"The Men Who Stare at Goats," starring George Clooney's mustache, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey hits theaters today. The movie, about a reporter who tags along on a bizarre military mission, was filmed last year in New Mexico and Puerto Rico. The cast spent the bulk of the shoot at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell.

If you're scheming to make a visit to Area 51 or just check out Roswell and the movie's backdrop, here's our take on where to stay and what to in the area, aside from growing out your own Clooney-stache.

Where to stay, what to do, and what to see in Roswell, NM, after the jump. ]]> cmb 2009-11-06T13:44:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/3/81623/2524

If you’re patiently awaiting the launch of Virgin Galactic, there’s something new to keep you entertained for a little bit. Bulldozers and cranes at Spaceport America in Las Cruces, New Mexico have been moving dirt and rocks around to get things ready for rockets, shuttles, and spaceships. Things have been progressing so well that public tours will begin in December—looks like a great holiday gift.

The tours will require a snazzy hardhat, because of course, it’s a work zone and they don’t want any lawsuits injuries. Visitors will learn all about the history of New Mexico from conquistadors to the state’s future in outer space tourism. The highlight of the tour will be to see the runway and the vertical launch pad up close and personal. Maybe you'll even be able to add your initials if the concrete is still wet. ]]> kjb 2009-11-03T09:19:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/2/82017/0536

If you need a couple of adult beverages to get through your flight, you may not want to choose US Airways for your next trip, especially if you’re headed towards New Mexico. Unfortunately, a couple of years ago a passenger aboard a US Airways flight had too much to drink. After getting off the plane the passenger caused a fatal accident on a highway near Santa Fe. Other passengers reported that the airline served drinks to the person in question despite that fact that he already appeared intoxicated. It doesn’t help that state regulators in New Mexico had already cited the airline twice for over serving its fliers.

All this matters because a federal judge has now ruled that New Mexico officials can prohibit the airline from serving alcohol in the state or when an airplane is flying over the state. With US Airways having a major hub in Phoenix, we’re thinking that a lot of the airline’s planes have to go over New Mexico to connect passengers to elsewhere around the globe. ]]> kjb 2009-10-02T09:44:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/22/143145/189

Santa Fe is blowing out an environmentally irresponsible number of candles this year: New Mexico's capital turns 400 with a sixteen-month-long party. That's going to be one heck of a hangover brunch!

The celebration kicks off September 5-7 with concerts like Ozomatli (Sept. 5, $25) and Santa Fe Symphony's Symphony Under The Stars show at Ft. Marcy Ball Field with fireworks to follow (Sept. 6, $12 for "picnic tickets" that let you sit on the grass). There will also be free cultural demonstrations, an open-air art market and cooking tutorials that weekend at the park as part of the ¡Viva! Santa Fe festival.

Then, for even more al fresco partying, the New Mexico State Fair begins the week after in Albuquerque, in case you're not all faired out. ]]> egw 2009-07-22T15:49:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/26/8840/86514

TripAdvisor recently released their members’ picks for the best tours in America. While some were pretty blah, one that really stood out to us was the opportunity to trek through the wilderness in New Mexico with llamas by your side. You don’t actually ride the llamas, but they accompany you and your group, and apparently the critters are more than happy to carry your stuff. This leaves you and your back free to enjoy nature at it’s finest. Just remember to share your water bottle with your llama friend in case he or she gets thirsty.

The tours take you into New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and all treks are at your own pace. The tour guides, and probably the llamas too, aren’t looking for a stressful journey. After you work up an appetite as you make your way through the Carson National Forest, you’ll be happy to enjoy a fresh meal. All trips serve up “Backcountry Gourmet” meals and the head guide works as a chef in the off-season—so your taste buds will be in good hands.

Tours start at just $99 if you want to experience their Take a Llama To Lunch day hike. If you’re looking to spend a couple nights in the woods, and really get in touch with your new furry buddies, 3 night tours start at $499. Just remember to bring some llama snacks with you; you probably want to get them on your good side as soon as possible.

Related Stories:
·TripAdvisor Tallies America's Top 10 Tours [Official Site]
·Wild Earth Llama Adventures [Official Site]
·Tours coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of some llamas: Big Grey Mare] ]]> kjb 2009-06-26T13:02:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/23/72421/6908

Baseball fans in Albuquerque are in store for more excitement tonight than the usual t-shirt cannons or wacky mascot antics. Manny Ramirez, of steroid-suspension fame, is making his first rehabilitation appearance tonight for the Isotopes. We’re thinking that a capacity crowd of over 13,000 will be on hand to catch a glimpse of the MLB star, and maybe even cheer him on.

Even if you don’t get to see Manny tonight, the park and its team have a lot to offer. After all, they are the AAA affiliate of the LA Dodgers, so the stadium obviously needs to be pretty close to what one would expect from a big league experience. Isotopes Park was designed by HOK Sport, the go-to guys for stadium construction, so the place does not disappoint. ]]> kjb 2009-06-23T12:13:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/3/02327/45595

Who knew mall cop comedies would become all the rage? The latest, "Observe and Report", starring Seth Rogen as a bi-polar mall security guard who is called into action when a flasher takes advantage of mall patrons, opens today. "Observe and Report" was filmed at the Winrock Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here’s how to get up close and personal to it.

Where to Stay:
Winrock Mall is in uptown Albuquerque, NM, along with a variety of chain restaurants, box stores, movie theaters, and hotels, one of which is a Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown. The Sheraton was recently renovated and is receiving rave reviews on Trip Advisor. Juanless07 called staying at the Sheraton, “an awesome experience” and at_the_track called it “a nice hotel in a great location.” Along with the new renovations, the hotel now offers an on-site Starbucks, Wi-Fi in every rooms, and in-room Jacuzzis. Right now, rooms start as low as $99 a night. ]]> cmb 2009-04-10T09:15:20-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/