Sam Lowe - New Mexico Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff

Sam Lowe has been looking at the world in a slightly obtuse fashion for more than forty years, first as a newspaper columnist and now as a freelance writer. He has written countless travel stories and five other books. He has also wing-walked on top of an airplane, singled off Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal, been stranded in Zambia for ten days, impersonated a wax dummy, eaten fifty-seven baby back ibs at one sitting, and failed in several attempts to either win the lottery or find the Lost Dutchman gold mine. Lowe lives in Phoenix with Lyn and Zach, a beautiful wife and faithful dog, respectively.

Ah, northeastern New Mexico,one of my favorite places. Its a land where blue elephants coexist with blue jackalopes and empty beer bottles are given new life as construction material by artists and home builders. It is a landscape covered with tall pines, quirky houses, and wooden bears. And it has a history alive with tales of gunmen, prehistoric men, cement men, and men who used tractor seats to create less-than-monumental yard sculptures.

It was in northeastern New Mexico that I met my first ductosaurus, a rather forlorn creature. And it was here that I ran my fingers along the steps of an intricate circular staircase which, depending upon whose story you believe, was built either by St. Joseph or a more earthly woodworker.

Had I brought a swimsuit along on my journey through this enchanting area, I could have gone scuba diving in the northeastern desert. Had I brought a supersensitive hearing aid along, I might have listened to the infamous Taos Hum. Both eluded me because of my lack of preparation, but I did see with my own eyes a dragon peeking its head out of a field of alfalfa, so I do not feel cheated.

Equally impressive were the folks I met along the way. They offered food, information, tall tales, gossip, actual fact and, most importantly, none of them flinched when I asked them if they knew where to find the worlds largest collection of belly button lint.

Abo

Here an elephant stands alongside the road, mournfully watching the traffic pass by. Its basic blue with splotches of yellow, red, and green. This would seem to be a direct violation of the elephant color code because, as all veterinarians, zoologists and overimbibers know, elephants normally come only in gray or pink.

A couple of other factors also hint that it probably isnt a real elephant. For one thing its been standing in that exact same spot for more than forty years. For another thing its made of cement. And, as a clincher, its only about 4 feet tall at the shoulders instead of the usual elephant size, which is generally somewhere between huge and Holy head cold! Did you see the snout on that thing?!!!

A lonely blue elephant stands guard on the roadside near Abo.

The creature appears to be standing guard at a structure that once served as a restaurant. It was allegedly placed there in the 1960s by a former owner of the property as the result of losing an election bet. Details are sketchy, but according to one source, the principals involved were on different sides of the political fence. In other words, one was a Democrat and the other a Republican. They agreed that whoever lost the bet had to put a symbol of the other guys party on his property. A Republican won the election so the Democrat had to install the elephant. Had it turned out the other way, thered be a cement donkey standing lonely vigil somewhere in the area.

Or so the story goes. Psychedelic pachyderm proponents who want to see it to believe it will spot the creature on the north side of U.S. Highway 60, about seven miles west of Mountainair.

Angel Fire

When November rolls around and the suns route wanders farther to the south, it is time for the Calling of the Snow, an unofficial function that marks the beginning of the ski season in the southern Rockies of northern New Mexico. The event is held in the parking lot of the Angel Fire Resort and is, according to the people who staff the Tourist Information Center, designed to invoke the snow gods to give us enough snow for a good ski season.

Participants compete in such categories as loudest call and most unusual call. In the past they have used old brass English horns and kazoos to help their appeals to the gods of the white stuff. One contestant showed up with a huge alpen horn; others have used compressed air horns. And yes, some of them actually do holler, Snowee! Here, Snowee! when it comes their turn.

The callers and hollerers get backup support from snow chanters, the beat of snow drums, and the rhythm of snow dances. Winners are awarded nominal prizes but the big reward comes with the knowledge that their pleas for white powder will be answered. Snow has fallen every year since the event began. Of course, it also fell every year before the event began.

While all that is going on, resort workers ignite a big bonfire and burn an 8-foot effigy of a golfer because the golfing season is over and now its time for skiing, snowboarding, quaffing rum nog, and other winter sports. And then everybody gathers round the fire to make Smores.

Angel Fire is about 28 miles east of Taos on U.S. Highway 64, then two miles south on Highway 434. Snow callers and others who wish to cleanse their lungs by yelling into the pure mountain air can get more information by calling (800) 633-7463 or logging onto www.angelfireresort.com.

Angel Fire

The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial emerges dramatically and gracefully from the side of a small mountain just north of the Angel Fire turnoff on US 64, some 28 miles east of Taos. The 6,000-square-foot shrine honors the men and women who served in Vietnam and was the first state park in the country dedicated solely to their memory.

The memorial was established in 1968 by Dr. Victor and Jeanne Westphall to honor their son, Lt. David Westphall, who was killed in Vietnam earlier that year. The facility opened in 1971 and since then has drawn almost three million visitors.

The small nondenominational chapel on the grounds has curving walls that converge on a tall window where visitors can look out into the peace of Moreno Valley below. Or they can use the available seating space to meditate while the textured interior surfaces capture the sunlight and cast subtle colorations across the walls. The chapel is open 24 hours a day.

Outside, a bronze life-size sculpture of a soldier reflects upon the madness of war. Nearby, a small plaque on the walkway adds a footnote to the shrines beginnings. According to this plaque, in 1994, Dr. Westphall gathered a handful of dirt from that spot and took it to Vietnam. There he scattered it at the ambush site where his son was killed, then removed some earth from that scene, brought it back to the memorial, and mixed it with New Mexican soil.

The literature given to visitors emphasizes that the purpose of the memorial is not to glorify war, but to honor the men and women who served in Vietnam, as well as all veterans for the selfless sacrifices they made at their countrys bidding.

The visitors center includes a display that traces the history of conflict and a special area where veterans can use on-site computers to gather information about the war itself and those with whom they served.