THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

As you know, fate is sending us West for the 1st stop on our 50 year road trip.  New Mexico, here we come! The Land of Enchantment.

We’re still deciding which city -- or cities -- we should visit, so you still have time to vote below.

We’ve already been to Old Mexico (by way of Acapulco), but I suspect this won't be the same. It was spring break and we were 21, so the details are a bit fuzzy.

But a few broad strokes are difficult to forget...

Like encountering a vast array of crusty public makeup in the ladies room of every nightclub we entered -- then feeling horrified that people actually use it. Or watching a matador run into the stands at a bullfight to present my roommate, Jen, with a spear that still had some fresh guts on it -- then getting that spear through airport security in her suitcase. And getting stranded in the middle of Acapulco Bay on a motorboat that ran out of “gasolino” -- then wildly flailing my arms to Jodi and our amigos back on the beach who mistakenly thought I was just waving hello.

Ah memories.

Suffice it to say, whenever we travel, it’s an adventure. So let’s learn what’s in store for us in New Mexico, shall we?

• The 47th state in the union will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012
• New Mexico is one of the four corner states with Colorado, Utah and Arizona
• White Sands National Monument isn’t made of sand at all, its dunes are made of white gypsum and it’s also where the 1st atom bomb was detonated
• The actual bear that inspired Smokey was found trapped in a tree after a fire broke out at Lincoln National Forest
• Cimarron is the Cowboy Capital of the World because Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill once lived there
• Each October, Albuquerque hosts the world's largest hot air balloon festival
• Tortugas hosts Turtle Fest every June and Lovington holds The World’s Greatest Lizard Race every July 4th
• Tens of thousands of bats live in the Carlsbad Caverns (we won’t be going there)
• Millions of ET Atari video games were dumped in an Alamogordo landfill, after it was named the worst in video game history
• Near Las Cruces is a 20ft tall roadrunner which has been sculpted entirely of trash like old shoes, broken hairdryers, computer parts, and beat up toys
• New Mexico has an official state question, “Red or green?” which refers to the color of chili you prefer with your meal
• Las Cruces makes the world's largest enchilada at the Whole Enchilada Fiesta
• The New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque is home to the record number of burritos ever eaten: 47 in 10 minutes by Joey Chesnut in 2010
• Lake Arthur has a shrine to a cooked tortilla from the 1970s that resembles Jesus
• Santa Fe does more holistic medicine per capita than any other city in the US
• The state also has more sheep and cattle than people, but who’s counting?

Based on our experiences in Old Mexico, it sounds like we’ll be trading public makeup for healing crystals, bullfights for lizard races, and motorboats for hot air balloons.

I think we’re getting old. 

Good thing we still have all our teeth.  Maybe we should enter an eating contest?  Jodi may be small, but she is mighty!

FIRST STOP: NEW MEXICO

"I brought props."

Those were the first words out of Jodi's mouth when we pulled up to Andros Diner in Fairfield, CT tonight.

We were shooting for lunch at this dining institution from our college days (which coincidentally opened the year we were born), but a last-minute change in plans meant dinner instead.  It also meant that her son decided to skip the picking party.

Stood up by a 6 year old.  Story of my life!

The place hasn't changed one bit.  The pink neon lights on the mirrored ceiling welcomed us home.  We grabbed a booth and ordered the usual -- grilled cheeses with a side of fries and o-rings to share.  The diet can start tomorrow.

Then the bag came out. 

From it, Jodi pulled the following items:

1. A wooden USA map puzzle
2. Two lady Lego people
3. A 15+ year old red plastic beer cup from Clam Jam (a springtime weekend-long beach party at Fairfield U that was punctuated by events like Keg Races, The Landshark, The Running of the Calzone, and trips to the Super Duper Weenie Truck).  Luckily, the cup had been washed.  And disinfected.

That girl is always thinking!  All the states neither of us had ever visited went right into the cup.  Then she gave it a good shake and I plucked out the puzzle piece sitting on top.

New Mexico!

I don't know much about NM offhand, except that it makes me think of the Road Runner, Route 66, Georgia O'Keeffe, and aliens.  We'll need to do some research so we can make the most out of our trip.  I smell a spreadsheet in our future. 

But first, we need to pick a city.  That's where YOU come in.

poll by twiigs.com

Have you ever been to New Mexico? 

Tell us everything that's good, bad, and so bad it's good, below!