Valencia
County
This cache is part of the New Mexico Challenge. One cache is hidden in each
of New Mexico's 33
counties.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it is
to find and log all 33 caches with a
photo of yourself at the cache site.
This part of New Mexico combines a
great deal of the diversity of our state.
History:
The county contains ancient history (petroglyphs on Tomé Hill),
early NM history (the Camino Real), Civil War history (the battle
of Peralta), more recent history (the railroad system that opened
up the west goes through Valencia County, as well as pre-1937 Route
66) and is currently booming, as bedroom communities for
Albuquerque spread.
Lifestyle:
Valencia County contains farms, ranches, and dairies (most of which
use the old acequia system of irrigation) through rural suburbs
with houses on 2-5 acres, to modern subdivisions of small lot size
reminiscent of larger townships.
There is plenty to do here, ranging from activities at the
University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus, through attending
matanzas, movie theaters, civic organizations, camping, and hiking
in the beautiful Manzano Mountains/Cibola National Forest. There
are also nearly 100 geocaches here, as well as a famous annual
geocaching event: The Valencia Fun Day Event!
Culture and People:
This area is populated by many descendants of Native Americans
(Isleta Pueblo), Spanish settlers (the Tomé Land Grant), Anglo
homesteaders, and more recent additions of Mexican immigrants and
all kinds of people moving in from all over!
The Cache:
The NMC-Valencia County Cache is located in a spot within sight of
the UNM-Valencia Campus, an acequia, an alfalfa field, Los Lunas
Hill, the Manzano Mountains, and Tomé Hill. If you have driven
through Valencia County on I-25, but never gotten off the beaten
path, this cache will take you to an area that illustrates more
what Valencia County is really like (but, it's not TOO far off the
beaten path!).