If places could hold elected office, I'd nominate Bernardo for Secretary of State. Cool, efficient, effective -- Bernardo has what it takes to whip us all into shape.

• COUNTY:  Socorro
• LOCATION:  25 miles north of Socorro
• NAME ORIGIN:  Named for a friend of John Becker, a merchant in Belen

    Don't mistake Bernardo for just another interstate trading post. Bernardo shuns the in-your-face roadside come-ons of its brethren like Separ and Akela. Too undignified; crass, even. Bernardo has style. Note the elegantly-painted adobe front, the shining gas pump, the neatly-stocked shelves. Need a roll of film?  There's only one left -- but it's exactly the one you were looking for. A stock of Carizozo cider, matches, playing cards, combs, everything a traveler might require. And not a speck of dust in the place.

    Lest you forget your etiquette, Bernardo reminds you (discretely) that every purchase you make helps keep the bathrooms clean. (You weren't just here for the bathroom anyway, were you?) And they definitely are clean, as befits such an efficient world. The gas pump works. A jug of water is available for your car's engine for $1. Whatever you need is right here for you, in its rightful place. In Bernardo, hospital corners and spit shines are the order of the day.

    You want dirt and grime?  You want tacky inventory? You want sloppiness? Go elsewhere. You want order and polish?  Come to Bernardo. Exact change preferred.