New Mexico
7 Most Inviting Towns in New Mexico
When you travel, one of the best feelings is going to a warm and welcoming town. While you know a welcoming town when you experience one, it’s harder to define what makes a place inviting. A combination of vibrant culture, history, natural places, and passionate people all contribute to making a town inviting. In New Mexico, this is what the most welcoming towns have in common. Madrid, for example, has a vibrant community with art galleries and a rich history. Jemez Springs invites people to the natural scenery and famous hot springs. These are only a few of the most inviting towns in New Mexico. Here, we will explore New Mexico’s seven most inviting towns.
Madrid
One of the most welcoming towns in New Mexico is Madrid. The small town has under 300 residents, but despite its small size, there is a vibrant community. Madrid is well known as a funky, artistic community in the narrow canyon of the Ortiz Mountains. There are many art galleries, shops, boutiques and museums throughout the town. One of the best galleries in town is the Johnsons of Madrid Galleries which features the work of Mel Johnson plus 100 other local artists.
While Madrid is a thriving art community today, the town wasn’t always this way. In fact, Madrid used to be a mining town. However, when the coal market collapsed, the town became a ghost town. In the 60s and ’70s hippies and artists settled in the community, making the warm, vibrant community that exists today. The Madrid Old Coal Town Museum, explains more about the town’s history.
Corrales
Corrales, New Mexico, is a bigger town than Madrid, with a population of around 9,000. However, Corrales still maintains its inviting rural, small-town atmosphere. The area has agricultural heritage, and the community celebrates all things local. Many people in the town live a rural lifestyle. There are many farms selling fruits and vegetables available at the local Growers Market. There are farms to visit to grab local produce and goods as well. For example, Heidi’s Raspberry Farm sells an assortment of jams using USDA Certified Organic Raspberries.
There are also historic buildings in Corrales giving an idea of what life was like in the old town. The Casa San Ysidro is a restoration of an adobe home built in the 1870s. The town has festivals throughout the year that celebrate the community and local culture. Some of the festivals include the Garden Tour, Corrales Art Studio Tour, the Harvest Festival, the Scarecrow Festival, and the Starlight Parade.
Jemez Springs
A small town that shows off the inviting charm of New Mexico’s outdoors is Jemez Springs. The town is north of Albuquerque along the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway. People have been traveling to the area since the 1800s to experience the nurturing hot springs. There are natural hot springs to enjoy as well as secluded, more luxurious hot springs. The Jemez Springs Bath House offers cool or hot mineral soaks and healing massages. Some of the natural hot springs to enjoy outdoors include McCauley Warm Springs, Spence Hot Springs, and San Antonio Hot Springs. Beyond the hot springs, there is a lot of natural beauty to enjoy in the town, including the wilderness of the Santa Fe National Forest and Valles Caldera Preserve. Fenton Lake State Park is a local camping spot with the backdrop of the Jemez Mountains. The beautiful scenery in Jemez Springs invites people to unplug and connect to nature and the community.
Tucumcari
Tucumcari is a small town that invites you with nostalgia. Home to murals, roadside motels, diners, and museums, Tucumcari is one of the most interesting towns to explore. The town even has its own drive-in movie theater, Foxy Drive-In, which first opened in 1956. Walk around town and enjoy the small business that invites you in with its historic charm.
To learn more about the town’s history, visit the Tucumcari Historical Museum. There is also the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum. This museum has the world’s largest collection of full-scale bronze dinosaur skeletons. Tucumcari also has colorful murals around town, including one of the world’s largest murals devoted to Route 66 in the United States.
Santa Rosa
Situated on the Pecos River is the beautiful town of Santa Rosa. Full of picturesque stone buildings in the historic district, Santa Rosa invites people to relax and enjoy the scenery. There are many recreational trails around town, making for a friendly, outgoing community atmosphere. Santa Rosa’s claim to fame is the Blue Hole. The natural artesian spring is 81 feet deep and is a popular spot to scuba dive. The Blue Hole has earned Santa Rosa the title of the “Scuba Diving Capital of the Southwest.”
Above all, Santa Rosa values community. Some of the local businesses have been around for decades, such as Silver Moon Cafe. The restaurant is a local staple and first opened in 1959. Today, it is well known for its signature New Mexican dishes and American favorites.
Raton
Similar to other towns on this list, Raton is a small town in New Mexico known for its outdoor scenery. Situated in the Rocky Mountains, Raton is the highest point on the Historic Santa Fe Trail. Around town, there are dazzling views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Around Raton there are many opportunities to explore and enjoy nature. Sugarite Canyon State Park is near town and is great spot to enjoy some hiking.
While Raton is a small town with a population of under 6,000 people, the people are proud of their heritage. This shows in the local cuisine. Many local restaurants make use of the green Chile and unique regional cuisine. Overall, the relaxed way of life in Raton makes it an inviting town to explore.
