The Southwest USA
16 DAYS
Charting a geographic and anthropological path from Marfa to El Paso, on the border with Mexico/New Mexico. A whimsical journey into the American Southwest and its cultural fabric.
Southwest: region in the southwestern United States, historically denoting several geographic areas in turn and changing over the years as the nation expanded. After the War of 1812, the Southwest generally meant Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana; after Texas was annexed, it, too, was included. In the wake of the war with Mexico, the Southwest embraced most, but not all, of the territory that was acquired under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), including land often considered part of the “West”—i.e., New Mexico, Arizona, and all or parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, as suited the convenience of the user of the term. It ordinarily excludes California. The common denominator of the modern Southwest is aridity. The high, dry plains of Texas extend westward to the Pecos valley of New Mexico. Although the Southwest’s dry, crisp climate and scenic landscapes were a curse to agriculture, they have been a boon to businesses catering to tourists and health seekers. These visitors had a lively interest in the Indian and Spanish-American cultures, including the native architecture, Indian dances, Spanish fiestas, and rodeos. Source: Encyclopedia Britannica