New Mexico

Red or green? That question about chile pepper preference comes up constantly in New Mexico, a real, everyday marker of the deep mix of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures that gave the state its nickname, “Land of Enchantment.”

Adobe buildings and a strong art scene in Santa Fe reflect centuries of Spanish colonial and Native Pueblo influence living side by side, and Bandelier National Monument preserves ancient cliff homes built by Ancestral Pueblo people, a direct link to the state’s twenty-three federally recognized tribes today.

New Mexicans take real pride in this layered identity, often reminding others that New Mexico is a U.S. state, not part of Mexico. Albuquerque hosts the world’s largest hot air balloon festival each fall.