fishing in Southern Colorado and the drive from Albuquerque was great using the Santa Fe bypass. Best Mexican food anywhere. Try Eloys in Albuquerque off I-40. Best chile rellenos anywhere. Two national labs in the state for a concentration of bright people in Los Alamos and parts of Albuquerque. My standard answer when asked about NM is "crime is too high, IQs are too low, but the weather is nice".
Ingenere-- When did you attend UNM? I was there 1973-1977 in mechanical engineering. I am a native of Albuquerque and still live very close by in Corrales.
Route 4 above Los Alamos a few weeks ago. About 9,000'. Let us know if you're ever in town, Chas! B Image Unavailable, Please Login