New Mexico Handbook: Santa Fe, Route 66, Taos, Roswell, and the Rio Grande

This handbook is a comprehensive travel guide for New Mexico--it covers all of the state, not just the Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos areas. The 1991 edition of the handbook opens with a brief introduction to the state, detailing the landscape, geography, history, food, and other aspects of New Mexico. For cities and towns highlighted, there are recommendations for motels and restaurants, and, if applicable, recreation, museums, and annual events. There are eight pages of color photos, a New Mexico quiz, a list of books for further reading, and a glossary. The handbook contains all of the information one would need when traveling in the Land of Enchantment.

Terrific information, a must buy for anyo camper/hiker visiting New Mexico.

I recently, for 10 days, drove around New Mexico (5th largest State among the 50), seeking this and experiencing that, and I took with me five guides (Moon's, Fodor's, Off the Beaten Path, Roadside History and N.M. Sanctuaries, Retreats, and Sacred Places). Though Fodor's was the best guide for selecting accommodations and eateries, Moon's guide excelled in historical and tidbit descriptions.What set this guide apart is the history, superior maps (especially compared to Fodor's) and Stephen Metzger's straightforward, clear, writing style. Metzger's introduction to New Mexico section is outstanding (The Land, Flora and Fauna, History, Economy and the People). This is an important contribution to understanding the State completely skipped by Fodor's. Also, Metzger's history of regions, cities, towns and pueblos is exemplary. Where the guide falters is the weak descriptions of accommodations and restaurants, IE "The hotel is distinctly decorated" or "a discreet little inn with 12 rooms on an alleyway". After reading Fodor's vivid descriptions this was a serious step back. Also few, if any, website addresses for lodgings are found, and in a 2003 publication that is a serious omission. (Fodor's has website addresses).If you are primarily interested in finding the best dining experiences and great accommodations Fodor's is my pick. But, for a State guide that is strong on overview and excellent in the history are you can't beat Metzger (however, also check out Roadside History of New Mexico). Strongly Recommended

As the author of this book, I feel compelled to respond to the reviewer from San Diego (May 29, 2002), who claimed that my Carlsbad research was poor, that I recommended White's City, which the locals call a "laughing stock," and that I failed to mention the Stevens Motel. One needn't look too closely at the book to see that I call White's City a "touristy and gimmicky souvenir stop" and do in fact recommend the Stevens Motel (though under accommodations, not under food). Both of these references are on page 194 of the current edition. Thank you.

Several years ago, I ventured into New Mexico armed only with this guidebook. I experienced several wonderful places (e.g., the D.H. Lawrence Ranch; a native American owned restaurant serving traditional food) only because I had read about them in this book. The author has a gift for conveying vast amounts of information in a very readable (and often humorous) format. I learned not only about the cities, towns, and attractions of New Mexico, but also about its biological, anthropological and historical diversity. Subsequent to my trip, I lost my copy of this book; I am very pleased that a new version of the handbook is due out in May 2000.