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Exploring New Mexico.

Article Excerpt
A family vacation filled with fun for all ages. A romantic getaway mixing culture with gorgeous surroundings. Adrenaline-charged adventures in the midst of landscapes that inspire great artists. New Mexico offers all this and more. Here we've compiled some of the best driving tours of the "Land of Enchantment." From white-water rafting and ancient cliff dwellings to Indian pueblos and the adobe-fined streets of Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico is the place for the vacation of your dreams.

Family Fun in SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO

Tour one of the world's most awesome caves, pan for gold, surf the sand dunes, follow the trail of the notorious Billy the Kid. From lofty mountains to gemlike lakes, southeast New Mexico offers plenty to entertain the whole family.

Stopover

Ruidoso, a resort village nestled at 7,000 cool feet in the pines near Sierra Blanca Peak and Ski Apache

* Bet on your favorite filly at Ruidoso Downs.

* Visit the Hubbard Museum of the American West near the racetrack to see, some of the 10,000 items, including wagons and Native American art, that illustrate the horse's role in frontier history.

* Check out the nearby Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway Visitors Center, which brings to life the stomping grounds d outlaw In southeast New Mexico.

* See where the Kid hid out at Dowlin's Historic Old Mill.

* Take the kids on a gold-panning excursion (they get to with Lincoln County Gold Mining Company while Dad plays golf.

Excursion from Ruidoso

* Lincoln State Monument and National Landmark. Visit the restored frontier town where Silly the Kid fought in the 1878 Lincoln County War and made his last escape,

* South of Cloudcroft near Sunspot. Learn about the sun and stars at Sacramento Peak Solar Observatory and Apache Point Stellar Observatory.

* Alamogordo. Go stargazing in the planetarium at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, Watch model trains on more than 1,200 feet of track in the Toy Train Depot at Alameda Park Zoo. At the nearby White Sands National Monument, "surf" the towering white gypsum dunes on saucers you can purchase at the gift shop for around $10--or bring your own saucer.

* Tularosa. At Three Rivers Petroglyph National Recreation Site, see the art and visions of ancient people of the area, etched into the rocks more than a thousand years ago.

Stopover

Roswell, New Mexico's desert "Twilight Zone"

* Did aliens really land a UFO here in 1947? Decide for yourself after visiting the International UFO Museum and Research Center.

* Chill out at Bottomless Lakes State Park, 12 miles east, with swimming, paddleboat rentals, and camping,

Stopover

Carlsbad, home to the Pecos River, wondrous caverns, and a desert zoo

* Picnic, swim, and rent paddleboats on the four-mile Carlsbad River Walk along the Pecos River.

* Tour the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park.

* At Carlsbad Caverns National Park, go underground in one of the largest caves in the world

ROMANCE AND CULTURE IN THE SANTA FE/TAOS AREA

Stunning high-desert landscapes that enchanted Georgia O'Keeffe. Alluring adobe evidencing a blend of Old Spain and Native American ways. Boutiques and galleries beckoning with gorgeous textiles, jewelry, and art. Romantics in search of unforgettable scenery, intriguing culture, and fabulous shopping should head for the region around...

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