Where is No Man's Land?

No Man's Land

For the purposes of this blog, No Man's Land is a geographical sub-region within the US Great Plains region. It is made up of 55 counties from 5 different states (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). The default borders of this region are 4 highways, to the South is I-40, to the East US 183, to the North US 50, and to the West is I-25. Could this region be expanded upon? Absolutely, one could argue that the larger High Plains region which stretches from the Canadian border to the Mexican border could all be called No Man's Land or the Badlands, etc. However for this blog this described area will be known as No Man's Land.

The grouping of these counties into a sovereign sub-region is based in part through their shared economies, populations, physical geography, climate, culture and the common struggles of all being mostly isolated, sparsely populated, rural counties. Although this region is home to major metropolitans (Amarillo, TX and Pueblo, CO); both are located on the fringe of the region's borders and while they can be considered the two economic centers of the overall sub-region, they do not dictate or control the area's overall characteristics. Outside of the two metros, there is a host of micropolitian cities ranging in population from 10,000 to around 25,000 and a grouping of smaller cities with populations under 10,000, but over 2,000. However the vast majority of communities within No Man's Land are small towns with populations under 2,000, and most under 1,000.

The idea behind this tourism blog is to cast light upon these so-called "castoff counties" and give them a positive forum where their hospitality, communities, services, and culture can be evaluated and accessed by those who wish to not just "pass through", but rather explore one of the last great blank spots within the continental US. Out here you can see all of the stars at night while the coyotes really do howl. The sun sets behind the horizon not a skyscraper as time passes with dignity, not hurried along with anxious haste. The natural splendor of our canyons, gorges, lakes, mesas, grasslands, plateaus, sand dunes, and agricultural fields will astound you and make you want to take a picture to remember a landscape that time seems to have forgotten. Explorers are wanted and needed in this New West.