Mark Aspelin is The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), a freelance travel writer and author who shares travel advice, events, photos, and stories about the amazing people he meets during his quest to visit EVERY town in his home state of New Mexico – the Land of Enchantment.
He’s the author of over 50 blog posts and articles and two highly rated books: “Profitable Conservation: Business Strategies That Boost Your Bottom Line, Protect Wildlife, and Conserve Biodiversity” and “How to Fail at Life: Lessons for the Next Generation”. He has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Notre Dame, M.S. in Biology from Creighton University, and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Mark has worked with a wide variety of organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, The Coca-Cola Company, Intel Corporation, Molina Healthcare, United HealthGroup, and The International Crane Foundation, and he is a volunteer Docent at the ABQ BioPark. His articles and interviews have been featured by GreenBiz, Inside EPA, Perceptive Travel, and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Half-Earth Project. Mark is also an avid traveler who has visited over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States and he lives in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Travel tips gleaned from an embarrassingly short stay in Buenos Aires, highlighting what to expect when transferring between the EZE and AEP airports, visiting the Japanese Garden, and seeking out the best steak and choripán in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos, Aires, Argentina.
Beautiful scenery, chocolate, craft beer, alpine activities, and a European feel make Bariloche a unique city to explore during your visit to Argentina.
Everything you need to know about hiking Las Torres a Chileno Trail to the Torres del Paine viewpoint - one of the most iconic hiking trails in Patagonia, if not the world.
Travel advice for driving a rental car from El Calafate, Argentina to Torres del Paine, Chile, and back.
Glaciers, Lagoons, Car Races, DUI Checkpoints, and Meat on a Plate: Travel tips to help you make the most of your visit to El Calafate - the gateway to glaciers.
Painted burros, Photozozo, World Art Day 2024, and a restorative pit stop at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area.
Everything you need to know about visiting and crossing the Antelope Wells Port of Entry in southwestern New Mexico
During a trip to Ghana, I couldn’t resist the temptation of trying to cross the border into Togo for a long day trip from Accra, Ghana. Lucky for me, I was traveling with a like-minded friend of mine who had just completed a Peace Corps gig in Liberia, and he was happy to join me for a border crossing adventure into Togo. Here’s what we...
Driving up a winding mountain road to an elevation of 10,678 feet, in winter, is not something you’d think many people would be interested in doing, unless it involved skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing. But never underestimate the fanaticism of birders. Many birders will drive countless hours and brave all kinds of hostile weather conditions and discomfort...
After reading there was going to be a Miner’s Day festival in a ghost town in New Mexico that I’d never heard of, I knew I had to put that on my calendar. So, on a warm August afternoon, I found myself arriving in White Oaks, New Mexico to explore the historic town, spend a Friday night at the No Scum Allowed Saloon, and enjoy the 3rd Annual White Oaks...