The phrase Go west still has significance for the city of Albuquerque in the southwestern state of New Mexico. That way lies unhindered expansion out into the desert towards majestic Mount Taylor rising above the high mesa  with its snow-capped peak.

The city is bounded on the east by the Sandia Mountain ranges that rise up some 11,000 ft.  To the north, Native American reservation lands and rapidly-growing Rio Rancho our sister city restrict expansion. South of Albuquerque, the airport and air force bases form another barrier. Only to the west, skirting the sacred protected areas of the National Pertoglyph Monument does expansion seem possible.

And that expansion is underway. I marvel at the daily changes as bulldozers, earthmovers, and concrete mixers transform the open spaces of the westside into new construction, new homes, instant urban centers. West is the only way to go.