New Mexico

The Rich Heritage Of Native American Pottery In New Mexico

April 1, 2018 by Exploretraveler.com Leave a Comment

New Mexican Clay Pottery From The Navajo Pueblo

Discover the rich heritage of the Pueblo People of New Mexico in their pottery. Many of the differences of the pots is in the clay. Every pueblo has it’s own clay, which could vary by area. Then there is the pueblo itself. Each pueblo has it’s own story, it’s own heritage, it’s own design, it’s own culture.

Each pueblo has it’s own style, which also makes the pots somewhat easy to distinguish from each other. The Navajo Pueblo, for example, are known for their beautiful terra cotta pots with painted bands of color with designs either etched or painted on the pots. There are some exceptions to this general rule. The Navajo were also known to assimilate with their neighbors culturally, more than most tribes. Because of this, they sometimes borrowed the styles from the pottery traditions of other pueblos, especially the cliff dwellers. This makes it difficult to determine certain pot styles of other groups unless signed.

A very eye catching historic style are the pots of the Hopi Pueblo. They are famous for their unfinished pottery that is most often painted with black and red. The designs are often of Eagles, Butterflies, or a beautiful migration of birds. This is a design that has remained somewhat distinguishable from other groups.

One traditional aspect of Pueblo Pottery is that it is never separated from it’s intended use. Pots were decorated to look nice, but they were not for decoration. In fact, there are 500 Native American languages and not one has a word for art or even the concept of things being art. Their pots were to use, not to sit around on shelves.

Pueblo Pottery is one of the most well known traditions of the modern Native American Tribes. But generally, when it is bought by those outside the tribe, it then becomes art. How many times have you seen one of their beautiful pots, designed for use in the home, on a display shelf in the living room?

As you travel through the Southwest, be sure to enjoy the skilled craftsmanship of New Mexico’s Pueblo potters. In their pottery, you will discover the uniqueness of each one, see where it comes from and learn to identify the work of the different Pueblo Peoples. Each has an unfinished story to tell.

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Exploring the spicy flavors of New Mexico

March 31, 2018 by Exploretraveler.com Leave a Comment

Some Like It Hot!

There is absolutely nothing like all the spicy delicacies of New Mexico! But what makes the delicacies of New Mexico different? They are unique in that most meals revolve around the humble chile. It is not Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, or even Mexican. It is a magnificent blending of flavors revolving around chili peppers. In the above photo, you see a dish of black beans topped with tomato’s, onions, shrimp, green chile, and a squeeze of lime. Now that is yummy!

New Mexican food is a breed all it’s own? Have you ever had a cheese burger with extra real cheese, and a healthy topping of chilies? Two things are a must, good quality real cheese and chile. Is it possible to even eat without the humble vegetable called chile?

And then there are Sopapillas. Sopapillas are very versatile and can be eaten any time of the day. You make a pie crust and roll out. Cut in about 3-4 inch squares and fill with eggs. Deep fry in a quality oil. Breakfast is ready. If you want lunch or dinner, just fill with any meat and fry. Serve hot smothered with chilies. And an all time favorite anytime is to fry and just let them puff up, but no filling. Then dip in honey while hot. What could be better? They are amazing!

Is there a special occasion in your life? Let’s celebrate with Green Chile Stew. Need your favorite comfort food, most likely it will be Green Chile Stew. Whatever the need, whatever the occasion, there is Green Chile Stew. You can use any meat, just cut in cubes and flour well using Masa Harina. Then brown well. Place in a soup pot and add onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, beef broth, lots of chopped green Chile peppers and spices. Generally cumin, garlic, oregano, cilantro, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt are used as spices. Put in a large stew pot and cook slowly for around 8-10 hours. You can also use a slow cooker on low, if you prefer. Most homes have Green Chile Stew made up and ready for any need. Who knows who might come to dinner, but no problem, there is Green Chile Stew.

When wandering the streets of any community in New Mexico you may come across families selling tamales, burritos, ect out of their van. Most likely those will be the best that money can buy, that is where the locals shop. So stock up and eat like a king.

Traveling to New Mexico? Why not plan a food adventure? I only mentioned a few of the favorite dishes eaten in most every home, but there are endless specialties to taste. There is nothing else that can compare to these special edible treasures of New Mexico. There is no better time to plan a New Mexican Food Adventure!

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The Spectacular Blooming Yucca Of The New Mexico Desert

March 29, 2018 by Exploretraveler.com Leave a Comment

The Beautiful Yucca Blossoms Of The Desert

The Yucca Plant is the official State Flower of New Mexico. This beautiful succulent is a member of the Lily family with what seems an endless supply of white or purple flowers on very long stems. The leaves are very stiff and pointed with a tip like a sharp needle. In some cultures, this tip has been made into sewing needles for the busy homemaker. Extracts from the root of the Yucca are used by alternative practitioners. Its sap is used as a soap for skin conditions,and a shampoo for troubled hair that is balding or has other medical conditions. Some use it as a dietary supplement.

The Yucca Plant For Cleanliness

The root of this native plant of the Southwest has so many uses in an emergency. In any emergency, cleanliness is always an issue. When cleanliness is lacking, disease will flourish. So how do you use use the Yucca plant as soap? Join us in the adventure of desert soap making.

First you need to locate a small to medium Yucca growing on a hill, if possible. This makes it easier to miss the sharp needle ends. Then you dig up the root and peel back the bark until about an inch from the top. Cut off the top here and replant, much like you would a pineapple fruit. With the other end, you get a flat rock and pound the end till it flares out and it is ready. Wet your hands and rub with the root. Soon you will see soap suds in your hands. Wet the area you are washing and then apply the pounded root. Then rinse off well. Amazingly, you have now taken a bath with the help of the Yucca.

