Southern New Mexico: The Intersection of the Spiritual and Scientific New Mexico is America’s fifth largest state, though with a population of fewer than two million, it is the nation’s sixth most sparsely populated state,
which makes traveling the open asphalt in the Land of Enchantment a pleasure. The state’s topographical diversity surprises many first-time visitors
and includes dense forests, high desert, low-lying river valleys and majestic mountain peaks. These contrasting environments have spawned military bases,
Native American pueblos, art colonies, vineyards and atomic bomb testing sites, all existing harmoniously. Whether you’re a winemaker, a nuclear
physicist or a tourist, you’re welcome here.
My friend Barbara and I are traveling on a lonesome ribbon of highway, bound for the Very Large Array, or VLA for short.
The VLA, 27 giant dish
antenna rising from the desert floor, are where landmark discoveries in the field of astronomy have been made. They have been immortalized in
books and movies, most notably Jodie Foster’s Contact. There are no other tourists taking the self-guided walking tour late on this August afternoon.
As we stand dwarfed under the white dish, the antennae emit a low, mournful sound like a whale’s call. It’s scientific and spiritual and just a little
spooky.
This is the New Mexico far removed from Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, less visited, but no less magic. As we speed along I-25, the mountains are cloaked in purple haze’ orange clouds give way to a night sky slashed with pink as the full moon rises overhead. It’s late when we arrive at The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft, but we’re greeted with high desert hospitality. At nearly 9,000 feet above sea level in the Lincoln National Forest, this Victorian hotel was originally built for El Paso, Texas, railroad passengers seeking a respite from sweltering temperatures. Pancho Villa, Judy Garland and Clark Gable were famous guests; a red-haired ghost, Rebecca, is rumored to still wander the historic grounds. A locally made teddy bear awaits me in the comfortably rustic two-room Governor’s Suite.
Two hundred and fifty million years ago sea covered White Sands; today, the 275 square miles area of the Tularosa Basin, the northern end of the Chichuahuan Desert, is the world’s largest gypsum dune field. Driving the eight-mile scenic road, the vegetation and the impossibly white dunes remind me of Grayton Beach in North Florida. But with a twist: gypsum, unlike quartz sand, is cool to the touch, a good thing since temperatures in late August rise well over 100 degrees at midday. A number of animals, including the bleached earless lizard and kit fox, have adapted to this harsh, but hauntingly beautiful environment; periodic missile testing occurs at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. There are only a couple of other people scaling the dunes—which look like snow drifts—when we abandon the car. The trick to more easily reach the apex is to approach the dune diagonally, so we kick off our shoes and head up, water bottles in hand. Where there are no footprints, ripples of sand glint in the bright sunshine. Puffy white clouds hang overhead. As I snap pictures, I am reminded again that the scientific—my digital camera—and the spiritual—this dazzling natural sanctuary—often go hand in hand.
If You Go Sally Moore’s book Backroads & Byways of New Mexico A former Navy brat who traveled and lived abroad extensively, Suzanne Wright is a fulltime, freelance writer based in Atlanta. She is a member of NATJA, and ASJA, and has written numerous travel, food and decor features for numerous international, national and regional publications. Her articles have appeared in Elite Traveler, Wine & Spirits, Veranda, Atlanta Magazine, The Tennessean, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Piedmont Review, Charlotte Place, Where, On Magazine and others. A suitcase is always packed and her passport always up to date.
Photos courtesy of Suzanne Wright
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The following morning, over a hearty breakfast of huevos rancheros, we admire the beauty of the fir and aspen-studded property. Several staffers
enthusiastically recommend their favorite places that we “cannot miss” during our southern New Mexico journey. Of course, we won’t see everything,
but the joy in their telling is apparent; we will remember their recommendations for our next viist. The innkeepers hug us goodbye like family and
we set off for 
is an excellent guide to the state. Southern New Mexico enjoys terrific weather in spring and fall;
summer in White Sands can be brutal. Plan to fly into Albuquerque and rent a car. For general information on visiting New Mexico go
to 
OffbeatTravel