By Timothy Sexton
New
Mexico is nicknamed the Land of Enchantment and that doesn't even count as one of the three fun facts you are about to read about. New Mexico lays claim to being an important part of modern world history, and its blending of Mexican, Anglo and indigenous American tribes cultures makes for a fascinating amalgam of ethnic traditions.
Flying Saucers
Flying Saucer McDonald's in Roswell, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
On June 24, 1947 a pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported unidentified flying objects around the Mt. Ranier area in Washington and coined the phrase flying saucer. Two weeks later in Roswell, N.M., the legend of flying saucers became forever intertwined with mysterious objects in the sky as the result of the infamous Roswell Incident in New Mexico. The most famous UFO incident in American history occurred not just because an unidentified object reportedly crashed in New Mexico and was found, but because the initial report of what was found stands in conflict with the revised official story that has been maintained as truth ever since. New Mexico, in other words, is the site that is ground central not just for the rising interest in alien visitation of earth, but also for the suspected widespread government conspiracy to cover up the actual truth that may be out there.
World's Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival
Every year in October for more than a week the skies of Albuquerque and much of the surrounding countryside are filled with astonishingly beautiful and creative hot air balloons. One of the reasons New Mexico has been able to hold on to the title of the hot balloon capital of the country is there is a unique wind pattern around the city of Albuquerque that takes these mammoth balloons up and north in the morning and then brings them back south in the afternoon. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Albuquerque Balloon Festival is what is called the balloon glows, when the balloons simply hover above the ground glowing like fantastical fireflies flickering in the night.
A Tall Tale
Perhaps the most surprising fun fact related to New Mexico is that this state made famous by vast painted desert vistas, tumbleweeds and cactus also happens to be home to the American state capital with the highest elevation. While it may be natural to assume that this record might go to some capital in the Rocky Mountains or Smoky Mountains, the record actually does belong to New Mexico. To give an idea of just how far above sea level Santa Fe, N.M. is, consider that it towers more than 1,000 feet above Denver, also known as the Mile High City. The actual elevation of Santa Fe is 7,000 feet.
About the Author:
Timothy Sexton is an award-winning author who started writing in 1994. He has written on topics ranging from politics and golf to nutrition and travel, and his work appears online for Zappos.com, Disaboom and MOJO, among others. He has also done work for "Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Florida.