To make shampoo, you let the root dry out and pound to a powder. Then you wet your hair and apply some of the powder. Your hair will be clean, silky, and you will have used no chemicals. You also did not need to go buy Organic Shampoo without chemicals. This is yet another gift from the desert. What a beautiful answer to life’s simple needs.

The Yucca Plant For Food

The beautiful bell shaped flowers mature in three parts that turn brown in the late summer. If you find yourself stranded in the desert, these small fruits are tasty and full of nourishment. They are often added to soups, as all parts of the Yucca must be cooked for safety.

The root of the Yucca, like potatoes, must be cooked. It is usually boiled until about half done and then drained, rinsed, and cooled. When cool enough to handle, slice like you would potatoes and fry. They are served as a side dish. They are usually only used as food in the Spanish countries and some isolated desert tribes. Since they are toxic when raw, most Americans avoid them. Just like potatoes, Yuccas can cause reactions in some people. Those who choose to eat them, say like potatoes, they are quite a tasty side dish on the table when cooked correctly.

Other Uses For The Yucca Plant

After the beautiful flowers are gone and the fruits have been eaten, there is a long stalk left on the plant. You can use the second year stalks that are not dry to start fires. just rub between your hands and they work quite well. The dry or dead stalks can be used like kindling to get the fire going strong.

Native American living in the desert also used the leaves for making belts and sandals. It can also be woven into cloth, used to make baskets, and even used in making ropes and belts. There seems to be no part that is not used by someone somewhere. What an amazing native desert plant.

Conclusions

This beautiful State Flower Of New Mexico is a wondrous sight blooming in the desert. But as you enjoy the beauty of this native desert succulent, think about all the other ways that this plant is used. No part is wasted in cultures that choose to use it’s every part.

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It All Happened In Roswell New Mexico

June 25, 2017 by Exploretraveler.com Leave a Comment

Welcome To Roswell Where History Lives On

Before Roswell was a thought, from 1866 to 1869, the area was nothing more than reservations and cattlemen bringing their cattle up what, would latter became known as the Chisum Trail. As is often the case, the Goodnight-Loving camping site soon had a trading post and gambling halls quickly followed. A wealthy gambler, Mr. Van Smith, then bought these buildings and preceded to give the area a name. Named after his father, Roswell was born and a post office was established in the year of 1873.

By 1875, one of the original cattlemen, John Chisum, bought land just outside Roswell and developed South Springs Ranch. This ranch flourished and grew, becoming the largest cattle ranch in the United States at that time. Capt. Fast forward a couple of years and Joseph Lea, another wealthy rancher in the area, began buying up most of the buildings in Roswell. By 1877 he owned most of the town and began to seriously develop the emerging community. You can ask anyone in Roswell, Lea has become known as “the father of Roswell.”

To those without vision, this may look like a formidable desert, but to these cattlemen it was a desert with a future. In 1894, the Pecos Valley Railroad, began to extend their tracks all the way to Roswell, and the new little town began to grow. It was quickly starting to supply the needs of the ranchers who lived all around. Roswell was in the right place at the right time. A ranching community in the middle of the desert was quickly being formed.

If the addition of the railroad was not enough to help this small community grow, the next piece of luck was really unexpected. Oil was discovered near the town of Artesia, a community about 40 miles south of Roswell. While there was no drilling activity in the area around Roswell, it was once again in the right place, at the right time. Roswell quickly became the business center for the oil industry. It also supplied the needs of the many new residents who came to live in New Mexico. By 1924, Roswell was gaining in importance and a major community in the desert.

During World War II, Roswell was once again in the right place, at the right time. The Army needed a facility to train bomber crews. What better place than this huge desert? In 1941 they built the Roswell Army Air Field just south of the community. Just six years latter, something that would strike the imagination of all happened. Fact or Fiction, does not matter, this new event would put Roswell on the map to stay.

The country has remained puzzled, but something very strange and foreign crashed into this vast desert in 1947.

The investigation of the unidentified flying object began and there has always been more questions, than answers. Was it an alien spaceship, a weather balloon, or other object? The desert puts out the welcome mat. Come, and decide for yourself.

What did happen, was that it firmly put Roswell on the tourist map. The evidence awaits your eyes! The UFO International Museum has exhibits that are mind blowing.

What does this all mean? Are UFO’s real? The evidence awaits your eyes. The decision is for each to make. For those that have the inclination, explore the desert and see what you can see. There is nothing like taking a desert hike and seeing where things happened.

Adventure is everywhere, and the desert is calling. So put on your glasses and see what you can find.

Get a map of the area and start to explore. Let the adventure begin!

Hike the desert and look for it’s treasures. Memories of the past are alive and well. What can you find?

Join in on the fun! And when you are tired, head on over to MacDonald’s and grab some refreshments. I am sure you have never seen a MacDonald’s like this one elsewhere.

This is a town where there is so much to see that one day is not enough. It is a modern town of over 46,000 people. Here you can find all the UFO excitement, ask your questions, and who knows, maybe find a few answers. While you are there, you will find plenty of UFO guards on every street.

Have you ever seen street lights like these? It’s a world of UFO excitement. So what are you waiting for? Grab your hiking shoes and head on out to Roswell for a UFO adventure.

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First Published on [email protected] June 23, 2017 at:

https://steemit.com/travel/@exploretraveler/it-all-happened-in-roswell-new-mexico