It doesn't matter whether you're a native New Mexican or if you relocated here more recently. Anyone who has lived in this state will recognize most - hopefully all - of these iconic images that scream "New Mexico."
1. Let's start with an easy one. Even someone who has never been to New Mexico could guess the name of this place from the picture.
It's White Sands, of course.
2. This building is the only one of its kind in the nation.
The Roundhouse is the only circular state capitol building.
3. The Navajo word for this is Tsé Bitʼaʼí, or "winged rock," but you probably know it as...
...Shiprock.
4. This perplexing staircase .
To this day, no one has been able to solve the mystery of the staircase in Santa Fe's Loretto Chapel. It has no obvious means of support, yet it still functions.
5. This is the longest aerial tram in the country.
The Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, which connects Albuquerque to Sandia Peak, spans 2.7 miles.
6. This UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People have been living in Taos Pueblo for more than one thousand years!
7. This path, which is located in New Mexico's only national park.
The 750-foot descent into Carlsbad Caverns is certainly dramatic.
8. This pretty church.
El Santuario de Chimayo, in the town of Chimayo, is believed to be a place of healing and it is often compared to Lourdes.
9. This is the biggest manmade lake in New Mexico.
Elephant Butte Reservoir is part of Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
10. This sign.
Blake's is virtually synonymous with green chile cheeseburgers. The first Blake's Lotaburger opened in 1952 and the food is still cooked to order.
11. This was once a hub of civilization in the Southwest.
The remains of the city build by the ancestral Pueblo people lie inside Chaco Culture National Historical Park, also called Chaco Canyon.
12. This area was founded in 1706.
It's Albuquerque's Old Town. This picture shows the plaza and San Felipe de Neri Church.
13. True New Mexicans know what this is.
It's a chile roaster.
14. The shape of these distinctive rock formations give this national monument its name.
The formations in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument are the result of volcanic eruptions that happened six or seven million years ago.
15. This one's a little tougher. But if I tell you that it's the oldest continuously occupied public building in the U.S., I'm sure you'll this recognize this image as...
...the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.
16. This scuba diving venue and swimming hole is a great place to cool off.
The water is so clear in the Blue Hole (in Santa Rosa) that divers who stand on the bottom can see all the way to the surface, 81 feet above them.
17. This may be a small town, but it has a big plaza.
Mesilla's plaza is actually a state monument.
18. You can still stay at this retro motor court if you pause in this town for a night.
The Blue Swallow Motel is in Tucumcari, on one of the better preserved parts of New Mexico's Route 66.
19. This annual event takes place in October.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the biggest event of its kind in the world.
20. What is this?
If your answer is "a bottle cap," then a) you're right and b) you're a smartass! But the answer we were looking for is "Zia sun symbol," which is also on our state flag.
How many did you get right? What other images epitomize New Mexico for you?
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