Mountainair
The small town of Mountainair in New Mexico has a welcoming vibe combined with stunning scenery. The charming town has historic ruins, art galleries, charming shops, forest trails, horseback riding, mountains, and hiking trails to explore. Historic sites in town merge the past with the present. There are three major historic sites that attract historians and visitors every year to the town. The Ancient Cities of Mountainair are Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira. The community also hosts festivals throughout the year, including the annual Sunflower Festival in August.
All the towns on this list are warm and welcoming places to go. Whether you are looking to plan a road trip or move to a new town, these small towns in New Mexico would make a great destination. After visiting any of these small towns, you will want to call them home after only a few days. The vibrant culture, history, local businesses, and nature make for an inviting atmosphere.
SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Department of Justice is now suing online prediction market platform, Kalshi, after four of the state’s tribes sued the platform in May.
The NMDOJ, led by state Attorney General Raul Torrez, is alleging Kalshi unlawfully offers online sports betting in the state by allowing people to place wagers on sporting events on its online platform.
In New Mexico, sports betting is legal but is limited to in-person wagering at tribal casinos. The NMDOJ cited this framework as the basis for suing Kalshi, accusing the platform of trying to skirt state gaming laws and regulations.
“New Mexico has a longstanding and carefully balanced system for regulating gaming that protects consumers, ensures accountability and respects tribal sovereignty,” Torrez said. “The only lawful gaming in New Mexico operates either under tribal-state gaming compacts or under strict state regulations to ensure honest gaming free from corruption and licenses gaming operators only after they explain how they plan to address compulsive gambling. Kalshi has ignored that framework entirely while offering online sports betting within the state.
“We are filing this lawsuit to protect the integrity of our laws, our regulatory system and, most importantly, consumers.”
The NMDOJ accused Kalshi of using “event contracts” to effectively make online sports betting happen in the state. They alleged these contracts function in the same way as traditional sports bets and operate in the state without any gaming license.
NMDOJ also pointed out Kalshi operates with a minimum betting age of 18 years old, three years younger than the minimum age at the state’s tribal casinos.
In May, the Sandia, Isleta and Pojoaque Pueblos and the Mescalero Apache Tribe filed their own lawsuit, pointing out the minimum age and alleging people are using it on their lands in violation of their exclusive rights to offer betting services.
In its lawsuit, NMDOJ is looking to halt Kalshi’s operations in New Mexico and prevent the company from continuing to offer sports-related wagering through its platform.
KOB has yet to receive a statement from Kalshi on either lawsuit.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A local business owner estimates he suffered about $1 million in damages as the result of yet another fire at a South Valley recycling plant.
Town Recycling on Broadway Blvd. SE has witnessed two fires in a span of less than two weeks with the first happening May 23rd and the second occurring Tuesday of this week.
Khalil Samaha, who owns Samcar, Inc. and Cedar’s Construction next door, says his businesses escaped without serious damage from the first fire, but the second one led to the loss of his main building, inventory he sells including trucks, construction equipment, computers, records, and much more.
“It’s a total mess. Everything is on the ground with water and insulation. It’s a total loss,” he said.
He gave KOB 4 a tour of his damaged property Wednesday and says that county officials have condemned the main office and won’t let him back inside.
“You can see all the glass is popped,” he said pointing to the windows. “I don’t know if the firefighters broke them or they exploded.”
A spokesperson for Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue issued a statement saying that, based on witness accounts, both fires may have started in a “bale of cardboard” at the recycling facility.
As of Wednesday evening, Broadway between Prosperity and Rio Bravo remained closed.
Samaha says firefighters attempted to battle the second fire from a different area than the first and the wind may have made conditions tougher.
“This time, the wind didn’t help,” he said. “So, it was blowing in my direction and took the building and some equipment in the back.”
Having seen two fires at the neighboring recycling facility in a span of about 11 days, he wonders if this will finally be the end of it.
“I hope it’s the last time. But, worried? Yes, we are worried,” he said. “We are close to them, and the materials are close to the fence. We share the fence together, so it’s always in the back of your mind.”
And now he lives with the memory of how quickly everything can change – just like it did earlier this week.
“It was very quick. From the smoke to the flame to the fire, it was very, very quick.”
A representative of Town Recycling declined our request for an interview.
LAS VEGAS, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands University President Niel Woolf has sued the school, claiming leaders pushed him to redirect a $600,000 contract to a chairman’s friend.
Woolf filed the lawsuit after the university placed him on administrative leave at the beginning of May.
He says Board of Regents Chair Frank Sanchez told him to cancel a $600,000 agreement with an out-of-state contractor and give it to a local contractor.
Woolf says that company is led by a friend of both Sanchez and his brother-in-law, Sen. Pete Campos, who represents Las Vegas.
In the lawsuit, Woolf says Sanchez told him directing the funds to his friend would “go a long way towards securing money for the University from Senator Campos,” said Woolf.
Woolf is seeking damages and attorney’s fees under the New Mexico Whistleblower Protection Act.
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