Hi guys, welcome to my annual birthday trip! This is the first time I have been able to go out of town longer since I was in graduate school last year!
Originally, I was supposed to go to Glacier National Park near the Montana/Canadian border and I had to cancel it. There is a main road the runs west to east (and vice versa) called Going to the Sun Road and it is usually open the last week in June. Due to a last minute heavy snowstorm that came through, the park officials announced it would not be open in time for the 4th of July holiday or the week of the 4th! My tour reservation was on the 6th and I still really wanted to go somewhere for my birthday. I think in the future if I do decide to go I’ll do it in late July/early August. This whole experience was a huge lesson for me!
Cost
After getting refunds/credits galore, I ended up being $180 ahead for my 5-day New Mexico trip! Here is a breakdown:
AA Flight: $418 (full credit paid for it)
Rental Car from Budget: $250 (half of the Turo refund covered it)
Airbnb: $236 (Airbnb refund + the other half of the Turo refund covered it)
Why New Mexico?
So why New Mexico? Here’s the thing: I have traveled so much of the western U.S. and I didn’t want to go to the east, south or midwest due to the hot weather, flight cancellations due to the lack of crew/pilots and if bad weather occurred. The western part of the country isn’t having it as bad like the other regions. Even the AA lady on the phone when I was getting my airline credit told me to avoid those areas!
So I had to look at the western part of the country again. I even looked at middle of nowhere places in Washington state and Oregon but it wasn’t going to be worth it with the high airline cost! Then a co-worker recommended New Mexico and I was shocked to see how amazing the prices were (as you can see from above). I always toyed with New Mexico but I was never desperate to ever visit it. This trip I visited Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. In the future I might fly into El Paso and tour the Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park but in cooler months!
Weather
When I booked the trip, the weather said it was going to be in the 70s. That was far from true. It was mostly in the 90s and even got above 100 on another day! Because it was so hot, I opted out to hike to the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque and the Bandelier National Monument in Santa Fe. I wish I could’ve and on top of that, I ended up burning myself badly on the ski lift ride when I was to Taos and Red River on one of the days.
Elevation
The elevation in Santa Fe is at 7,199 feet while the elevation is Albuquerque is at 5,312 feet and Taos at 6,969 feet. Everyone I met in Santa Fe kept talking about how it could take about 2 weeks to adjust to the elevation (e.g., drinking, sleep, sun, etc.). I say this because this is one of the reasons why I burned so badly and I did have a hard time sleeping the first couple of nights. It’s so strange because I have been to high elevation destinations before and it has never affected me this badly! I also think this is in combination with the sun. My best advice if you visit in the summertime is to stay super hydrated!
Day 1 – Tuesday, July 5
My flight was at 8am out of LAX and was only 1 hour and 45 minutes to ABQ Sunport! Below is a photo of a petroglyph in one of the fields and the “Welcome to Albuquerque” sign.
My first stop in Albuquerque was at the Spaceship UFO House in the Nob Hill area that I found on Atlas Obscura. I love this site because it always has fun and unique spots to check out! The house was designed by eclectic architect Bart Prince in the 1980s and is made of metal. You can also see his metal sculptures just outside the house!
Next I made my way downtown and came across this unique street art. “Somos Unidos” means “We are United” in English and is also a nonprofit benefitting New Mexicans.
Just around the corner was my first museum of the day: the Turquoise Museum ($20). The museum has been family-owned for 5 generations and touches on every subject about turquoise, including the different world regions it comes from. The stone is truly gorgeous! Aside from the jewelry and statues, the most interesting pieces I saw were a chandelier, mask and the most famous piece, the George Washington stone, which has Washington’s face naturally embodied into the turquoise!
You can check out the video of the turquoise on my Instagram page under the “ABQ” highlights!
The next museum was in Old Town Albuquerque called the Rattlesnake Museum ($7), which hosts 34 rattlesnakes in North America as well as a tarantulas and scorpions. It was cool yet intimidating at the same time!
You can check out the video of some of the snakes slithering away or staring down at me under the “ABQ” highlights on my Instagram page!
