My BFF Sophia and I decided to go here together. Yay for travel buddies! The Tram is on the outskirts of Albuquerque, about an hour’s drive from Santa Fe. It was $2 to park in the lot and then $25/person to ride the Tram round trip. Yeah, that’s a lot of money. But I figured … More Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway
Bizarre. Otherworldly. Wild. Disorienting. These are some of the words that pop off the top of my head as I think about the few hours I spent in the Bisti Badlands. After my time in Grants, I imagined I’d spend most of the day wandering through Bisti, then end up in Chaco Canyon for an … More Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
I was so close to going to Chaco Canyon after I went to Bisti, but the extra windy weather and the threat of running out of gas overrode my desire for more adventure that day. 😦 According to Wikipedia, Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the … More Chaco Culture National Historical Park
I didn’t realize that Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano were actually part of the El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area. So I was able to check off two destination points in one day; though I have to say, I didn’t spend much time hiking around El Malpais because of the high winds that day. … More El Malpais National Monument
“New Mexico’s Land of Fire and Ice!” I was excited to finally come see this natural phenomenon near Grants, NM. I got here pretty early in the morning on a Monday. (If you’re freaked out about being in the wilderness alone, then maybe do this earlier in the season on a weekend when more people … More Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano
Acoma Pueblo was built atop White Rock Mesa, 367 feet above the desert floor, around 1150 A.D. It is said to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. Besides its history, the thought of a “Sky City” always intrigued me and was probably the main reason why I added this to … More Acoma Pueblo (Sky City)
The Enchanted Mesa was visible from Acoma Pueblo. Acoma tradition says that the Enchanted Mesa was the ancestral home of the Acoma people until a severe storm and landslide destroyed the only approach to their village. Some of the Acoma people were stranded on top of the mesa and eventually died there. Their spirits are … More Enchanted Mesa
Wow! What can I say? Each and every piece of memorabilia about the Roswell UFO crash, conspiracy theories surrounding it, and more were collected into this tiny place in the middle of downtown Roswell. I probably could’ve spent A LOT more time here had I read each news article on display word-for-word, watched the full … More International UFO Museum & Research Center
For NINE YEARS I’ve been wanting to go to Carlsbad Caverns, ever since my first trip ‘out West’ in 2007 when it was deemed too far south by my traveling companion at the time. So this day – which was also my 44th birthday – was pretty darn special to me. First tip: the caves … More Carlsbad Caverns National Park
As my time is winding down here in New Mexico, I’m trying to fit in every tourist-y thing that I haven’t seen yet. The mysterious Loretto Chapel Staircase, located near the Santa Fe Plaza, was on this list. Legend says that an obscure (and some say unpaid) carpenter built this magnificent structure for the sisters … More Loretto Chapel
Enchanted New Mexico 