Ramah residents amused by their 'up and coming' status

Ramah Lake shimmers with a quiet beauty on an unusually warm February afternoon. Frommer's, an international travel guide company, recently named Ramah, N.M. in it's "Top 10 Up and Coming Destinations for 2006," much to the surprise of local residents. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

These unusual rock formations are located just outside of Ramah, N.M., along scenic Highway 53 on the way to El Morro National Monument. Frommer's, an international travel guide company, recently named Ramah in its "Top 10 Up and Coming Destinations for 2006," much to the surprise of local residents. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

GALLUP — For those of you who haven't been to Ramah, N.M. lately for fear of being "swarmed"with tourists, Paul Merrill and Marvin Lewis have good news.

Ramah is still pretty swarm free.

However, you might want to hurry up and buy some Ramah real estate before land prices start skyrocketing.

Ramah residents Merrill, 86, and Lewis, 83, were in Gallup this week for the February meeting of the Plateau Sciences Society. The men were invited to give a presentation about their hometown in light of the recent media attention the former Mormon pioneer community has received after being named a top travel destination by an international travel guidebook company.

In December 2005, Frommer's released its "Top 10 Up and Coming Destinations for 2006." Ramah, which has just over 400 residents, was listed number nine, just after Molokai, Hawaii and before Tasmania, Australia. Other top ten sites include Amador County, Calif.; Belem, Brazil; Charleston, S.C.; Glasgow, Scotland; Goa, India; the Kenyan Game Parks; and Margarita, Venezuela.

"We've selected 10 places that are coming into their own; they're not swarmed with tourists, and travelers can still find bargains to get there," stated Frommer's. The company reportedly publishes more than 300 different guidebooks and sells more than 2.5 million guides per year. It also publishes on online travel website, which is where the Top 10 list was released.

About Ramah, which Frommer's called a "city," the guide stated: "The diverse culture and history surrounded by open prairies and pink buttes is why we have selected Ramah, New Mexico as an up and coming destination. The city itself is rich with Mormon history, although the mix of ancestral roots from Spanish settlers to Texan bean farmers can be seen. Bordered by the Zuni and Ramah Navajo Reservations, the intense pride for their heritage seems to radiate everywhere. The El Morro National Monument is a centuries old collection of messages inscribed on a sandstone rock by Native Americans, Spaniards and other travelers."

After the Top 10 list was released, the Albuquerque Journal published a humorous article about Ramah's newfound fame, and locals found themselves being interviewed by an Albuquerque television news crew.

Even the University of New Mexico is now getting in on the act. For $89, a granddaughter of one of Ramah's early settlers is offering a one-day tour of Ramah for the university's Continuing Education program.

Merrill and Lewis may not give all-day tours, but they are willing to share their extensive knowledge of the town's Mormon history. The two men helped to establish Ramah's small museum, which is located in a century-old rock house on a shady street corner. The museum is generally open for few hours each Friday and Saturday.

During the PSS meeting, Merrill and Lewis did share some of that history, and they also offered a few observations about the Frommer's listing. In particular, they were amused by the guide's final paragraph about Ramah.

"A Must: The Ramah Farmers Market, where locals bring lettuce, spinach, beets, onions and carrots sit on tables and in bins amid the honey-like scent of flowers happens every weekend," the guide states. "Stop to enjoy a hazelnut cookie or raspberry tarts. Live guitar music lilts out across irrigated fields where horses and cattle graze."

Although a bit grammatically awkward, the description is rather romantic and alluring.

One slight problem with the description, Merrill pointed out, is that the Ramah Farmers Market only operates during two months of the year.

But if the hazelnut cookies or raspberry tarts aren't available, Lewis has Plan B figured out. He encouraged all visitors locals as well as swarming tourists to stop at the Stagecoach Cafe, one of Ramah's two restaurants. "I think you all ought to go there," he joked, "my son owns it."