New Mexico: Travel Highlights

/

New Mexico is known as the ‘Land of Enchantment’ for good reason- natural beauty abounds, it’s historically significant and culturally so unique. We had it listed on our domestic travel bucket list for the longest time, so jumped at the chance to visit when our good friends recently moved to Albuquerque. Since having returned and shared the trip on my social channels as I always do, I’ve found that it’s an underrated part of the US that most people don’t have on their radar. And this is despite Santa Fe being at the top of several 2019 destination lists from Travel + Leisure and Forbes, and White Sands being an Instagram favorite! I figured I would do my part in illuminating this beautiful state with this NM travel guide/recap post. Read on for our trip highlights as well as some spots we couldn’t fit into our itinerary this time that YOU should. 😊

  1. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Think low-key Cappadocia vibes. The unique tent rock formations common to both locations form from ages of erosion and make for the coolest views! We attempted to hike the Slot Canyon Trail for the best elevated views of the landscape, but on a 100F desert day, we lasted all of 30 mins before scurrying back to our car. 😅Lesson learned: avoid the heat by going in the winter or very early in the day and bring lotsss of water!

Romper: thrifted c/o thredup | hat: old, forever 21 | Shoes: Adidas

2. SANTA FE

Did you know that Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the US? A combination of history and culture gives it the moniker The City Different, and the truth is… I couldn’t pick a better nickname if I tried! Also at the foothills of the Sangro de Cristo mountains at a cool and breezy ~7100 ft above sea level, this Spanish colonial adobe dream of a city felt like we’d left the country and flown a good long way to, say, South America or the Mediterranean.😍

Only a 30 minute drive from ABQ, we ended up here on three different days- once to stroll around Santa Fe Plaza on a sleepy weekday afternoon (the Governors Plaza, New Mexico History Museum, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi are my top recs here), another time to experience local unknown resident George RR Martin’s art collective Meow Wolf (it is a psychedelic TRIP- go!) and a third time for weekend brunching at La Plazuela & shopping the Native Indian markets (order the Tamarind Margarita and buy all of the handmade things, respectively!).

Something that isn’t usually my priority but may be yours- Santa Fe is a world renowned art town! Art galleries are aplenty on Canyon Road and tons of art museums including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum live on Museum Hill.

And there’s a second fun fact about Santa Fe that I’d have appreciated in my 20s- there exists such a thing as a Margarita trail! See, Santa Fe is the first city in the world to import tequila from Mexico and Margaritas have since become so inventive and popular that you can now find all the best spots (Read as: spicy) on a trail around town. Know anyone planning a bachelorette/bachelor party? 😉   

dress: thrifted | necklaces: old | bag: old, H&M | Shoes: c/o Tkees

dress: amazon

3. Taos Pueblo

Hands down the most rewarding experience of our NM travels was our visit to Taos Pueblo! Make a ~3h drive from ABQ to Taos, and what you’ll find is a charming art-loving town at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains with access to the high desert and some amazing ski slopes.
I mean, What. A. Combo!!!
While I could veritably go back just to channel my wannabe artsy self and experience the spa resorts that all of the serious travel sites have been signing praises of lately, the must-do in my books that we tackled in our one day there was visiting Taos Pueblo. This UNESCO world heritage site is home to the Taos Native American tribes, first established between 1000-1450 AD and continuously occupied to this day. Walking around the 1000+ y/o multistoried adobe structure and talking to various members of the 19 inhabitant tribes, it felt like I was grabbing at history with greedy hands while simultaneously watching it fall through the cracks of my fingers. Is it okay that these indigenous communities have a Visitors Center as the entrance? No. Am I glad that I was able to absorb their culture into my knowledge before even that is made impossible? Definitely, yes.

Top: c/o ann taylor | pants: c/o burkes outlet | sunglasses: old | shoes: c/o express factory outlet

4. Old TOWN ALbuquerque

When we weren’t roadtripping, we were at our friends’ home in ABQ, relaxing with their adorable pupper and catching up on life stuff like friends do. On the last day when all the time on the road had caught up to us, an easy option was to explore Old Town ABQ. One last yummy brunch of margaritas, fry bread and chile at Church Street Café, lazy wanderings through the many locally owned boutiques, heart-eyed photo stops at the ubiquitous adobe architecture- the perfect goodbye. ☺️

Another popular thing to do in ABQ is to ride the Sandia Peak Tram for the best vantage point of the region. We tried and failed after underestimating the lines on a holiday weekend at sunset, so make sure to account for wait times on weekends/holidays! Lastly, I’d have also loved to spend a day at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and check out the Petroglyph National Monument (!), but time had runneth out.

dress: thrifted c/o thredup | sandals: thrifted | hat: old

5-8. The remainder of the wishlist for next time!

If you hadn’t considered New Mexico as a vacation destination until now, I hope that this guide bumped it up a notch on your list! I know I’m going back a second time to finish what I began this first time- fully experiencing all that the Land of Enchantment has to offer. ❤️

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week ahead!
XO Sushmitha :)