JEMEZ SPRINGS, N.M. -- Beep Beep! These rugged red mountains look awfully familiar. Deja vu! I've seen this tawny scrubland before.

On the day you arrive in New Mexico, you will recognize it.

And not just from Road Runner cartoons.

More than 90 major films and TV shows have been shot there in the last five years, including "No Country for Old Men," which just nabbed the best picture Oscar. This is "Terminator" country, "City Slickers" country and "3:10 to Yuma" country.

Yet, the silver screen version of New Mexico is no substitute for visiting, because then how would you experience the shopping in Santa Fe or the cement tub at the Jemez Springs Bathhouse?

But before I get to the bathhouse, let's back up.

When most people think of New Mexico, they think of its glamorous capital, Santa Fe, with its fabulous galleries, opera, restaurants and private schools.

Right after that, people probably think of ski mecca Taos, or of Albuquerque, the state's biggest town, or maybe Roswell, where alien lore has become so famous that some state tourism ads feature not "Land of Enchantment" bromides but the slogan "New Mexico, Earth."

Still, the heart of New Mexico is outside the cities. The ancient pueblos. The high desert. Lean roads curving away into hidden canyons and valleys. Lonesome vistas that Albuquerque best-selling mystery novelist Tony Hillerman describes as "an ocean of sagebrush."

I picked just one small region, the Jemez Mountain Trail. From Albuquerque, you can drive the scenic byway in a day and end up in Santa Fe.

Or you can keep driving and stay forever.

My suggestion? Start in Albuquerque. I loved this unassuming city that was founded in 1706 by the Spanish. You have to fly into Albuquerque's airport anyway when flying into the state, so stay a day.

Start in the Old Town plaza. Visit both the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, then go across the street to the Atomic Museum, which focuses on nuclear science and history. Get breakfast at the Rolling in Dough Bakery. Buy handmade cards at the Old Town Card Shop. Buy a black-on-black pot on the street from native artist Diane Martinez. Try New Mexico wine at the St. Clair Bistro. Try red and green chiles at Garduno's of Mexico.

After that:

• Head north on I-25 and stop at the Sandia Tramway. The world's longest aerial tram takes you 2.7 miles from the foot of the Sandia Mountains to the very top, 10,378 feet up. The view from there? A dizzying panorama.

• Keep going up I-25 to Bernalillo . Stay the night at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort at Santa Ana Pueblo . Get a manicure or massage at the Tamaya Mist Spa (named eighth best hotel spa last year in North America by Travel + Leisure magazine).

• Next day, head west on U.S.-550. Soon, you'll break out into beautiful country and pass Zia Pueblo . Pueblo Indians have been there for centuries; there are 19 pueblos in New Mexico. (The Zia are the ones whose sun symbol is used on New Mexico's flag and license plates.)

Start looking up as the scenery turns lovely. Just like in the movies.

• Turn onto N.M. Route 4 north and drive to Jemez (HEM-ez) Pueblo, a comfy American-Indian town nestled at the foot of the stunning red-rock cliffs of the Canon de San Diego. Stop at the Walatowa Visitor Center, which has a display about the pueblo and the region.

Beyond that, the route enters the Santa Fe National Forest. If you like to fish, there are dozens of little spots to stop along the Jemez River. Another 11 miles north is Jemez Springs. It's really a resort town, but off-season it is as quiet as a siesta. And that's where you find the Jemez Springs Bathhouse, a little 1870s institution restored in the 1990s.

• Close the curtain. Scalding hot mineral water from Jemez Springs pours out of one metal tap while freezing cold mineral water pours out of the other. The water rises higher and higher while you sink lower and lower. Aah. The bathhouse has got to be the best bargain in New Mexico. Eight private bathtubs. Thirty minutes of private bliss for $10. Sulphate, potassium and calcium seep into your pores, curing all.

Now mellow, continue north to the Jemez Springs Soda Dam. The mineral-rich hot springs in the area built up over millennia to create a huge sculpture that rivals anything a New Mexico artist could create.

• Stay overnight in Jemez Springs, or continue your drive on Route 4 to the Valles Caldera National Preserve. In 2000, the U.S. government bought the caldera -- the flat, collapsed part of an ancient volcano -- for $101 million from a rancher; now it's a preserve. Past that, you head both into the ancient past and the recent past.

You can take the turnoff to the Bandelier National Monument, which takes you back in time to Anasazi cliff dwellings in the rock -- ancient man's contribution to civilization.

Or, you can stay on Route 4 into Los Alamos, the super-secretive town where the nuclear bomb was developed -- modern man's contribution to civilization.

Finally, make your way via N.M.-502 to U.S.-84/285, and south to Santa Fe.

