Offbeat New Mexico: Places of Unexpected History, Art, and Culture - Paperback

by Neala McCarten (Author)

"Offbeat New Mexico" guides you through the people, places and events that have shaped the state often referred to as the "Land of Enchantment." The art and architecture that helped shape New Mexico may have started with petroglyphs, kivas and ancient cities but it's also alive and well in street art on the current walls of Albuquerque as well as the half-mile of sophisticated gallery art in Santa Fe known as Canyon Road. "Offbeat New Mexico" was written for the independent traveler who doesn't want to follow the paths most taken by tourists but instead wants to explore what made New Mexico, well, New Mexico. We won't tell you where to eat or sleep but we will tell you about the United States' "Mother Road" (better known as Route 66, ) the Navajo Long Walk and why the little town known as Hot Springs changed its name to Truth or Consequences. Our 200 pages introduce you to over 100 villages, towns, and cities from the major destinations of Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Taos to the smaller but unique communities of Tesuque, Madrid, and White Oaks...not to mention Cold Beer, New Mexico. Special Focus sections highlight the unique and the unusual; learn the origins of the delightful Storytellers for sale in our shops, the real history of outlaw Billy the Kid and the story behind the UFO controversy that rocked the rural town of Roswell and fascinated the whole world. "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 Neala McCarten is an Albuquerque-based writer with a passion for travel that offers art, culture and history with a twist.

Author Biography

Neala McCarten has led a life marked by detours, starting one place, and ending up somewhere unexpected. Born in New York City she eventually obtaining a Ph.D. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. For the next few years, she wandered through a series of jobs. Asking, "Who would I be if I didn't know who I am?", she finally decided that she was, at heart, a travel writer who lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2006 Neala quit her job, sold her house in the suburbs, said goodbye to friends and family, and headed to the Land of Enchantment. In 2012 she married James McCarten. Today, Neala (Schwartzberg) McCarten is the publisher and editor of OffbeatTravel.com, a freelance writer, and a fine art photographer who regularly exhibits in shows in Albuquerque. Offbeat New Mexico: Places of Unexpected History, Art, and Culture is her first book, dedicated to the state she loves. She's already working on her next book