Next I walked around Old Town Albuquerque to do some shopping! The town was founded in 1706 and has about 150 shops, restaurants and galleries! My favorite part was the architecture and I felt like I was a part of history! I was also in red chile heaven. 🙂
You can check out the video of a man playing a pan flute on my Instagram page under the “ABQ” highlights!
I also walked by the San Felipe de Neri Church built in the 1800s! It was closed to the public but I loved the adobe architecture! The church is also on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places list.
Also in the Old Town area was the Breaking Bad Store which hosts a mini gift shop and museum (free) dedicated to the series. I never saw all of the episodes but this store is a must see for all die hard fans!
My last stop in the area was at Downshift Brewing where I had a flight that consisted of a Lager, Kölsch, Pilsner and Watermelon Cider all for $10! My favorite was the Lager, it was so refreshing with it being so hot out!
I wanted to try and snap a photo of the Rio Grande River and a patron at the bar had recommended the Rio Grande Nature Park. Unfortunately, the heat was getting to be too unbearable plus there was a long hike to the river, so I snapped a photo of the Sandia Mountains instead.
Speaking of the mountains, something I unfortunately did not have time to do was go on the Sandia Peak Tramway which takes you up 10,378 feet for a panoramic view of Albuquerque. It is closed on Tuesdays!
Atlas Obscura had also told me about the gravesite for Walter White from “Breaking Bad,” so I drove over to Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and took a photo of it in the shopping area along with a mural of Al Capone.
My final museum of the day was at the Balloon Museum ($6) where the annual International Balloon Festival is held in October. Ballooning goes back to the late 1700s and visitors can learn all about the history, science, sport and art of ballooning!
You can check out the video of the inside and field areas on my Instagram page under the “ABQ” highlights!
After completing all of my tourist spots for the day, I headed over to El Patron Mexican Restaurant for a Casa de Patron House Margarita, Casa Azul Margarita and took advantage of the $2 Taco Tuesday à la carte special, where I got a shredded beed, shredded chicken and fish taco. The total cost for all of this was $25, which I thought was a steal compared to LA! I would definitely recommend this place!
Afterwards, I drove an hour to Santa Fe where I was staying at my Airbnb for my trip.
Day 2 – Wednesday, July 6
Today was my birthday and I turned 42! 🙂 It honestly didn’t even feel like my birthday as I was so busy running around town touring different museums and architecture! I am really enjoying these 40s so far and I can’t wait to see what this next year brings!
I woke up, showered and got on the road by 9am. I was so tired from traveling the night before! I found Angel’s Coffee Shop after reading the 5 star reviews on Yelp. I got myself a Dirty Chai Tea Latte and a Breakfast Sandwich. Thank god the coffee was strong because I definitely needed a picker upper!
My first touristy stop of the day was at the Santa Fe State Capitol which serves at the main body of government for America’s 47th state. It is also the oldest capital city in the U.S. dating back to the 1800s! It also holds the Governor’s Gallery and the Capitol Art Collection on the House and Senate sides.
Next I headed over downtown to my first museum of the day: the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum ($18). O’Keeffe was a famous abstract artist in the early 1900s and painted flowers, seashells, New York skyscrapers and other scenic images from around New Mexico. She died in 1986 and her artwork is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend visiting it!
Next I headed over to the New Mexico History Museum ($12) to learn more about New Mexico’s rich history from the Old Santa Fe Trail and first settlers to the religion and pottery. Attached to the history museum is the famous Palace of the Governors where administration meetings have been held since the 1600s! It is also on the National Register of Historic Places list.
I then walked over to the St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, an adobe church that was constructed in the late 1800s and was honored by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 for its importance in Catholicism. There’s even a statue of my saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, since she was canonized by the church in 2012!
Afterwards, I met up with my co-worker Mark, who lives in the city. We went to La Fonda, one of the historic hotels in the plaza area, and ate lunch at La Plazuela. I ordered myself a House Margarita, Mango Gazpacho with cucumber pepper relish and the Sorbet Trio that was on the house after the waiter learned it was my birthday! This was the first time I have ever had a Gazpacho (cold soup) and I am in love with it! It was very light, citrusy and had a mild spice to it, perfect for lunch!
