We may be a smidge biased, but there are quite a few things that New Mexicans do better than everyone else. We make scrumptious sopaipillas, for instance. And we definitely picked the best state bird and cookie. The list of things at which New Mexicans excel is lengthy. Since bragging is unseemly, we’ll limit ourselves to these 11 areas!
- Being the most courteous drivers in the country – almost
Flickr/gardener41 Fine, Idaho beat us to the top spot but that still makes us silver medalists in good road manners. Why didn’t we come in at number one? Apparently, turn signals are there for a reason! See the full survey results here.
- Road tripping
Flickr/Aidan Wakely-Mulroney Given New Mexico’s size, driving remains the best way to explore our vast state. Our backroads are especially scenic. Here are some road trips that’ll show you why the Land of Enchantment lives up to its name.
- Hiking
Flickr/Samat Jain New Mexicans consistently rank highly in Gallup polls when it comes to exercise frequency. That’s hardly a surprise given our spectacular scenery and extensive network of trails. While hiking may not be a competitive sport, if it were, we would dominate!
- Chile production
Flickr/MyEyeSees We grow 37% of the nation’s chile and, it should go without saying, it’s the best 37%. We’re also masters of roasting chile, storing it in bulk, and successfully incorporating it into any dish you can imagine – and a few you’d never considered.
- Having UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Flickr/Images By Lane New Mexico has more than any other state, which is a testament to our long and fascinating history. They are Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Taos Pueblo, and Carlsbad Caverns. Two of these sites are manmade, demonstrating that New Mexicans have been amazing for centuries before the concept of our state existed.
- History
Flickr/Art DiTommaso We have the oldest church, the oldest house, and both Taos Pueblo and Acoma Pueblo are two of the longest continuously occupied places in the country.
- Hot air ballooning
Flickr/Mark Wuest The “Albuquerque box” might sound like a type of uppercut or jab, but it actually refers to a series of wind patterns in Albuquerque that allow balloon pilots to ascend and land in pretty much the same spot. Super convenient. So, it makes sense that Duke City has become a ballooning destination. The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held in October, is the biggest ballooning event on the planet!
- Photography
Flickr/josephbergen Balloon Fiesta also happens to be the most photographed event on the planet.
- Centuries of mad wine-making skills
Flickr/MyEyeSees People have been growing grape vines in New Mexico since around 1629, when Franciscan monks began cultivating “mission grapes” brought over from Spain. Technically, “smuggled” would be a more accurate term because it was against Spanish law to export the country’s vines. However, when you’re a monk who needs to make sacramental wine in the New World - and 2-day shipping is centuries away from being a thing – it’s easy to understand why they broke this law.
- Making Thanksgiving yummy
Flickr/Jill You might know that Georgia is the state that produces the most pecans, but fewer people are aware that New Mexico is right behind Georgia in pecan production. Just something to bear in mind next time you’re digging into a delicious slice of pecan pie! And if you’re wondering why Georgia shouldn’t get the most credit for Turkey Day, just remember that meals there rarely incorporate chile.
- Workplace equality
Flickr/Alaina Percival Women in New Mexico still don’t get paid as much as men for doing the same job, but a study by Adobo found that that women in Albuquerque earn 83.8 cents to a man’s dollar. That’s considered “good,” since the national average is 78.9 cents. Promising but clearly we still have a ways to go…
What would you add to this list?
Flickr/gardener41
Fine, Idaho beat us to the top spot but that still makes us silver medalists in good road manners. Why didn’t we come in at number one? Apparently, turn signals are there for a reason! See the full survey results here.
Flickr/Aidan Wakely-Mulroney
Given New Mexico’s size, driving remains the best way to explore our vast state. Our backroads are especially scenic. Here are some road trips that’ll show you why the Land of Enchantment lives up to its name.
Flickr/Samat Jain
New Mexicans consistently rank highly in Gallup polls when it comes to exercise frequency. That’s hardly a surprise given our spectacular scenery and extensive network of trails. While hiking may not be a competitive sport, if it were, we would dominate!
Flickr/MyEyeSees
We grow 37% of the nation’s chile and, it should go without saying, it’s the best 37%. We’re also masters of roasting chile, storing it in bulk, and successfully incorporating it into any dish you can imagine – and a few you’d never considered.
Flickr/Images By Lane
New Mexico has more than any other state, which is a testament to our long and fascinating history. They are Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Taos Pueblo, and Carlsbad Caverns. Two of these sites are manmade, demonstrating that New Mexicans have been amazing for centuries before the concept of our state existed.
Flickr/Art DiTommaso
We have the oldest church, the oldest house, and both Taos Pueblo and Acoma Pueblo are two of the longest continuously occupied places in the country.
Flickr/Mark Wuest
The “Albuquerque box” might sound like a type of uppercut or jab, but it actually refers to a series of wind patterns in Albuquerque that allow balloon pilots to ascend and land in pretty much the same spot. Super convenient. So, it makes sense that Duke City has become a ballooning destination. The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held in October, is the biggest ballooning event on the planet!
Flickr/josephbergen
Balloon Fiesta also happens to be the most photographed event on the planet.
People have been growing grape vines in New Mexico since around 1629, when Franciscan monks began cultivating “mission grapes” brought over from Spain. Technically, “smuggled” would be a more accurate term because it was against Spanish law to export the country’s vines. However, when you’re a monk who needs to make sacramental wine in the New World - and 2-day shipping is centuries away from being a thing – it’s easy to understand why they broke this law.
Flickr/Jill
You might know that Georgia is the state that produces the most pecans, but fewer people are aware that New Mexico is right behind Georgia in pecan production. Just something to bear in mind next time you’re digging into a delicious slice of pecan pie! And if you’re wondering why Georgia shouldn’t get the most credit for Turkey Day, just remember that meals there rarely incorporate chile.
Flickr/Alaina Percival
Women in New Mexico still don’t get paid as much as men for doing the same job, but a study by Adobo found that that women in Albuquerque earn 83.8 cents to a man’s dollar. That’s considered “good,” since the national average is 78.9 cents. Promising but clearly we still have a ways to go…
Jealous of our awesomeness? Well, they say that if you can’t beat them, join them. Check out our past article: “18 Reasons Living In New Mexico Is The Best – And Everyone Should Move Here.”
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
