TRnews
editors:
Roger
Irwin
Tim Amsden
Contact
the editors at:
Advisory
Board
Genghis & Sylvia Kahn
Alfred
E. Neuman
This
page is a potpourri of local lore, history, geology, animal and plant sightings.
We welcome contributions. Please contact the editors.
NEW
YORK MAGAZINE LISTS RAMAH AS TOP WORLD DESTINATION
(Posted
2-7-06) After we published our article about the listing of Ramah by Frommers
Travel Guides as a top world destination, one of our stalwart readers pointed
out to us that in an article last year, New York Magazine listed Ramah among the
50 top world spots to visit. The New York Magazine article provides a "follow
your bliss list" of places to visit, which are "…euphoria-inducing
destinations that will make you forget about crummy weather, bad traffic, and
just about anything else."
The first destinations
described are in Iceland, Micronesia, England, the Yucatan, and India and they
go on around the world from there. We are among only 6 destinations in the United
States. Here is what they say about Ramah:
"(50)
Ramah, New Mexico
Take the family back to the old, old days.
In
the early morning, when the desert cool hasn't yet burned away, it only takes
about 25 minutes to walk from the visitors' center of Ramah's El Morro National
Monument park out to Inscription Rock. There, you can explain to the kids that
the 2,000-plus birds, stars, hands, bighorn sheep, and maps that purportedly lead
to a hidden pond were drawn seven centuries ago by Puebloan tribes. While you've
got their attention, point out the various signatures and "I was here"
scrawls left by passing Spaniards, settlers, and other travelers since, and then
tempt them up the more strenuous Mesa Top Trail with promises of a Martian landscape
(the otherworldly Chain of Craters). Reward them with a Navajo fry-bread taco
with Anasazi beans at the Ancient Way Café and Outpost. "
Here's
the Internet site for the article.
Although
Ramah happens to be number 50, the article doesn't list the destinations in any
order. Our area has now been described by two publications, the prestigious New
York Magazine and Frommer, the world's leading publisher of travel guides, as
a top worldwide destination. Get ready, folks. Link toTRnew's
previous article.
The Ramah Museum, located in downtown Ramah, on the corner of Bloomfield and Lewis, is now open, Friday 1-4pm and Saturday 10am - 1pm (it is closed Nov. 30th through March 30th). This year is it's 10 year anniversary, which will be celebrated July 23, during the Pioneer Day celebrations, in downtown Ramah. Be sure not to miss the event. Last year, 900 visitors dropped by the museum, this year make sure you take the time to enjoy the experience also!
The Historical Society, working to support the museum, is asking for donations at this time, and would love your support. We are also very interested in oral histories of the area, photographs of old or any other items you have that would contribute to the history of the area. Contact the President, Paul Merrill (783-4677 ), or send donations to P.O. Box 753 Ramah, NM 87321. Individual membership is $20.00, Family membership is $30.00, Special membership is $100.00 and Lifetime membership is $500.00. Of course, any amount would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!! The Officers and Board members
Did you know?
In
1929 the following remarks were made by locals to describe the Ramah area (in
St. John at a quarterly conference) and as you will see, it has changed very little.
"The Ramah valley is
forty miles south of Gallup, New Mexico, and six miles west of the Zuni Mountains,
with an annual precipitation of 13 inches, an altitude of 7000 feet and a growing
season of 135 days. This very beautiful valley is irrigated by water taken from
the Ramah storage reservoir, which is located one mile from town, and furnishes
water for some 3,000 acres of very fertile land, now under cultivation. The chief
industries are stock raising and farming. ....The beautiful scenery of the Ramah
reservoir, the falls at the foot of the Zuni mountain, together with the many
points of interest nearby, some of which are: the Inscription Rock, the Perpetual
Ice Cave, Cliff Dwellings, the ... Zuni Villages, make Ramah a delightful place
for summer vacation and of special interest to the tourist. The town of Ramah
has a population of 350." (Taken from Ramah, A Documentary History- 1930-1995
by Geraldine Tietjen)
The
population is now approximately 550 as of 2004 (according to the Post Office)
and as we all know it is increasing in size as property around the area is sold
and homes are being built. According to the counties, in the Timberlake area alone,
there have been 27 new structures that have gone up in the past year and more
are planned for the near future. If you stand up on the cliff sides around the
lake at night you will now see many twinkling lights to mark the full time residents
of which there are more than 50 families.
So,
whether you live here full time or are one of the 'summer' dwellers mentioned
above, there are numerous adventures for you to partake in around the area.
Not only are there wonderful
areas to hike up in the Zuni Mountains and even around the Ramah Lake and Timberlake
area but there are numerous shops in Zuni (20 miles away), a volcano (Banderos
Ice Cave), a quaint Museum (Ramah museum, now closed for winter), the Old School
Gallery (featuring locally talented artists and open all year), and the Wolf Ranch
at Candy Kitchen, just to name a few places of interest.
....
Nancy Dobbs