New Mexico Facts & Trivia

1. The ski lift on the slopes of the Sandia Mountains is 7,500 feet long, making it one of the longest in the world. 2. Home of the Shovel Race Championship, the world shovel race championship is usually held in Angel Fire,

N.M. The race is held every year, and thousands of people come from around the US to be part of it. 3. The first atomic bomb was dropped in Jornada del Muerto in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. The same design was dropped in Nagasaki Japan only a few weeks later. 4. Home to Bandera Ice Cave, the Bandera ice cave dates back to the 1100 B.C. This makes it one of the oldest caves in the area. 5. Home to the largest camping facility. Philmont scout ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s largest National

High Adventure Base. 6. Did you know that Microsoft was founded in a small Albuquerque garage? The company’s founders Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen wrote their first software here. 7. New Mexico is the country’s top producer of perlite, a type of glass used in insulation and gardening. 8. New Mexico is home to one of the closest presidential votes in recent history, when during the Bush v. Gore 2000 election it came down to 366 votes, even less than Florida despite popular belief. 9. Modern day New Mexico wine can be traced back to the early 1600s, making it the oldest known wine production in North America. 10. Claims have been made that the pillow of goodness, the Sopapilla was first devoured in the Albuquerque area 200 years ago.