In Santa Fe, do not miss the museums -- the Georgia O'Keeffe with its nearsighted flowers, the Wheelwright Indian Museum (the jewelry!), and my favorite, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Shop if you dare to part with your money.

While in New Mexico, wait for the late afternoon light, and take a lot of pictures, especially of things that are blue and red. When you get your pictures back, you'll see why this state is a moviemaker's favorite.

But when actress Jessica Alba made "The Eye" there recently, she did not endear herself to New Mexicans.

The reason? In a video interview, she called Albuquerque dull, good only for going to Wal-Mart or Applebee's. That ticked off the residents, even though later it turned out that Alba may have meant Alamogordo, not Albuquerque .

My idea? Someone in New Mexico should have fed the actress some green and red chiles and taken her to the Jemez Springs Bathhouse.

GETTING THERE: The Albuquerque airport is the state's largest and most centrally located.

WHERE TO STAY:

($ = UNDER $100; $$ = UNDER $150; $$$ = OVER $150)

In Jemez Springs, try the cozy Jemez Mountain Inn ($-$$, www.jemezmtninn.com , 888-819-1075).

In Albuquerque, the Holiday Inn Express Airport is a great deal and about 10 minutes from Old Town ($, www.holidayinn.com , 505-247-1500).

North of Albuquerque , try the luxurious Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo ($$$, www.tamaya.hyatt.com , 505-867-1234). In Santa Fe, try Garrett's Desert Inn near the plaza ($$, www.garrettsdesertinn.com , 505-982-1851) or the upscale La Fonda on the plaza ($$$, www.lafondasantafe.com , 505-982-5511).

WHERE TO EAT:

New Mexican food is talked about by tourists long after they go home. A couple of suggestions:

In Albuquerque try Garduno's of Mexico (it's a chain; see www.gardunosrestaurants.com).

In Santa Fe try Tia Sophia's ("The absolute best Santa Fe huevos rancheros," says former coworker and Santa Fe native Emiliana Sandoval. "It's where the locals eat." 505-983-9880). Also try the Rio Chama Steakhouse near the State Capitol (www.riochamasteakhouse.com , 505-955-0765).

In Jemez Springs, Try the very casual Los Ojos Restaurant and Saloon (575 -829-3547).

FILM LOCATIONS:

The big-budget "Terminator: Salvation" will shoot in New Mexico this year. It's part of a boom in Hollywood films shot in the state.

To find New Mexico locations where films like "No Country for Old Men," "City Slickers" or "Lonesome Dove" were shot, see www.imdb.com/Sections/Locations .

You also can check the site for shooting locations for any movie in any state or country.

ATTRACTIONS:

Albuquerque has a pretty Old Town area for shopping (www.albuquerqueoldtown.com , 505-319-4087). Also visit the National Atomic Museum (www.atomicmuseum.com , 505-242-2137); Albuquerque Museum of Art & History (www.cabq.gov/museum , 505-243-7255) and the 3-year-old Balloon Museum (www.balloonmuseum.com , 505-768-6020).

Sandia Peak Tramway offers a 2.7-mile tram ride all year round, 11,000 feet up. It's $17.50 , $15 for seniors/teens and $10 for ages 5-12; under 5 free (www.sandiapeak.com , 505-856-7325).

Jemez Mountain Trail: A great source for information is the Sandoval County Web site, which also has a free visitors guide (www.sandovalcounty.org , 800-252-0191).

Jemez Springs Bathhouse: Travelers have been using the hot springs there for more than a century. The 1870s-era bathhouse was remodeled in the 1990s, but it's still very basic. $10 for 30 minute soak. Massage and other treatments also available (www.jemezspringsbathhouse.com , 866-204-8303).

Bandelier National Monument: Visitors center, Indian dwellings, ruins and petroglyphs from about AD 1,000-1500 (www.nps.gov/band , 505-672-0343).

Santa Fe will be 400 years old in 2010. Don't miss its main plaza and the shopping. Hundreds of galleries and museums; three I liked are the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (www.okeeffemuseum.org , 505-946-1000); the poignant Museum of American Indian Arts and Culture (www.miaclab.org , 505-476-1250), and the small but attractive Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian (www.wheelwright.org , 505-982-4636).

Famous Festivals: Albuquerque skies will be filled with balloons at the International Balloon Fiesta, Oct. 4-12, 2008 (www.balloonfiesta.com ). Santa Fe's most famous events are its International Folk Art Market, July 12-13, 2008, (www.folkartmarket.org ) and Indian Market, August 23-24, 2008 (www.swaia.org ) .

FOR MORE:

Get free 2008 visitors guides from these sources:

Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau: www.itsatrip.org or 800-284-2282.

Santa Fe Visitors Convention & Bureau: www.santafe.org or 800-777-2489.

State of New Mexico Tourism: www.nmtourism.org or 800-733-6396.