Afterwards, Mark offered to show me the Santa Fe River Park and the mini waterfall that was attached to it. There was also a log sculpture parallel to the river called the Bee Motel where bees live in a metal box filled with paper and bamboo straws with tiny holes. There were a lot of flowers around so the bees can help pollinate them!
You can check out the video of the waterfall on my Instagram page under the “Santa Fe Pt. 1” highlights section!
Next we drove up a hill so that I could see the Cross of the Martyrs which was constructed in the early 1990s honoring the deaths of 21 Friars during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The cross had a similar resemblance to the Serra Cross when I lived in Ventura County, so it brought back some memories of when I would hike up to Grant Park.
You can check out the scenic panoramic view on my Instagram page under the “Santa Fe Pt. 1” highlights section!
Mark and I then parted ways and I headed over to the Oldest House Museum (aka De Vargas Street House)(free), which is an adobe house dating back to 1200 CE! It is considered the oldest house in America and on the National Register of Historic Places list!
Next door to the Oldest House is the San Miguel Chapel which is one of the oldest adobe Catholic chapels dating back 800-1300 CE! This is also on the National Register of Historic Places list!
Atlas Obscura had mentioned a neat art sculpture of an 82-foot whale made from recycled plastic called Ethyl the Whale over by the Santa Fe Community College, so of course I had to check it out! I think this is one of the most impressive pieces of artwork that I have seen in a long time. It’s a slight drive out of downtown but worth it!
My final museum of the day was an immersive art experience called Meow Wolf ($44), which is a 70 room experience filled with digital, neon lights, furniture, paintings, artifacts and even a house as people try to uncover and follow a storyline (I had no clue what it even was and I didn’t care, I just wanted to walk and shoot photos of the rooms!). It is a bit pricey but the experience is incredible: you climb stairs in a house and a tree house, walk into refrigerators, crawl on the ground, etc…it reminded me of a Halloween experience I had as a kid! I would say go, it was so much fun!
You can also check out the videos of the experience of my Instagram page under the “Santa Fe Pt. 2” highlights section!
After my very long day of touring museums and being immersed in art, I headed over to the Santa Fe Railyard for a Kölsch beer at Second Street Brewery ($4). It was so refreshing and had a slight after taste to it after being in the hot sun all day!
My birthday dinner for the evening was at Boxcar where I ordered the Boxcar Lager and the Sautéed Lemon Chicken with mashed potatoes and broccolini in a lemon caper sauce. It felt good to have a well-balanced meal after eating Southwestern food for 2 days! I also got a complimentary birthday cheesecake.
On the street back to my Airbnb I saw this adorable hummingbird sculpture. I considered this a good omen as I turned 42!
Day 3 – Thursday, July 7
Today was the day I went to Taos to view the architecture, landmarks, a gorge and ski resort area, so I had to be up early to drive 1 hour and 30 minutes north. I started off my day by heading to a new coffee place called Tribes Coffeehouse, where I ordered a Vanilla Latte and Breakfast Tacos with eggs and cheese in corn tortillas along with a side of potatoes and pico de gallo ($16). I must say it was pretty tasty and filled me up (I forgot to snap a photo of it, sorry guys!)
My first stop on my way north was Camel Rock which is a natural rock formation in the shape of a camel that is 40 feet high. It is easily accessible off the 84/285 freeway corridor!
The photos below were of a rock formation with a closed off cemetery in front of it (you can see the crosses and statues) just outside of Dixon and a view of the Rio Grande River with a rocky hill.
Just outside of Taos was an 18th century adobe church called the San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. I loved the artifacts inside! It is also another adobe church on the National Register of Historic Places list.
I drove past Taos and headed toward the Red River Ski & Summer Area to hitch a ride on the 1,600 foot chairlift ($22) which was a hour round trip, OMG! As much as I enjoyed the trip and scenery, unfortunately, I was dumb and realized I had forgot to put on sunscreen before I left my Airbnb. Hence, I was covered in a moderate sunburn with my upper legs taking most of the beating. Oy! 🙁
You can also check out the video of the mountain view on my Instagram page under the “Taos/Red River” highlights section!
Before I left town, I stopped by the Red River Brewery, where I ordered myself a pint of a Blonde Ale ($7). It was very refreshing and also temporarily killed the pain of my sunburn!
