Some people think the expression “tourist trap” is a bad thing. They have visions of scads of stores chockablock with kitschy tchotchkes, T-shirts with clichés on them (if all you got as a souvenir present is that stupid T-shirt, you really should be grateful), Christmas ornaments ever-present in the middle of July and spectacular attractions that boggle the mind (world’s largest ball of twine, anyone?).

But that negative connotation doesn’t serve much purpose in places where being trapped — tourist or not — would not be a terrible thing. Red River, N.M., is such a place. As much as this tiny town of 450 year-round residents relies so heavily on tourist dollars to keep it vibrant and viable, its history makes it a charming hamlet in northern New Mexico that seems like it wouldn’t have a lot going on, but appearances can be deceiving.

Surprise village

As you head northwest out of the more famous Taos, N.M., you begin to wend through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The relatively narrow canyon is rugged and beautiful; belying any notions that so much of New Mexico is a high-desert oasis with a landscape only of buttes, mesas, pinon and juniper. While driving, it’s hard to believe that a town of 450 exists in a narrow canyon. But some 12 miles up New Mexico Highway 38, there it sits. Bam! Right in the middle of the Sangre de Cristos, the land flattens enough to support a tourist trap that blends contemporary living with its mining history.

You could say that Red River is the kind of town with its cards on the table, so to speak. Because of it geographical location, much of the town’s offerings are viewable from Main Street. Obvious clues about its mining past come from the actual river — the town’s namesake — that snakes through. From the north flow Mallette and Bitter creeks; from the south flow Pioneer and Placer creeks. And on the south side of the mountains is a sight somewhat rare in the United States: a ski resort right on Main Street.

Some buildings in town have taken on the European chalet look, reminding residents that Red River offers some of northern New Mexico’s better winter fun. While that Swiss look appears on one building (the Sitzmark is a good example), next door at a place like Frye’s Old Town the look is entirely different. It’s Old West incarnate. You walk by and half-expect a tight-jean-wearing-chap-covered-gun-totin’ cowboy to stroll out into the afternoon sun and either properly tips his hat or draws his pistol and incites a showdown. Actually, this is where this writer discloses reality from fantasy: while it admittedly would be a blast to see a real showdown go on, it is, after all, 2007 and that kind of behavior in most towns is slim to none, even when Slim himself is in town, Frye’s Old Town does put on a fake gunfight during the summer months. The good guys take on the bad guys. You guess who wins.

Off the main drag, many roads remain unpaved. Ski lodges are ever-present, some even sitting right at the base of a run or a ski lift — as is the case at Copper King Lodge. The lodge was built right on the Red River and at the base of the Copper Chair Life. Skiers who stay at the Copper King can literally leave their room, walk a few paces and immediately get on the chair lift.

Such is the life in Red River. It’s easy. It’s slow-paced. It’s convenient.

Texas draw, family fun

More than anything else, Red River has come to be defined by two things: a retreat for Texans and a family-centric town. Of those two, one has come naturally and the other was planned.

According to the Red River Chamber of Commerce, the majority of the town’s tourists and part-time residents come from Texas and Oklahoma. It’s obvious when people speak. Many have the slow, friendly drawl. Whether you can tell if it’s Texan or Oklahoman is a bit of a task (hint: more Texans visit Red River).

In fact, says business owner Mike Julian, 80 percent of tourists is from Texas — and Amarillo — a six-hour drive — more specifically. The blur of state lines is evident in the town’s newspaper, the Red River Miner. In a recent issue, the paper’s editorial lamented the change in starting and ending school-year dates in Amarillo. In it, editorial writers express concern about how changing the dates will affect the arrival of tourists from Texas. Concerned that it will hit hotel and lodge owners in the pocketbook, the editorial points out how ticked off Texas residents are at the Amarillo school district for cutting into their Red River summer.

“Texas parents that I’ve talked to have some rather colorful comments about the nature of adult mental processes involved in self-government seen at the level of educational institutions,” the editorial says.

If the local newspaper covering the Red River community is getting riled up about what’s going on 370 miles away, you learn how serious Texans are about their summer hideaway.

“Ah, everybody’s from Texas,” Julian exclaims when pointing out that everyone in town seems to be a transplant. He’s proud of it, too.

Julian owns Mike’s Fun Place, an outdoor park on Main Street where kids can ride Pepe the mechanical bull, get tricky on the bungee power jumps or put on a harness and take the challenge of one of the levels of the 24-foot climbing wall. Julian really loves his job. And Red River. A native of Amarillo, he moved to the town five years ago after working on a plan to start a business in a small town that would sustain him during the low tourist season. So far, he’s made it. For that he attributes the fact that Red River caters to families.

