New Mexico---need some tips

"Hola!"..
can you speak spanish?...at least a bit?
Certainly I not been there but maybe i can to tell you a couple of advices:

1.- Avoid the "Chili" food. If you don´t to eat regularly spicy food maybe you should to Choose so WELL what you going to eat. The Chili is not bad but also is so Strong to some stomachs!

2.-Avoid the Tequila beverages. If you don´t to drink regularly alcoholic beverages, the Tequila is sometimes "Betrayal" ...so you need to be warning of it!

I hope you have a nicely and wonderful time in Mexico lands!

To Bring us pics of the trip my friend!

the only thing I've heard is that you should check your shoes before putting them on have fun! and I've also heard that it can get pretty cold in the evenings so you should probably bring a sweater or something for that

Just remember that it is a desert/arrid region. I'm sure they will tell you 150 times at least, but be sure to drink enough water! It's very deceptive in such a dry climate if you aren't used to it, but you won't feel thirsty until it's too late, and if you are doing any kind of physical activities (hiking or manual labor), you won't necessarily feel yourself sweating because it evaporates so fast. And bring lotion! Your skin will dry out fast too.

Are you camping at all? If so, um, check the sleeping bag too before you get in it at night.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese



Oh eewwwwww, but thankfully no we are not camping, although that may be a better alternative to the hotel/motels we are staying in. LOL. By thedescriptions of them, we are staying the rough areas of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Click to expand...

yeah, check the sheets then
for at night I'm sure they may be 18 and over clubs if you're into that sort of thing

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

But the legal drinking age is still 21 there right???? its 19 here where I live and 18 in some other provinces....I will be only 1 amoung 4 of the total 18 going that won't be of age.

Click to expand...

there are clubs around here that will let 18 and over in, but the over 21 crowd wear's a wristband to signal they can buy drinks so I'm guessing the situation is probably similar there?

I was just in Santa Fe a couple months ago, and it's beautiful. Make sure you go all the way up the Sandia Mountains. It was so pretty it made me cry.

You will probably like Santa Fe better than Albuquerque. Everything out there is SOOO expensive, I think in Santa Fe they raised the minimum wage to 8 or 9 something, which is really high (its 5.25 elsewhere).

One very very important thing is to drink obscene quantities of water. Santa Fe is 7,000+ ft elevation, Albuquerque is 5,000 or so. I got terrible altitude sickness in Santa Fe. Dizzy, swollen, thirsty, etc.

The main part of town has really sweet stuff, make sure you go to the church.

If you lived nearby I'd give you my AAA book!

And enjoy the pinon smell.

I'm from Arizona, so I can offer some generalized packing tips.

Bring stuff for layering. It can already be getting up to 100+ (though maybe not where you're going) during the day and down to 50-60 at night (though that may not bother you being from Canada!)

Sunscreen! If you will be outside wear sunscreen. don't forget the part in your hair and your ears and the back of your neck. from 10 am to 2 pm is the most dangerous time.

Like others have said, drink lots of water!

I recommend sunglasses. The sun seems brighter out west and the desert is very good at reflecting light off the dirt and into your eyes.

If you'll be hiking, just be mindful of nature. Just about everything in the desert is designed to poke in some way. And I don't know if they have this cactus in NM, but stay away from CHOLLA! (pronounced choya) Dear god that stuff is awful. Don't even brush up against it. If you get it in your shoes, use a long stick to flick it off.

If you can, visit White Sands, it's beautiful! Though it is south of where you'll be going, so you may not be able to make it there.

Santa Fe mexican food is "frou frou" mexican food. Santa Fe is just frou frou in and of itself, though very beautiful.

Albuquerque (sp?) has a big state university, so I know there will be clubs and such, though you're going after school has ended so some stuff may be closed down.

And mainly enjoy yourself! I love the desert so much and really miss it. It's very different from many areas around the world and (to me) very beautiful.

~Julia

I got altitude sickness in Santa Fe, too. Not terrible...just a headache and a little nausea. Drinking plenty of water will help that, and you might want to pack a little Tylenol in case you get a headache.

I figured I'd go ahead and respond in this thread for you so you wouldn't have to keep thread hopping.

There's quite a few clubs in Albuquerque that let in 18 and over. My favorite was called the Pulse. I you want to go shopping in ABQ. then try Coronado Mall. There's also a tri-centennial celebration with tons of activities going on in ABQ. now though October. Here's a website with some information about that: http://www.abq300.org/

For more information about ABQ. you can also try: http://www.itsatrip.org/ Click on Visitors for listings of stuff to do. Oh, and if you don't find it on your own, here's an inside link with pueblo information and ettiquite, as you said you were going to visit some: http://www.itsatrip.org/visitors/americanindian/


Right outside Albuquerque is a little town called Madrid. It's a little tiny hippie town with lots of cool shops. While you're there, stop at the Mine Shaft Tavern and get a buffalo burger. They have the BEST I've ever had. And when you're done, go take the tour next door at the old coal mine musem.

Madrid can be found in north central New Mexico, on NM Hwy 14, 17 miles southwest of US Interstate 25, exit 278, at Santa Fe, and 31 miles northeast of US Interstate 40, exit 175 (at a point 8 miles east of Albuquerque)


As far as Santa Fe goes, I've never been there, but have always wanted to go. Here's a website with information about Santa Fe: http://santafe.org/

And if you get a chance you should really go check out the spiral staircase for me at the Chapel Loretto. It's a wonderment of architecture. Here's a link with the wikipedia info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto_Chapel

I don't really have anything to offer other than that I'm jealous! I hope you have a great time. The Southwest is my favorite part of this country! Places like REI sell great clothing for desert hiking, as well as kits to keep yourself safe. I love my CamelBak hydration pack. They also make day packs that come with a hydration system, which I highly recommend. Make sure you buy some good hiking shoes, if hiking is in your plans.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Sear..._CAMPING_TOC:N