At the beginning of February I took a week long trip with my in-laws to New Mexico.
When we were thinking about Christmas presents last year and no one had anything in-particular in mind, we thought we’d go on a trip instead. I don’t remember exactly how we decided on New Mexico over a cruise, but given the news in the past few weeks, I think we made the right choice.
Of course, when I thought “New Mexico,” I thought beautiful, rugged landscapes with golden light, red desert rocks, bold colors, old missions, vibrant Native American culture and red and green chilis. All I wanted to do was take photos, eat enchiladas and soak in the hot tub before bed.
Turns out the rest of the family had other plans. Non-photo-related plans. They didn’t even bring cameras.
I know, I know, you’re panicking. Who goes to New Mexico without a professional camera and plenty of memory?! Apparently normal people. I had no idea.
But don’t worry, my very wise mother-in-law had a solution to this problem. Each of us “kids” got to plan one day of the trip, ensuring that everyone would get to do what they wanted to do.
Day 1 – Travel
We flew in on Monday and landed in Albuquerque. After a trip to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for an overview on New Mexican culture, we headed out of town via old Route 66 and stopped at The Range Cafe. It was a great, quirky place to eat, and after we finished, we went to the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa.
As we drove around, we couldn’t help but notice Sandia Peak, a mountain just on the east edge of Albuquerque. To a bunch of Texans who live mostly on a flat, suburban landscape, it was breathtaking. It was also our view from our hotel, so I had many chances to capture it’s beauty.
We counted this as a travel day, so no one planned anything in particular. We walked around the resort and found the pool, which was heated to 85 degrees, and the hot tub, which we visited later that night.
Day 2 – Santa Fe & Tent Rocks
Tuesday was Nick and my day to plan. We slept in a bit, got breakfast at the resort, then headed up to Santa Fe. We wanted to see Loretto Chapel, home of a miracle staircase…
and the San Miguel Mission, one of the oldest missions in North America.
We walked around a little and did some shopping, then headed to what I thought was the highlight of the trip – Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.
Tent Rocks, as we called it, is a small national park between Santa Fe and Albuquerque where there are natural rock formations that look like giant teepees. It’s a gorgeous landscape.
There’s a parking area down at the bottom of a one mile (give or take) trail that leads up to an overlook. I wanted to be at the overlook at about 4:30 p.m., just when the light starts to get pretty this time of year, so we arrived about 3 p.m., with plenty of time for a leisurely hike.
When we got to the gate, they told us the park closed at 4 p.m., so we wouldn’t have enough time to go to the top. I walk pretty fast and it wasn’t that far of a hike, so I just said, “well, we’ll go as far as we can and turn around.” I fully intended to make it to the top and completely ignore the park rules, but when traveling with a group, it’s best not to make everyone else angry.
We went most of the way up, then realized it was getting late, so we turned around and came back down, but not before I got some photos!
We tried to drive to another look-out point, but we were chased out of the park by rangers.
Day 3 – ABQ Zoo
Wednesday was planned by my sister-in-law, Megan, and her boyfriend, Darren. They wanted to go to the Albuquerque Zoo.
It wasn’t my choice of locations, but I guess that’s why we each got our own day to plan. It was a nice day, though, and the zoo was better than I expected. They had a good variety of animals, and I had a little bit of fun with my camera.
Day 4 – Spa & Golf
My brother-in-law, Zack, planned Thursday. He chose a morning at the spa and an afternoon of golf with the guys.
Yeah, if you were going to a spa, you wouldn’t take your camera, would you? I didn’t either. I had my phone, and I managed to capture one image, but really, no one likes a girl with a camera in a clothing-optional facility.
Day 5 – Travel
Friday we checked out of the resort and went to a restaurant that we missed earlier in the week – Celia’s Cafe – before heading to the airport. It was a great, authentic cafe, and Celia herself came out of the kitchen to say hello.
We returned home a little worse for wear due to terrible allergies, but overall it was a great trip. I’ve always loved New Mexico, and I can’t wait to go back!
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