Many of us are creatures of habit and we expect things to be a certain way. New Mexico wouldn’t be the same without specific foods, sights, and cultural traditions. While we can technically survive without some of these 12 things, why on earth would we want to?
- Free parking
Flickr/Lee Ruk Unless we’re attending a special event or in the heart of a city, we don’t expect to pay for parking. After all, our state isn’t short on land.
- Blake’s Lotaburger
Flickr/Tony Hisgett While Blake’s has started to creep into Texas and Arizona, it remains very much a New Mexican chain.
- Breakfast burritos
Flickr/Emily Lewis Sure, we could eat cereal like people do in many other states, but breakfast burritos are clearly the best way to begin the day.
- Farolitos at Christmas
Flickr/Chris Pencis Celebrating the holidays outside of New Mexico is bound to be a letdown without the comforting glow coming from farolitos lined up on the walls of buildings.
- Recreational opportunities
Flickr/Bureau of Land Management It’s a snap to get out in nature or to find a little solitude.
- Hole-in-the-wall restaurants
Yelp/Lionel R. Everyone knows that the places in questionable-looking buildings, with hand written menus, are often the best.
- Gorgeous scenery
Flickr/littlemoresunshine Like this…
Flickr/KrisNM …and this.
- The Zia sun symbol
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Flickr/Buzz Andersen
Flickr/JymPoiranges You’ll encounter the symbol of our state everywhere, from bridges to motel signs. Some people choose the design as a tattoo.
- Sunshine
Flickr/Todd Shoemake We are spoiled by many days of glorious sunshine.
- Monsoons
Flickr/AmyM Howard We rely on these summer storms for much of our annual rainfall. We literally can’t live without them.
- Intense sunrises and sunsets
Flickr/Alyson Hurt No matter how your day’s gone, it’s sure to end well with a New Mexico sunset.
- Chile
Flickr/Nathan Eaton Jr. Never come between a New Mexican and a bushel of chile. Seriously. We require this fruit to function. (Yes, chiles are a fruit.) Popular dishes like cheeseburgers, breakfast burritos, pizza, and apple pie would all be inferior without it. We firmly believe that any food or drink is enhanced by chile - even lemonade.
What would you add to this list?
Flickr/Lee Ruk
Unless we’re attending a special event or in the heart of a city, we don’t expect to pay for parking. After all, our state isn’t short on land.
Flickr/Tony Hisgett
While Blake’s has started to creep into Texas and Arizona, it remains very much a New Mexican chain.
Flickr/Emily Lewis
Sure, we could eat cereal like people do in many other states, but breakfast burritos are clearly the best way to begin the day.
Flickr/Chris Pencis
Celebrating the holidays outside of New Mexico is bound to be a letdown without the comforting glow coming from farolitos lined up on the walls of buildings.
Flickr/Bureau of Land Management
It’s a snap to get out in nature or to find a little solitude.
Yelp/Lionel R.
Everyone knows that the places in questionable-looking buildings, with hand written menus, are often the best.
Flickr/littlemoresunshine
Like this…
Flickr/KrisNM
…and this.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Flickr/Buzz Andersen
Flickr/JymPoiranges
You’ll encounter the symbol of our state everywhere, from bridges to motel signs. Some people choose the design as a tattoo.
Flickr/Todd Shoemake
We are spoiled by many days of glorious sunshine.
Flickr/AmyM Howard
We rely on these summer storms for much of our annual rainfall. We literally can’t live without them.
Flickr/Alyson Hurt
No matter how your day’s gone, it’s sure to end well with a New Mexico sunset.
Flickr/Nathan Eaton Jr.
Never come between a New Mexican and a bushel of chile. Seriously. We require this fruit to function. (Yes, chiles are a fruit.) Popular dishes like cheeseburgers, breakfast burritos, pizza, and apple pie would all be inferior without it. We firmly believe that any food or drink is enhanced by chile - even lemonade.
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