Back from New Mexico

7 years ago

We had one of our best trip EVER in New Mexico! All told, we drove about 2000 miles, starting out from our home in Texas, and we saw Santa Fe, Taos, White Sands, and many, many beautiful places in between. Highlights of Santa Fe included the sculpture garden at Nedra Matteucci Galleries, which felt truly sacred (see link here), the New Mexico History Museum, which we toured with an amazing docent, the Railway Farmer's Market, and our fabulous VRBO, which we selected partly because of the outdoor space, and wow! The VRBO is housed on the estate of a family who has been in Santa Fe for three hundred years. It was artfully decorated and incredibly comfortable to come home to each day. I started every day with coffee in the walled in backyard, which was completely quiet and bathed in morning light. I . could go back there in a heartbeat. We also saw the Loretto chapel, took a fabulous bus tour of the city, spent an afternoon on Canyon Road, saw the Folk Art museum, and much more. Love, love, love Santa Fe. We drove the High Road to Taos one day, taking lots of photos along the way, and had a great lunch there. I especially loved the shops because they encourage you to bring your dog in, and just overall loved Taos. We had planned to drive to the Taos Pueblo after lunch, but it was closed due to a funeral, so we'll have to do that on the next trip. The next day we planned to spend at Ghost Ranch, but unfortunately my husband took ill and we spent 5-6 hours in the ER instead. So that will be one for the next trip too. From Santa Fe, we drove south stopping along The Turquoise Trail, and then on to Alamogordo, where we stayed the night, so that we could hit White Sands first thing in the morning. I'm so glad we got there at opening. We had the place almost to ourselves for the first hour, which just made it all the more incredible. I had such high expectations of White Sands, and sometimes that can doom an experience, but in this case, wow, White Sands was truly mesmerizing.

Just south of Taos:

White Sands:

Our VRBO:

Backyard at VRBO:

Just had to buy baby shoes for my bf's new grandbaby!

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful tips! We can't wait to go back!

Featured Answer

jakabedy

7 years ago

I'm so glad you had a good time!

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Comments (9)

mtnrdredux_gw
7 years ago
Glad you had fun! I just love those walled courtyards, too, I want one when I grow up. Hope DH is ok.
OutsidePlaying
7 years ago
How wonderful! I loved your descriptions, and that photo alone of the baby shoes is fabulous. Who knew baby shoes could be so colorful! I want some for my coming great nephew now! The VRBO sounds divine. Sorry your DH fell ill, and hope it was a short illness.
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Bestyears
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry, I shouldn't have left the outcome of DH's illness hanging like that! He has chronic asthma, quite severe. Over his lifetime, he's maintained really great health through diligent exercise and an outdoorsy lifestyle despite the effort that has sometimes taken. As he's gotten older, it's progressed into COPD. He was having pain in his lower left side/back area, which could have been a pulled muscle, but it wasn't getting better, and then he seemed to have a fever... This happened once about five years ago, and turned out to be an infection in his lung, so we headed to the ER. Sure enough, X-ray showed an infection. Within 24-36 hours of starting the antibiotics he was feeling much better, and he has a follow up with his pulmonologist here this week. Thanks for your concern.
Annie Deighnaugh
7 years ago
Wow...nice trip. Next time do add Valles Caldera to your list too...it was my favorite place in NM...Ghost Ranch was DH's favorite. NM is the one place I've been where, no matter where we went or how much time we spent there, we could've spent more.
Bestyears
Original Author
7 years ago
Annie -I neglected to mention Valles Caldera in this post, but that was on our list too. It fell to the wayside after my husband got sick but is a must do for our next trip.
maire_cate
7 years ago
Thanks for the update and I'm glad you had a wonderful visit and that your DH is doing better. Loved your photos too. We used to visit relatives in NM just about every other summer when I was growing up but I haven't been back in over 40 years. The sad part about visiting long distance relatives is that that's all we did - visit and seldom toured other parts of the state. I'd love to go back now and see all those things I missed.
Bestyears thanked maire_cate
Lars
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I love Santa Fe too, but I went in 1966 and have not been back since, although I did drive through Albuquerque with friends from OK City in 1973.

In 1966 I visited a penpal in Santa Fe that I got in contact with through the Del Shannon fan club. His name was Mike DeVargas, and he told me that he lived in the oldest house in Santa Fe (over 400 years old), which was next door to the oldest church (San Miguel Mission), about the same age. I don't know why I was surprised to find out that he was Native American when I met him, but we had a good visit! His house was very interesting and very much unlike any I had ever seen before that time. San Miguel Mission is also the oldest church in the U.S.
gsciencechick
7 years ago
I wish one of my conferences would schedule there. So beautiful. I have have never been there. Hope your DH is doing better.
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