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New Mexico Past and Present
by Sandra Forty
Thunder Bay Press
ISBN 978-1-60710-019-5
Published September 2009 - Hardcover - 144 pages - $19.95

I haven't seen one of these Past and Present books in ages, and New Mexico being my neighbor, I was delighted to come across this volume.  It seems as though this Land of Enchantment is a one-stop-see-it-all tourist destination.  What with their caves in Carlsbad, the Santa Fe Trail, the annual hot-air balloon festival, artsy Taos and Santa Fe, Roswell, the world headquarters of Virgin Galactic, the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad between Chama, NM and Antinito, CO, and so much more, New Mexico is a fabulous vacation destination.  This book is divided into Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest (a staggering 121,595 square miles) of beauty.  The book offers an interesting look at the history of this state, which includes the Spanish invasion, the Mexican-American war, people like Kit Carson and Billy the Kid, Navajo and Apache Indians (and others) being forced off their land (why all the fighting?), the incorporation into the Union, and much more.  Who knew New Mexico was so rich in natural resources such as natural gas, petroleum, gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, and molybdenum?  New Mexico is also where the atomic bomb was developed and tested, and they also raise sheep, have the Rio Grande River, part of the famous Route 66 Highway, the Gila Cliff Dwellings, and the most beautiful scenery.  Traveling through New Mexico is like traveling through time, especially when you're able to see the well-preseved adobe structures which are synonymous with the South West.  The state bird is the Greater Roadrunner and Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the entire country, having been settled in 1609!
Conclusion - A fantastic look at the transformation and restoration of such a beautiful state.