On my way out of the area, I spotted these adorable goats and their babies grazing in the grass!
My last touristy stop of the day was at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge which is 650 feet high and the 5th highest bridge in the U.S. This was probably my favorite stop and the river was roaring down below!
You can check out the video of the rolling river on my Instagram page under the “Taos/Red River” highlights section!
Before I headed home, I stopped at the historic Taos Inn (also called the “Living Room of Taos”), an adobe hotel built in the 1800s. I sat at the Adobe Bar and ordered myself a Hot Mama Margarita that had chili infused tequila, a House Margarita (I got it on the house as a belated birthday gift) and a Blue Corn Chicken Enchiladas with red and green chili sauce ($40). I highly recommend stopping by here for a Margarita, they are the best in town!
Day 4 – Friday, July 8
My first stop of the day was at another coffee shop called Java Joe’s which was my favorite coffee on the trip! I ordered an Iced Dirty Chai Latte and a Green Chile Croissant ($12). Very yummy and filling!
On my way to my first indoor museum, I spotted this adorable and colorful kinetic metal sculpture garden of animals at the Prescott Studios (free). The giraffe was my favorite!
My first museum of the day was at SITE Santa Fe (free) located in the Railyard area. It hosts different contemporary art and is very small and easy to get through. They rotate the artists every few months and it was very unique and colorful!
My last museum of the day is a must see if you visit Santa Fe: the Museum of International Folk Art ($7). From clothing and paintings to sculptures and toys, this museum holds the largest collection of folk art from cultures all over the world. I had such a fun time and everything was so detailed!
Something to note is parking is available at an overflow lot at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design which is about 15 minutes from the museum. There are many shuttle buses that take visitors back and forth and it was very convenient!
After touring the museum, I drove over to the Pecos National Historical Park to hike the 19th century ruins from the Civil War and ranches. However, it started to rain and thunderstorm pretty bad and I also learned that the hike was over an hour round trip. I was so tired at this point that I decided to skip it, plus I didn’t want to get soaked or have lightning strike me!
One the way back to Santa Fe, I snapped a photo of this adorable adobe church called the Nuestra Señora de Luz from the late 1800s. Of course, this church is also on the National Register of Historic Places list!
At this point I was so tired from driving and touring but fulfilled. Time to head to a couple breweries! My first one was Santa Fe Brewing where I ordered a Straight Up Cider Beer. Most cider beers I have tried have this funny after taste but this one was perfect…straight up as the name says!
Next I headed to my last brewery of the trip called Chili Line Brewery and ordered myself a flight that consisted of a Lager, Blackberry Cider, a Dark Ale Green Chile and a Dark Ale Red Chile. This was my favorite brewery of the whole trip and the chile ales are to die for!
Afterwards, I snapped a photo of this unique and eye-catching statue on my way to my final restaurant of the trip.
It’s time for my favorite part of the blog: the “Last Meal!” I met up with my co-worker Mark again at a Mexican restaurant called La Choza (“The Shed” in Spanish, it is the sister restaurant of the main one called The Shed. Both get packed very fast!). It was highly recommended as one of the best restaurants in town. I ordered myself another spicy Margarita called the Smoke and Fire and the Blue Corn Tortilla Fish Tacos with sautéed Alaskan Cod, a spicy tomato salsa and Spanish rice. It was the healthier version for dinner IMO and it was light yet full of flavor!
BTW, I couldn’t upload the Margarita photo, I kept getting a pixel error!
Afterwards, I headed back to the Airbnb to do some laundry, pack and head to bed.
Day 5 – Saturday, July 9
I had a flight to catch at 11:45am, which meant an hour drive from Santa Fe back to Albuquerque. But first, I stopped off at this coffee shop that caught my eye called Bad Ass Coffee for a Vanilla Latte and a Breakfast Sandwich before heading to the airport. The coffee comes from Hawaii and I am a sucker for Hawaiian coffee!
At the airport, I was all set to fly off back to LA!
Thank you all for coming on my birthday journey with me! I feel that New Mexico is very underrated and IMO is a hidden gem in the U.S. There is so much it has to offer that I highly recommend going to a few different spots of the state if you can.
If you have been to New Mexico, what was your favorite spot? 🙂
