One of my friends mentioned this place to me, so I booked a stay here as part of my overnight ‘Soak and Sands Getaway’. Truth or Consequences is about 3 hours from Santa Fe, and it was a really gorgeous scenic drive. New Mexico always surprises me — I didn’t expect it to get greener and more lush the farther south I went! There were so many orchards, vineyards, and farms in the southern part of the state.
Anyway, once I got to Truth or Consequences, I was a little disappointed. It was very much a typical little NM town with not much to do. Many of the shops and restaurants in the historic district were closed, maybe because it was a weekday. ? In the end, my friend and I ended up eating at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant, outside of the main strip downtown, then we came back and hit a few of the antique junk stores. Xochi’s used bookstore was one of my faves.
We could finally check into our room at Riverbend at 3. I selected one of the low-budget Artist Suites, which was clean and neat and served its purpose for my one night stay. (As an aside, it looked like double wide trailers contained ALL of the room options at Riverbend. Another New Mexico thing.) We got changed, then went to soak.
The grounds were very nicely landscaped and there was a quiet outdoor lounge area where you could easily pass some time. The hot springs were located right on the banks of the Rio Grande river which was really neat. You could even take a cold plunge into the Rio Grande itself if you wanted. There were books to read and hundreds of swallows chasing bugs over the river to watch. Unfortunately, the Kiva pools were closed for construction during our visit. Because we were too cheap to pay $30 for 50 minutes in a private pool, we were left with the 2 warm-ish two-person Riverside Rock Pools and the hotter, covered Minnow Baths to soak in. There was also a small sauna to use which took a really long time to heat up. The whisper policy was not very well enforced, so I was able to engage in some interesting convos with some of the other guests.
I would say that if you’re looking for a quaint, relaxing getaway where you can just hang out on-site and don’t have to worry about missing a lot as a tourist, then Riverbend Hot Springs is one place to go.
MORE INFO: www.riverbendhotsprings.com
Enchanted New Mexico 