About thirty years ago I took my first trip to New Mexico.
Back then I remember telling a friend of my plans to visit and she asked, "What part of Mexico is that?" And that question may sum up what east coasters have in mind when they think of this southwestern state that borders Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and a sliver of Oklahoma.
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It is a state of small cities, snow capped mountains, vast brush land and desert, and many Indian reservations. It is a state that holds some of our biggest or most intriguing national secrets from Los Alamos, to White Sands, to Roswell.
Home to Georgia O'Keefe. Photographed by Ansel Adams. Home to many artists who find a special quality of light here that allows them to see differently and expand their creative vision.
My most recent visit was in mid-March and the week was mostly cloudy with temperatures just above freezing. The weather shifted back and forth between wet and raw or light snow with a few breaks of open sunshine and warm temperatures. Often the mountains were shrouded by cloud cover surprisingly revealing themselves as storm systems moved in and out over the landscape.
In late spring New Mexico's colors are muted, but yellow, orange, dark green and blue are dominant.
The road is wide open and so are the views.
Credits:
© Dean Pagani 2023