Compass American Guides: New Mexico, 5th Edition

"The rose red city,as half as old as time" were a poet's words describing the ruins of Petra. Such poetry can also describe the ancient adobe ruins of Chaco, Bandelier, and Puye. New Mexico has some of the most ancient settlements in North American. The mission churches in Las Trampas and Santa Fe were at least a century old when George Washington was born. Fodor's Compass Guide to New Mexico is impressive with its guides to Native American pottery, the various pueblos, and the interweaving of Native American, Anglo, and Spanish cultures. It has calendars for the various festivals and feast days. The guides of restaurants and hotels are also impressive, along with day trips. The Compass Guides have accessible history, with period photographs. They're perfect for the armchair traveler. They're a perfect travel guide to the Land of Enchantment!

We've used this guide to New Mexico on a number of trips; the Review of the book by C. B Collins Jr. is superb, and I really have nothing to add, except that Nancy Harbart is an excellent writer. Her essays on Georgia O'Keeffe, Indian pueblos and Indian pottery are particularly noteworthy. It's regularly updated; check to be sure you have the most recent edition. Robert C. Ross 2008

The Compass American Guide series is excellent and I found the guide on New Mexico to be a great resource. New Mexico has a rich history of native peoples and Spanish exploration and colonization. The guide offers a brief but useful history of the area, including the chaotic period of struggle between Mexican and Anglos before statehood. The book has a separate section on Albuquerque and the surrounding environs; a section on Santa Fe and Taos and then the rest of the book is divided into 5 large geographic areas. This was especially useful on our trip where we spent 3 days in Albuquerque, 3 in Santa Fe/Taos and then spent the rest of the time going to more remote sites to explore this beautiful state. Albuquerque is a mixture of old and new and the guide helped us navigate in Old Town as well as find our way in the suburbs that move from downtown to the bottom of the Sandia Mountains. Old Town is a shopping delight, especially if you are shopping for Native American jewelry, weavings, masks, and pottery. I found the lay-out of the central square to be very pleasing and central park allowed a place to sit and watch. We visited the Rio Grande Nature Center which offers shady walks along the river. We also visited the Petroglyph National Monument, which lays on the edge of town, and is a great hike with interesting rock drawings etched into the mountain. There are two ways to reach the top of the Sandia Crest; either in a gondola lifting you high above the city, or you can drive around the mountain and take the twisty mountain road up through the evergreen forrest to the top. We selected to take our car and the drive around the base of the mountain and through the forrest was wonderful. The views from the top are spectacular, especially at sunset. We drove the back roads between Albuquerque and Santa Fe which was very interesting. Santa Fe has a tremendous art market and there are 50 or more art galleries that represent nationally known artists. The downtown museum was informative regarding the history of New Mexico. There is a museum complex on the edge of the city however that should not be missed. First there is a museum of colonial Spanish history with beautiful furniture, carvings of saints, weapons, costumes, decorative arts, and paintings. The museum is elegant and serene in design. Second is a museum of folk art collections from around the world. This museum is a must see. There were collections of African American artists, Asian, South American, etc. The collection was extensive with thousands and thousands of items on display (I am not kidding - in one large display room with dolls from every country, there were over 10,000 items all on display). Third is a museum of the Native Americans of New Mexico. The museum was obviously designed and maintained by Native people, the displays were very respectful and educating. The restaurants in Santa Fe are superb. We moved on to Taos where we visted the homes and studios of many of the a

My husband and I were traveling by motorhome through the Southwest this winter. I bought this guide and it made our trip to New Mexico so much more meaningful. It provides exactly the kind of cultural and historical context I like to have in a very user friendly format. I have used other guides including Insight, Smithsonian, Mobil, etc. If the others in the series are as well done, this will be my guide of choice. It also has beautiful photos and helpful maps.