New Mexico

INTO THE CLOUDS – Outside Ruidoso, drive up Sierra Blanca, a 12,000-foot peak with commanding views of Texas, Mexico, and White Sands National Monument. If you’re feeling up to it, hike three miles to the peak for a breathtaking 360-degree panorama from the wildflower meadows at the summit.

BULLY! – The “other” Las Vegas features the Rough Rider Memorial Collection in the City of Las Vegas Museum, with extensive exhibits on Theodore Roosevelt’s famous brigade from the Spanish-American War. The museum also provides a superb history lesson on the Santa Fe Trail and early New Mexico history. Visit www.lasvegasmuseum.org for details.

WHAT A KID – Silver City’s favorite (?) son is the outlaw Billy the Kid. Walk around town and you’ll fi nd out where he was born, where he went to school – briefly – and, most important, where he first broke out of jail. Awww, how sweet. Billy wouldn’t know the town today, but you’ll enjoy its thriving artists’ community and its natural beauty. Get started at www.silvercity.org.

GET YOUR KICKS – New Mexico includes long stretches of the original Route 66, the “Mother Road,” used both by freewheeling vacationers and Oklahomans fleeing the Dust Bowl (see “Grapes of Wrath”). Cruise through picturesque small towns and motel hells alike, preferably in a convertible with the top down. Start first at www.historic66.com for maps and information.