Sitting shotgun in my friend’s truck as we barreled down the highway, the first sign welcoming us to the Land of Enchantment crested the horizon. It’s a bold slogan for a state, but if one thing’s for sure, New Mexico is certainly aware of its own allure.

We road tripped from Denver to Salt Lake City by way of New Mexico. Without much of a plan, we set out to visit some of New Mexico’s most famed features (Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands) as well as its lesser known roadside oddities.

As we traversed the state through juniper-dotted deserts and mud-brick towns, we found a quiet, beautiful, unexpected adventure that could only be described one way: enchanting.

Here, our favorite stops discovered along the way.

Earthship Biotecture Community
At first pass, New Mexico’s Earthship community comes across like some mid-90s, Bio-Dome-esque imagining of the sustainable home of the future. (Or an alien settlement.)

It’s actually the brainchild of Michael Reynolds, who developed several versions of an autonomous home completely built from natural and upcycled materials, like glass bottles and tires. The off-the-grid homes are inexpensive to erect, can be constructed in any climate, and are eco-friendly – the goal is a zero-carbon footprint, with nearly totally self-sustained solar, wind, waste management and food production systems.

There are guided tours of the Taos Earthship community available, as well as a short self-guided tour of the visitor center. And if you’re into the idea of having zero utility bills (or just really cool photos from your trip) spend a night in one of the community’s rentals and test out the concept for yourself.

read more at: mensjournal.com