This document summarizes a family's summer vacation trip to eastern New Mexico. They will visit several small towns along the way, including Alamogordo, White City, and Portales. Some of the major tourist sites they plan to see are White Sands National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns, Oasis State Park, and the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner. The document also provides brief information about the culture and history of New Mexico, including the prominent Native American influence.
5. WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT
• What looks like snow is really
gypsum; a key ingredient in cement,
plaster, and drywall.
• The whites sands cover about 275
square miles of desert.
• In August, the average temperate
ranges from 98°Hi to 67°Lo.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your
http://www.white-sands-new-mexico.com/visitors_guide.htm eyes.
http://www.white-sands-new-mexico.com/visitors_guide.htm http://www.white-sands-new-mexico.com/visitors_guide.htm
Summer Vacation Tourist Sites 5
6. CARLSBAD CAVERNS
These caves formed when
surrounding limestone was dissolved
by sulfuric acid.
Underground water sources make the
air very cool and damp.
Each room of the cavern is named for
the appearance of the formations.
http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm
kiwifoto.com
blog.hotelclub.com searchpictures.net
Summer Vacation Tourist Sites 6
7. OASIS STATE PARK
In the grassy plains of east-central
New Mexico lies a true oasis; a
small fishing lake surrounded by
cottonwood trees and prairie
trails. This park is aptly named
Oasis State Park.
Bird watchers will enjoy viewing
the 80+ species of birds that live
in the area.
The nearby sand dunes are a
http://www.emnrd.state.ne.us/PRD/Oasis.htm
great place for all-day fun.
Oasis Park is located 6.5 miles
north of Portales, New Mexico via
NM 467.
Summer Vacation
Tourist Sites 7
8. BILLY THE KID MUSEUM
These were kept
in glass boxes on
the 2nd floor
The mannequins
of Billy the Kid
and Sheriff
Pat Garrett
Antique typewriter
Plows and
and foreign
www.billythekidmuseumfortsumner.com branding irons
money
The Billy The Kid Museum has been in
downtown Fort Sumner since the fifties.
The museum is owned by the Sweet
family, second generation, and has The two-headed
accumulated the sedimentary layers of Hereford calf
local junk and curiosity you'd expect to
see at a curio shop.
This was my
favorite sight
Summer Vacation Tourist Sites 8
9. THE CULTURE OF NEW MEXICO
Today, New Mexico is home to 22
Indian tribes, including 19 Indian
pueblos and three reservations.
During one of the ceremonies that we
attended, the audience was invited to
participate in one of their dances. I
eagerly joined them and thoroughly
enjoyed myself. The music was
outstanding.
http://www.itsatrip.org/albuquerque/culture-heritage/native-
american.aspx
New Mexico is THE place to get
authentic Mexican food.
Latino and Hispanic culture has a
major presence everywhere in New
Mexico, from street names to
adobe architecture.
http://www.itsatrip.org/albuquerque/culture-heritage/native-
american.aspx
Summer Vacation 9
10. POPULATION CHART
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000 Fort Sumner
0 Portales
http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/new-mexico /fort-sumner, http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/new-mexico/portales
Summer Vacation
10
Editor's Notes
Our family vacations were usually road trips across the country just to visit relatives. We had memorable adventures on everyone of our trips. One year we made it a point to visit some places we had never been before in addition to the familiar sights along the way. This presentation is about the time our family spent in southeastern New Mexico.Features included: references for all photos or text used in the presentation have been stated on each slide
Any excuse is good enough to take a road trip across the country to visit relatives. Our family of seven had adventures every time we took those trips. Sometime the slightest thing can instantly bring back memories of those road trips; the smell of dusty roads when raindrops just begin to fall, the strong odor of dead skunk, everyone crawling out of the warm car into the cool night air, stopping for fresh-brewed coffee at an all-night diner. We took the time to really appreciate the creation all around us.
Here is a map of New Mexico. The cities and sights that we visited are highlighted on the map. Features included: a numbered list and test boxes
This is the Tourist Sites slide. To jump directly to another location within the slide show, click one of the miniature slides on the screen.Features included: thumbnail page with hyperlinks
We enjoyed rolling down the hills and playing hide and seek in the drifts. The sand is so fine that it worked its way through all our clothing. My baby brother, who was barely old enough to walk around, had sand packed in his lower eyelids. Fortunately, we had a jug of water to wash out the sand. Features included: special symbol and two comments
At the bottom of the cave was a small coffee shop. The warm tea was appreciated because we got so cold down there. During one part of the guided tour, everyone was told to hold onto the railing and then the lights were purposely turned off for just a minute or so. The darkness felt thick. It wasn’t scary; just awesome to be in such a vast part of the earth.Feature included: sound clip of dripping water
In the harsh terrain of southeastern New Mexico, this park is a real oasis. The shady cottonwood trees have a unique scent that smells like fresh washed linens. The warm breeze and the quiet solitude are quite relaxing. Although this part of the country is rugged and at times bleak looking, it has a beauty of its own that cannot be overlooked. I still remember the sound of the sandy soil crunching beneath our shoes as we walked the trails around the lake and played in the sand dunes.
Seeing that museum sign meant we were just around the corner from our grandparents home. We never got tired of seeing the same fascinating items every time we visited the area. My grandparents and their families moved to this area in 1920. Fort Sumner has always been a small, rural town with agriculture and ranching as their main industries. My relatives were commercial farmers that raised alfalfa, sweet potatoes, peanuts and a variety of fruits from their orchards. Features included: two callouts
There is one Mexican food restaurant in the center of Las Cruces, New Mexico that I will always remember as “the place to go for good, authentic Mexican food.” We planned our route so that we would arrive there in time for lunch. At one of the travel stops along the highway between Ruidoso and Roswell, New Mexico, there was a lady selling Indian fry bread. That was a real treat for the whole family.
Here are the population demographics for Fort Sumner and Portales, New Mexico, according to the 2000 census.Feature included: statistical chart
