More Than the Mother Road - New Mexico's Enchanting Lands

Welcome to New Mexico's enchanting landscapes and hidden treasures! Since 1938, New Mexico has charmed travelers thanks to the transcontinental highway, Route 66. Though later, the famous route has been mostly replaced with I-40, this highway is still one of the best ways to see the natural wonders, world-famous events, and fun TV and film locales across the state. Travelers can witness wonders from 250 million years ago with the Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Park or modern points of interest like the filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "The Longest Yard." We'll also talk about the Balloon Fiesta, a 9-day, world-famous hot air balloon event that hosts up to a thousand hot air balloons and nearly a hundred thousand visitors! These are only a few of the things you can experience in New Mexico, but they're worth the trip and the read!

Starting along the Texas and New Mexico border, I-40 aligns with the good ol' Route 66 across a sunlit prairie, crossing the entire state for 465 miles. Though the full route technically starts in Chicago and ends in Santa Monica, CA, New Mexico has done wonders to preserve the history and wonder that excited the hearts and minds of travelers for decades. Though I-40 doesn't entirely coincide with the original Route 66, maps are available to help motorists explore!

One of the earliest transcontinental highways (second to The Lincoln Highway), Route 66 was born out of a connected system of dirt and gravel roads. In Santa Fe, the loop to Las Lunas was straightened out, removing 107 excess miles. By 1938, Route 66 was announced as fully paved! In Albuquerque, the original route and the straightened version still overlap. A year later, John Steinbeck wrote the famous book, "The Grapes of Wrath," in which he called Route 66 "The Mother Road." From the first well-maintained, easy-to-travel road across the state grew a number of boomtowns (like Tucumcari, Santa Rosa, Albuquerque, and more), many of which are still thriving and welcoming visitors.

On the southeastern side of New Mexico are two geological wonders that are a must-see for folks who like to be amazed by natural structures. First is Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located off of Highway 62/180, 18 miles southwest of Carlsbad, and the stunning Carlsbad Caverns! Over 250 million years ago, the area was a coastline for an inland sea, full of marine life that later formed the Capitan Reef. Parts of this impressive reef are visible above ground in the national park. With a ticket reserving a time slot, visitors can also go see the Carlsbad Caverns themselves. Formed when hydrogen sulfide combined with oxygen and created sulfuric acid, the acid then dissolved the limestone deposits, creating the famous caverns that you can visit today! First discovered in 1898 by a teenager named Jim White, the Carlsbad Caverns still keep the names he gave the rooms and formations, like the Big Room, New Mexico Room, Witch's Finger, Giant Dome, and many more. The Big Room is the first chamber to amaze visitors upon entering: a large limestone cavern 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high, making it the largest chamber in North America.

As you keep traversing through New Mexico, prepare to be enchanted by White Sands National Park. Unlike anything else in the world, this park spans over 145,000 acres in the Tularosa Basin, but the most spectacular part of it is the lower 275 square mile field of entirely white sand dunes made out of gypsum crystals. These dunes reach a depth of 30 feet and a height of 60 feet, comprising 4.1 billion metric tons of gypsum sand. In January of 1933, Herbert Hoover declared White Sands a National Monument. Visited by 600,000 people annually, the park offers a drive to the center of the White Sands, a nearby campground, hiking trails, and nature walks.

New Mexico has plenty for the film and TV buffs! Many hit shows and blockbuster movies have been filmed throughout the state, and fans can check out these locations in person. The New Mexico State Penitentiary was the location for The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler. Cowboys and Aliens was filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Other famous TV shows that were filmed in New Mexico are The Bachelor, Breaking Bad, and House of Cards. Some major films that might look familiar in the state include The Book of Eli, No Country for Old Men, The Avengers, Transformers, and even Natural Born Killers!

Don't wait too long to visit The Land of Enchantment. The first week of October is the world-renowned, 9-day hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque. From the first ever hot air balloon to rise in 1783, carrying a sheep, a duck, and a rooster, to the first hot air balloon festival in 1972, this festival has evolved into one of the most astounding spectacles the country has to offer. Though the first festival only featured 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot, 20,000 people came to witness the event. Over the decades, up to 1,000 balloons are registered to take flight, with up to 100,000 visitors on the launch field to watch inflation and take off—with thousands waiting at landing sites to watch as they return.

Whether you're traveling through the country to check out Route 66 or just traveling through on I-40, checking out Carlsbad Caverns or White Sands National Park in the southeastern corner of the state, visiting settings from your favorite shows or films, or attending the world-famous Hot Air Balloon Festival in October, remember that Interstate Signways made the signs that marked the way!