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Albuquerque
Albuquerque is by far the largest city in New Mexico, with a population of approaching half a million. It is situated in the Rio Grande Valley, along side the famous north-south-flowing river of the same name. It is flanked on the east by the Sandia Range of mountains and on the west by a plateau dotted by a line of extinct volcanoes. The city was founded in 1706 by Spanish explorers on the site of the present Old Town, and retains much of its Spanish cultural and historical heritage. It is home to the University of New Mexico, Kirkland Air Force Base, and Sandia National Laboratory, and has many museums and other cultural attractions. Albuquerque’s public high schools are Albuquerque, Atrisco Heritage Academy, Cibola, Del Norte, Eldorado, Highland, La Cueva, Manzano, Sandia, Valley, Volcano Vista, and West Mesa. |
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Santa Fe
Traveling north along the Rio Grande Valley from Albuquerque aboard a brand new rail line, we arrive at the state capital, Santa Fe. Spanish colonists founded Santa Fe on the site of ancient Pueblo Indian settlements, and made it capital of “Nuevo Mexico” in 1610. It is the oldest capital city in what is today the United States, and retains much of its Spanish and Native cultural heritage. Characterized by a distinctive “Santa Fe Style” architecture of flat-topped adobe buildings, it has long been a center of culture and the arts. The public high schools are Santa Fe and Capital. Present population exceeds 66,000. Private high schools are Santa Fe Waldorf School, St. Michaels High School, Desert Academy, New Mexico School for the Deaf, Santa Fe Secondary School, and Santa Fe Preparatory School. The Santa Fe Indian School is an off-reservation school for Native Americans. |
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Espanola/Pojoaque
Twenty-five miles further north along the Rio Grande Valley from Santa Fe and nestled between the Sangre de Cristos and Jemez mountain ranges is Espanola. This town of 10,000 residents has long been a cultural and economic hub for the northern mountain and pueblo communities. It is an eclectic, rough and ready place that considers itself the “Lowrider Capital of the World”. It is populated by a highly diverse blend of Hispanic, Native, and Anglo families, many of which have lived there for generations. Local high schools, including that in the nearby community of Pojoaque, are: Pojoaque High School, Espanola Valley High School, and McCurdy High School. |
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Los Alamos
A steep and winding road climbs out of the Rio Grande Valley between Santa Fe and Espanola and leads to a high plateau flanking the Jemez Mountains and the town of Los Alamos. The town of 10,000 residents is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, founded in the 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project. Although the lab was founded as part of the quest to develop the atomic bomb, it is now one of the premier scientific institutions in the country, with an exceedingly broad portfolio of research programs related to many aspects of national security and national well-being. The town is full of interesting characters. The local high school is Los Alamos High.
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