New Mexico?

[Drew Wiley]

Well, I tiptoed around the topic of Reservations. But having grown up with Indians and being especially well acquainted with what happened on nearby reservations, I can only state that they can be even more violent than inner city situations. Most of that is domestic and involves alcohol consumption, a well-recognized plague in such places. Same rules. Use common sense and get out of Dodge once drinking begins. Don't trespass into protected tribal areas which demand official local guides. I'd stay out of Indian bars; and please don't ask why, or you'd end up with some true hometown stories more bloody than The Shining. Having said that, there are numerous tribal venues in the Southwest which cater to sight-seeing and are strongly tied to tourism, and which pose little or no risk to outsiders. Meth-heads hanging around Rest Stops and convenience marts are a bigger worry to me. I never ever sleep at a highway Rest Stop.

Overall, I'd be a lot more concerned to just have along sufficient supplies in case of an auto breakdown or unexpected storm - plenty of extra food and water, a good sleeping bag, etc, and of course, some extra film! I'll be headed that way not too long from now, but not as far as NM. Gas is still a little too high for that.

[Two23]

Unless you are in the ghetto part of ABQ, or Gallup, you won't need a gun. And if you run into a "situation", the gun will likely just make matters worse.

Brian-- Don't really want to get into it, but three times now a gun of one sort or another has got me out of a bad situation. I photo in some pretty remote areas and often at night. My main strategy is to simply avoid places that have a higher probability of danger such as major cities. Since I know little about NM I'm just trying to get some first hand info.


Kent in SD

[xkaes]

Overall, I'd be a lot more concerned to just have along sufficient supplies in case of an auto breakdown or unexpected storm - plenty of extra food and water, a good sleeping bag, etc, and of course, some extra film! I'll be headed that way not too long from now, but not as far as NM. Gas is still a little too high for that.

Your expert advise is appropriate for all out-of-the-way places in any State that has them -- and that's every State west of the Mississippi.

The most important thing for me it to bring everything I need -- and everything my car needs. I won't recount the time my alternator died in the middle of nowhere in NM around Christmas. Fortunately, I had brought along a spare alternator.

[Two23]

Well, I tiptoed around the topic of Reservations. But having grown up with Indians and being especially well acquainted with what happened on nearby reservations, I can only state that they can be even more violent than inner city situations. Most of that is domestic and involves alcohol consumption, a well-recognized plague in such places. Same rules. Use common sense and get out of Dodge once drinking begins. Don't trespass into protected tribal areas which demand official local guides. I'd stay out of Indian bars; and please don't ask why, or you'd end up with some true hometown stories more bloody than The Shining. Having said that, there are numerous tribal venues in the Southwest which cater to sight-seeing and are strongly tied to tourism, and which pose little or no risk to outsiders. Meth-heads hanging around Rest Stops and convenience marts are a bigger worry to me. I never ever sleep at a highway Rest Stop.

Overall, I'd be a lot more concerned to just have along sufficient supplies in case of an auto breakdown or unexpected storm - plenty of extra food and water, a good sleeping bag, etc, and of course, some extra film! I'll be headed that way not too long from now, but not as far as NM. Gas is still a little too high for that.

Living in South Dakota I'm familiar with large reservations. I get along well with the residents. I do watch for drunk drivers at any hour of the day and generally stay out of bars anyway. I've never had any issues on the reservations on the Northern Plains but I am careful about asking before taking photos of anything. I consider myself a guest and act accordingly. Common sense and courtesy goes a long way.


Kent in SD

[xkaes]

Since I know little about NM I'm just trying to get some first hand info.

Kent in SD

NM has as many bad actors as anywhere else, but I look at it as NM has as few bad actors as anywhere else.

[Daniel Unkefer]

If you are going through SW Colorado (fifty miles north of Santa Fe I was told) there is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Might be worth it, I was there a long time ago.

https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm

[Two23]

Sometimes locals don't appreciate seemingly nosy outsiders with cameras for entirely different reasons. Same advice - just move on if someone seems hostile. But many other spots do depend on outsiders with cameras and hiking shoes for a significant portion of their local income. I've been stopped a few times and hassled by "law enforcement" in the vicinity of polygamist colonies north of the Colorado River, who suspected me of being an FBI spy due to my camera gear; but that's more of a regional issue and rather rare nowadays.

I'm the friendly Midwestern type and can almost always strike up a conversation with just about anybody. My past jobs depended on that. One of the things I like about travel is meeting local "characters." Having my wife along should further disarm anyone's suspicions. I also somewhat bank on the stereotype of being from the Northern Plains as being more like from "Lake Woebegon" than NYC or LA. The Dakotas and NM/CO/NE/WY and western KS that we're traveling through are all mostly ranching & wheat farming states. I just didn't know if there was something specific to NM since I'm not familiar with it. The Canadian border isn't as much in the news as the southern border. ;-) NM and UT are about the last of the Western states we haven't spent much time in yet.

Wife & I do love lesser known spots rather than overrun tourist areas. For camera gear my plan is to bring: Nikon D850, Nikons 20mm f1.8 (night shots and interiors), 24mm PC-E (panos, architecture), 24-120mm f4 (general purpose), 300mm f4 PF (wildlife), TC-1.4Eiii, and Chamonix 4x5, 90mm f4.5, 135mm f5.6, 300mm f9, FP4+, and Zeiss Super Ikonta (6x6), TMax 400, along with travel carbon fiber tripod. I fill a 3L water bladder and place in m Osprey pack for outings, and carry a good assortment of emergency supplies.


Kent in SD

[Two23]

If you are going through SW Colorado (fifty miles north of Santa Fe I was told) there is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Might be worth it, I was there a long time ago.

https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm

Have been there and was impressed. Very difficult walking though! Mesa Verde is my main "target" in CO on this trip. We've covered most of the northern 2/3 of the state already.


Kent in SD

[Two23]

NM has as many bad actors as anywhere else, but I look at it as NM has as few bad actors as anywhere else.

Probably true. In my travels over the decades I've found that people are people wherever you go.


Kent in SD

[tomwilliams]

Living in South Dakota I'm familiar with large reservations. I get along well with the residents. I do watch for drunk drivers at any hour of the day and generally stay out of bars anyway. I've never had any issues on the reservations on the Northern Plains but I am careful about asking before taking photos of anything. I consider myself a guest and act accordingly. Common sense and courtesy goes a long way.


Kent in SD

My experience parallels yours, Kent. However, reservation boundaries are often poorly marked, or not marked at all, so it's possible to trespass without intent. That vista or formation yonder is often pretty irresistable to me, and I usually won't resist if there isn't a dead obvious "Keep Out" warning. On the several occasions that I've been accosted by indians for trespassing, the encounter was always firm but polite and unthreatening. What you said: "I consider myself a guest and act accordingly. Common sense and courtesy goes a long way."