New Mexico, The Enchanted State

Post date: Aug 11, 2015 6:01:57 PM

The rock hills are so red against the bright blue sky add a little snow -, volcanic rocks and you do have a "Land of Enchantment" One of the most amazing National Parks, is the Petroglyph National Monument.  It's a landscape of Symbols. One of the largest petroglyph sites in North America.  We were able to follow paths,  and climb up the sides of the hills, looking for designs and symbols carved into volcanic rocks by Native Americans more than 400 years ago.  The images are a record of the culture and expressions of religion and spiritual believes of the Natives.  It's also believed that some of the symbols were used as directions to other Peoples traveling across the plains. Warnings of danger as well as water and land for settlements. Suburbia is so close though. You drive past housing developments on the way to the Monument. A Highway was built directly through the site itself. Some of the boulders with inscribed petroglyphs were relocated and who knows how many were destroyed. I'm so glad we took the time and had the opportunity to see this amazing place. Hopefully Albuquerque will continue to work with the Native Americans in order to preserve this monumental site.