Land of Enchantment: New Mexico -- Apr. 12

I-10 Rest Area West of Deming, New Mexico:

New Mexico is called "The Land of Enchantment" and boy is there a lot of land! Miles and miles of scrub brush with mountains in the distance (at least off of I-10).

The rest area where we stopped Thursday night, April 12, had an RV camping area (good for 24 hours) with picnic tables in shelters. The sign that caught my attention as we drove into the camping part of the Rest Area was "Beware of Rattlesnakes." Luckily we did not see any. (Note on rest area camping here: We were headed eastbound, so we heard the trains on the other side of the freeway, but they didn't rattle us awake. For those camping on the westbound side of I-10, the campsites were pretty close to the trains...and there were lots of trains.) 

In the morning, we were taking our time getting out of the rest area. A rest area worker came and told us high winds were predicted and I-10 might be shut down. He thought it would be a good idea if we got on our way. Point taken. We ate breakfast at the picnic table. While we were eating, I looked over at the 5er. There was Bowie with his head and paws sticking out the sliding panel on the screen door. He looked like the cartoon of "Kilroy was here." I wish I had my camera as that would have made one very cute photo. Bob and I laughed about that. I'm surprised Bowie didn't click the screen door open and swing out over the parking lot! After breakfast we skedaddled out of there to beat the winds.

No high winds materialized. We thought Las Cruces, New Mexico was a pretty city.

View of Las Cruces, NM from rest area above town.

According to this website on the state of New Mexico http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/nm_intro.htm, these are the official state nicknames:

Land of Enchantment (Official)

The "Land of Enchantment" describes New Mexico's scenic beauty and its rich history. This legend was placed on New Mexico license plates in 1941. This nickname became the official State Nickname of New Mexico on April 8, 1999.

The Cactus State

or "Land of the Cactus" refers to the cacti that grow so abundantly in the state, particularly along the border with Mexico and on the plains.

The Spanish State

New Mexico has been referred to as "The Spanish State" because of its border with Mexico, its historical background and the proportion of its Spanish speaking population.

The Land of Sunshine

or "The Sunshine State" are nicknames that refer to the generous portion of sunshine that "rains" down upon New Mexico. "Sunshine State" appeared on state license plates before 1941.

The Land of the Delight Makers

This nickname, suggested by George Wharton James, was to celebrate the state's influence on literature and art and because "...it is also the home of the first real field-school of American Archaeology in America." The name was suggested by a book by Adolf Bandelier, The Delight Makers.

The Land of Opportunity

So called because of its natural beauty, its climate, its newness at the time, its free lands and its industries. New Mexico was described as place that offered enough opportunity to fulfill the hopes of all who came.

The Land of the Heart's Desire

This is another historical nickname that promoted New Mexico as a land of unbound opportunity. Its location was between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, it provided an ideal climate and was still relatively undeveloped.