Not only has the town marketed itself as family-friendly, it has continually worked to live up to the name. Julian points out that every weekend there is a handful events taking place that families can participate in. And recently, the Red River Community House — a place built in 1942 to serve as a meeting place for all kinds of community events — hired Kyle Knighton, family and children’s activity director. Knighton takes on the new seasonal position with a lot of familiarity about kids and Red River.

Knighton, a 21-year-old student at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has been spending summers in Red River for as long as he’s been alive. His grandparents built a cabin there 40 years ago, and the family made the town its summer destination since then. So Knighton attests to how much Red River makes sure delivers to family entertainment.

“I’d say only 30 percent of the kids in my programs are locals,” says Knighton. “The rest are summer tourists just like I have been growing up.”

Knighton offers all kind of kids activities, from boatbuilding and races, volleyball, hiking and sitting around the campfire eating s’mores and sharing stories. “Goofy” stories, Knighton adds. “Then when the first dies down we all go inside the hall and we dance. We square dance, we line dance and we even do the hokey pokey.”

To Knighton, this is the kind of life he thinks is ideal for vacationing families. “It feels simple. It is simple. That’s why everyone loves the title of Red River being family-oriented.”

Mining history aside, the town plays a big role in family histories, says Mayor Linda Calhoun. “It is not uncommon to find third and fourth general families that have grown up coming to Red River and are now bringing their children and grandchildren,” she says.

Calhoun also is a Texas native. She grew up in Haskell, but spent her childhood summers in Red River. She moved to the town in 1978, and she and her former husband owned a lodge. Calhoun became increasingly active in the community and was elected to mayor in 2006. Her term expires in 2010. She says 30 years ago, her current husband served on the first incarnation of the Red River Town Council and went on to serve as mayor. Because of her familiarity, Calhoun says she feels like a Red River native, not a resident of only 20 years.

Not much has changed during the years he’s spent in Red River, Knighton says. “In all 20 years of my life, it has been a safe, little family community. It does seems more crowded in the summer.”

It’s mostly true that the town has changed little during the past couple of decades. But as Calhoun explains, Red River faces challenges like any other growing and fluctuating tourist town does. It just responds to it in a slower pace because even though the population is 450, the town provides service for 5,000 to 10,000 people — when high tourist season hits. “That always causes a strain on our budget. We depends heavily on lodgers tax and gross receipt taxes and are always looking for ways to increase our tourist business.”

A proud accomplishment during Calhoun’s tenure as mayor, she says, is improving the relationship between the Chamber of Commerce and the town government. She points out that because Red River is so dependent on money from tourists, the town relies on healthy business and economy to pay for services. Calhoun says because of the town’s topography, vacant land for construction is scarce. This means real-estate prices are high and tax revenue is key to paying for government projects. Right now, the town is trying to figure out a way to build a bigger fire station to accommodate fire equipment, which is stored outside and being worn out by weather.

But Calhoun doesn’t paint a gloomy picture of Red River. Rather, she praises its accomplishments and seems genuinely confident that organizations and residents can preserve what it now offers. It’s one of those towns that can count on repeat customers — generation after generation. Knighton is proof.

“Red River is this little bitty jewel. If everybody came, it would grow too much. But I can understand why tourists like it here. I have to say that coming here since I was a little kid, it has fostered a deep live of the mountains and hiking in me,” he says.

