Resources for Travelers

LEICA V - LUX - 1 DIGITAL CAMERA. This is the camera I use to take the photos and videos you see on this website. It weighs less than four pounds and it is versatile and easy to use. It is easy to use single-handed, and I don't need to carry a lot of extra lenses around. Because of the numerous capabilities, I am still learning how to use this camera, but for my purposes, it gets the job done.

NEW MEXICO OFF THE BEATEN PATH: This is an amazing book, with details on places to see throughout New Mexico. Seriously, this book covers all four regions of New Mexico, not just Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Some of the suggestions are covered in fairly extensive detail, while others only get a brief mention. Still, it alerts the reader to what there is to see in different towns and cities of New Mexico.

NEW MEXICO ROAD AND RECREATION ATLAS. This book has been a life saver for me. Visiting some of the places I do, they are in isolated portions of the state where the roads---if you want to call them that---are pretty rough. But at least they show up in this guide. This atlas has all the major roads of New Mexico, as well as those more obscure paths that are only identified by a series of dashes, not straight lines. Even if you will just be traveling the main roads of New Mexico, I can guarantee you will find them in here.

THE SAINT MAKERS. This is one of the books I relied upon when I wrote my piece on New Mexico santos. I believe these authors used to have the largest collection of folk art in New Mexico and they are often featured in books on Santa Fe. This is a small, easy to read book; one filled with lots of information and some really beautiful photographs.

THE RANCHO DE CHIMAYO COOKBOOK. I have over 200 cookbooks, many of which include Mexican, New Mexican, and Spanish recipes. I have a particular fondness for this book, as I believe it is the first book I bought on New Mexico cuisine, about 22 years ago. This book has receipes for tamales, posole, tacos, burritos, fajitas, numerous sauces, tortillas, and others. It also includes a detailed history of Chimayo and northern New Mexico.

A FIELD GUIDE TO ROCK ART. A website such as this can tell you where to find petroglyphs and rock art in New Mexico. You need a book such as this one, however, to tell you what these symbols and designs mean. Although the significance of the symbols will never be known for certain, educated guesses can be made. This guide brings together 600 commentaries on specific symbols by over one hundred archaeologists, anthropologists, researchers, and Native American informants. Intended to be used in the field, as well as a reference, the book includes a pictorial key at the beginning and is organized by tentative meaning or by description. The reader can easily find the one or several of the 500 illustrations that most closely match the symbol in question.

NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE. I don't know how long New Mexico magazine has been in publication, but I'm sure it's been several decades. Even as our world goes increasingly digital, this magazine is still produced, with quality content in each issue. Readers will learn about New Mexico history; get the inside scoop on New Mexican cooking; and discover out-of-the way places to visit. I've read it for years and have not been disappointed. In fact, some of the ideas for the stories/travels on this website have come from New Mexico magazine.

PUBLIC ART & ARCHITECTURE IN NEW MEXICO; 1933 - 1943. This is an amazing book. The focus is less on why public art in New Mexico was developed, and more on where to find it. My website has a link for public art in New Mexico, but if you want the behind the scenes view, this is the book for you. In fact, this book helped me to find much of the public art you see referenced on this site.