Available in Print and for Kindle
Offbeat New Mexico:
Places of Unexpected History, Art, and Culture

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Meet New Mexico

If there's one odd juxtaposition of statistics that sums up New Mexico it’s that the Land of Enchantment is the 5th biggest state in the USA in terms of square miles, but ranks 36th in terms of population with just over 2 million people. And almost half of them call the greater metropolitan area of Albuquerque home.

That's a whole lot of land for the remaining population. And most of both the land and the people register high on both the history and the quirk scale. The best way to know New Mexico is through its places – where all that history, culture, and quirk collide.

What Reviewers are Saying

• "No matter how long you have lived in New Mexico or how many times you've visited the state, _Offbeat New Mexico_ includes fascinating insider information about the Land of Enchantment that will surprise even the most experienced traveler."
John W. Byram, The University of New Mexico Press
• "More than a guidebook, Offbeat New Mexico takes an in-depth look into the state's fascinating towns and amazing historical sites with surprising discoveries and intriguing insight. From Aztec's ancient Puebloan ruins and Roswell's mysterious UFO chronicles, to Georgia O' Keefe's domicile in Ghost Ranch, Offbeat New Mexico provides an exciting palette of destinations to explore. A must read for any serious visitor or southwestern history enthusiast."
Patrice Raplee, Editor for Travel Excursion & Radio Talk Show Correspondent
• "Even New Mexicans don’t know all there is to know about our enchanted state, but Offbeat New Mexico tells all. I found out about places I haven’t visited, and facts I hadn’t known about my adopted home. I’m giving a copy to every guest who rides in for Balloon Fiesta."
Stephanie Hainsfurther is publisher of two online magazines devoted to the arts in Albuquerque, and the people of New Mexico.
• "Offbeat New Mexico is an indispensable guide to the most interesting places in Albuquerque, Taos, and Santa Fe, but its soul is in the small towns and open roads. Let Neala McCarten lead you to the treasures of the state: from the majesty of Ghost Ranch to a hardware store stuffed with taxidermy; from dinosaur fossils to Hatch chiles; from Smoky Bear’s grave to the Classical Gas Museum. Offbeat New Mexico makes me want to to hop on a plane, rent a convertible, and hit the blue highways of the Land of Enchantment."
Dave Feldman, Author of the Imponderables (R) book series

What this book is, and is not

It's not a travel guide. Travel guides tell you where to eat and sleep. They fill many pages listing places you can more easily find (and evaluate) on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.

What you really want to know is where to see, learn, and experience some of the unique and unexpected places that are New Mexico.

Offbeat New Mexico is a new kind of book. I call it a History Guide because New Mexico has so much intriguing history. It was the Wild West until perhaps... yesterday.

But Offbeat New Mexico could easily be a guide to the cultures that created this Tri-Cultural state, or to the art that started with petroglyphs and ends up on the walls of Albuquerque as street art or with the mile of art in Santa Fe known as Canyon Road.

Who Will You Meet?

Heroes, villians and everyone in between

• Navajo code talkers
• Madam Sally Orchard
• Murderer Black Jack Ketchum

What Will You Discover?

• Pueblo Revolt of 1680
• Buffalo Soldiers
• The Iron Horse and Route 66
• Atomic History
• The pueblo called Sky City
• Church Rock, site of one of the worst nuclear breaches in United States history

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