Things to do in Red River

Family vacations to a family-oriented destination can be the memorable moments in family life. If you choose Red River, N.M., bets are that you’ll find one of the most satisfying places for family fun. There is a load of ongoing events for kids and parents in this high-altitude tourist trap. So, here are some ideas to get you started. Jessica Gillis, right, takes her kids, Tristin, 11, and Carson, 6, for a ride on a pedal bike in Red River. Rent a Rickshaw Bicycle-style, of course. This is one of the best ways to see the small town and get some exercise. Mom, dad and a couple of kids fit into a covered pedi-cab that you can rent by the hour from Sitzmark Sports. Ski or Hike the Mountain Red River Ski and Ride Area is a small but enticing mountain where you can ski in the winter and hike or ride in the summer. Named one of the “Top Ten Ski Resorts for All Reasons” by Sunset Magazine in December 2006, the area is a blast from the past. In the winter the resort makes snow and has some modernized equipment, but otherwise the mountain is stood still in time. That’s the appeal. There are no high-falutin’ attitudes on the slopes and families don’t feel threatened by obnoxious uber-athletes throwin’ it down. The ski area rises to 10,350 feet in elevation, averages 214 inches of snowfall each year, has four double chairs, two triple chairs and one surface tow rope that take you to 57 trails (30 percent expert, 38 percent intermediate and 32 percent beginner). During summer months, you can take one of those lifts to the top of the mountain and you can hike down, if you choose. The Ski Tip restaurant also remains open during the summer for lunch and drinks. Mountain Bike The huge surrounding mountains should be the only obvious clue that mountain biking in and around Red River is some of the best in northern New Mexico. There are dozens of trails to ride. Among them is the Enchanted Forest Cross Country ski area (pick up a map at Miller’s Crossing), the two-mile long singletrack Red River Nature Trail (watch for and stop to read the markers along the route that explain the town’s history), and Red River ski area (sorry, experts only here on the steep, rocky terrain). Hike The mountains win again. Pick up trail maps at the Visitor’s Center and take advantage of all of the hiking spots in the Sangre de Cristos. The cave of an abandoned mine sits just outside Red River. Explore Placer Creek Placer Creek is a trail that lets you see the history of the area’s mining days. If you drive the trail, make sure you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Start at Goose Lake Road and continue the route to see 13 interesting points along the way. The tour is eight miles, but with the stops to see the mining spots, it’ll take you nearly a full day to complete it. Pick up a brochure, map included, at the Visitor’s Center. Explore Pioneer Canyon Trail This is another trail that lets you see the remnants of Red River’s mining days. The three-mile long tour takes you to 16 points, which include actual mines and tunnels, log cabins and an abandoned hunting-lodge construction project. The first 2BD miles are passable for 2-wheel drive cars. Then you hit a ford that requires 4-wheel-drive. Pick up a brochure, map included, at the Visitor’s Center or history museum. Visit the Red River Community House The Community House has a long list of events that often involve the entire family. Each day there is something for someone to do, including boat building and races, volleyball, hiking, campfires, line and square dancing, doing the hokey pokey and sitting around the campfire sharing stories and eating s’mores. Find a complete list of events at www.redrivercommunityhouse.org.                   — A.M.

History of Red River

Mountains so often equal mining history. Once again in Inside/Outside’s series of Corner Towns, our visit takes us to a town where mining factors significantly into its past. Today, Red River, N.M., has a year-round population of roughly 450 people – most of them transplants from neighboring states who came to the mountainous town seeking a slower, quiet pace of life. But in Red River’s history, slow and quiet weren’t always something the town offered. Before formally establishing a town, the Red River area – so named for the flowing river through town – was a place where Ute and Jicarilla Apache American Indians roamed until about the 1880s. Next came fur trappers, running down animals to sell pelts to traders. Then came the prospectors in 1860. The gold rush in nearby Elizabethtown spurred the next decade of mining. Red River became a town in 1895. Within two years, it was a bustling scene with more than 2,000 residents, 14 saloons, one dance hall and one hotel. Most of the residents were living off the gold in them ‘thar hills. It was a good life, even if most people had signed onto the “get-rich-quick” fever. As the Red River Historical Society points out, that boom of the gold-rush era brought in colorful characters – the kind that literally made their marks on the town and are still talked about today. Such a person is Black Jack Ketchum – a rogue character who was simultaneously robber and lady charmer. During its mining heyday, Red River saw literally hundreds of gold, silver and copper mines carved into the sides of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Many of the mines operated until about 1925, when the mining industry transformed into a tough business. What saved Red River for another few years is the discovery of molybdenum, an element used when manufacturing steel that hardens and strengthens it. The first “moly” mill, still in operation, was built in 1921. By 1900, Red River’s population burst to 3,000 residents. It added another saloon, a few more hotels, two newspapers (apparently small towns make big – and lots of – news), a hospital, barbershop, sawmill and red-light district. Yet within another few years, the lights went out in Red River, so to speak, when the mining industry declined rapidly and the town was all but full of ghosts. The lights went back on in the last 1920s, when Red River became something it remains today – a “mountain playground” for tourists. Cabins sprouted up, luring summer-time vacationers a mountainous retreat. People built lodges and businesses that had the amenities of good living. And then the town made a comeback. It never has been built back up – population-wise – to what it was in the early part of the 20th century, but it certainly retains its character and charm.                              —   A.M. (The Red River Historical Society contributed to this sidebar.)

Amy Maestas is a contributing editor of Inside/Outside Southwest magazine.