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New Mexican doorway, opened to mountain view.

Every doorway, every intersection has a story. ~ Katherine Dunn

No, the city of Las Cruces isn’t flush with must-see landmarks like Rome, Paris, or New York.

There’s not a single famous statue standing in the harbor.

There’s no harbor.

But it does have plenty of private residences with doors and entryways designed with architectural details distinctive to New Mexico. They keep me entertained on these early morning walks and tell the history of the region.

My favorite doorways lead to courtyards. 

I wonder about the beauty hidden inside and muse on the marriage of cultures I can see from the outside. 

The rounded arch and soft contours of this modern home is a nod to Pueblo architecture. But the distressed and substantial-looking wooden door is like those seen in Extremadura, Spain, an area from which many early settlers in New Mexico hailed.

Wooden New Mexican doorway.

Lots of houses display posts with diagonal channels carved into them.

Wooden New Mexican doorway and carved post.

Spotting canales instead of gutters near the roof of this next home reminds me that we, too, now live in a home equipped with canales ~ spouts to direct rainwater away from the house. 

New Mexican doorway, opened to mountain view.

And here’s the best thing about this doorway: It’s open, so you can look straight through and see the Organs, a portion of the awesomeness that drew me here

What buildings or shops would you include on a short walking tour of your city?