The Land of Enchantment
We set off for a weeklong road trip through New Mexico with our home base in the Santa Fe area. This was our first road trip in our new Subaru Forester which we got delivery of about two weeks before we set off for our trip. The perfect way to break it in was a twelve-hour trip to the Land of Enchantment. We set out for our trip in mid-September which was a great time to visit New Mexico. The morning and evenings were chilly, ranging around the 40s and 50s degrees Fahrenheit which required light jackets. The afternoons warmed up to the 70s and nearly 80s. Although with Santa Fe sitting around 7,000 feet above sea level, the sun felt rather warm and harsh. So we’d recommend lots of sunscreen and hats!
We stayed in a little one-bedroom Airbnb near the Railyard District of Santa Fe. It was super cute and an easy walk to many highlights of Santa Fe. It was only a five-minute walk to the Railyard District and a twenty-minute walk to the Plaza. Here are some highlights that we recommend doing around the Santa Fe area:
Santa Fe Plaza: The Santa Fe Plaza has plenty to do with shops, restaurants, museums, and historic churches. It has very distinct Pueblo-style architecture with red-dried chilies adorning stone fronts making this downtown a very unique experience. We were able to visit many of the unique art galleries as well as the Loretto Chapel. The Loretto Chapel is famous for its “miraculous stairs” built by a mysterious carpenter which is considered to be an architectural marvel. The cost to enter is $5. There were many other churches and museums that we were not able to visit which included: the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. Some of our favorite restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in the Plaza include Tonic for classy cocktails in a laid-back speakeasy environment, Herve wine bar for wine flights with dinner or appetizers, and 35 degrees North Coffee Roasters.
Railyard District: Has a farmers market every Saturday and Tuesday as well as an artisan Market on Sundays. We were able to make it to the Tuesday and Sunday Markets. This is a great way to explore and support local farmers and artists. The Railyard also has a great selection of coffee shops and restaurants. Some of our favorites were:
Second Street Brewery: Has a great patio right in the heart of the Market area. I tried New Mexico’s famous Christmas chiles option with enchildas. The Christmas chiles is the combo of red and green chile sauce. It was delicious!
Opuntia Cafe: we enjoyed coffees on the upstairs balcony overlooking the Railyard.
Shake Foundation: amazing burgers and fries in a laid back environment. We ordered at a small window and sat outside at wooden picnic tables. Ice cream is served here as well!
Modern General Feed and Seed: This was luckily located about a 5 minute walk from our place. We went here twice for breakfast and coffee during our stay due to loving it so much. They also have a shop to brouse which includes local goods, gardening supplies and books.
Canyon Road: This is a half-mile road dedicated to hundreds of art galleries and studios. There are many unique styles of art to explore ranging greatly in price. The road offers vibrant colors, unique sculptures, adobe homes and studios, and secret gardens. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon exploring and see why Santa Fe is one of the largest art markets in the USA. Even if you’re not looking to purchase any art, it’s a must to explore this iconic road and marvel at the art around you. Just outside of Canyon Road, you can visit Kakawa Chocolate House where you can sample some delicious hot chocolate and purchase an array of chocolate products.
One of our favorite day trips from Santa Fe was driving the Enchanted Circle in Northern New Mexico; about 84 miles around starting in Taos, NM. We started driving one and a half hours from Santa Fe to Taos with one pit stop in Chimayo, NM. Chimayo in the foothills of the Sanger de Cristo Mountains just 40 minutes from Santa Fe along the High Road to Taos Scenic Byway. This little town is known for its National Historic Landmark church El Santuario de Chimayo.
Continuing on another hour-long drive we arrived in Taos, NM. We only stayed for lunch in Taos as we had more driving to accomplish that day. But you could easily spend a day exploring the shops, restaurants, museums, and the Taos Pueblo, a National Historic Landmark that has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans for over a thousand years. One shop that we were glad to have stumbled upon was Starr Interiors (LINK) featuring beautiful hand-woven rugs, pillows, and more. Just another example of the beautiful art community of New Mexico. We kept our time in Taos short as this was the starting point of our Enchanted Circle Drive.
From Taos, we drove North to Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and through small mountain towns of Northern New Mexico including Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire. We stopped for some hiking and scenic views along the way. This drive was definitely a highlight of our trip and well worth taking a day to explore this scenic northern New Mexico route. This is a beautiful drive the entire way with landscapes ranging from rocky deserts to mountains with lush forests of aspens and pines. We also got to witness some spectacular New mexico sunsets on our way home for a nice end to the enchanted circle drive.
Another great day trip from Santa Fe is Bandelier National Monument, about a 45-minute drive from Santa Fe. Bandelier National Monument is home to many ancestral Pueblo drawings scattered across mesas and canyons. We saw many petroglyphs and caves, climbed ladders, and witnessed some amazing views. One of our favorite hikes was actually about a 12-mile drive from the main entrance of the park, in the Tsankawi section. This 1.5-mile hike had some of the best views as well as ladder climbing and cave exploring. There is a $25 fee to enter Bandelier and the park requires a shuttle to enter the park. The shuttle is included in the fee entrance price.
Another National Monument about 30 minutes outside of Santa Fe is Pecos National Historic Park. In this park, you can explore ruins, ancestral sites of Peco Pueblos, and the Spanish Mission Church. The park is free to enter.
For a completely different landscape, we went about 15 minutes from downtown Santa Fe to the Santa Fe National Forest and Santa Fe ski area. This 16-mile scenic drive makes you feel like you’ve been transported to Colorado surrounded by beautiful mountains and groves of aspen trees. There are many hikes and viewpoints to stop along the drive. Our favorite hike was the Aspen Vista hiking trail. We were only able to hike about 2 miles of this trail due to timing, but even the short part that we explored was beautiful with aspens beginning their change to yellow. It was a very quiet and peaceful trail and a hike not to miss.
After our hiking in Santa Fe National forest, we drove back to Santa Fe for one last coffee stop. We found the cutest restaurant called Cafecito. Cafecito is a family business blending together the cultures of Argentina, Armenia, and Italy. They have specialty coffees, teas, baked goods and breakfast/lunch items. There is a beautiful patio to enjoy as well as a cozy indoor space.
Our favorite road trip from Santa Fe was traveling four hours south to White Sands National Park. With this drive being a bit farther, we spent the night in the nearby town of Alamogordo. White Sands National Park is the world’s largest gypsum sand dune field. It felt like exploring another planet as you’re driving and hiking through miles of white sand dunes. It was definitely worth the drive to explore. We were able to explore one hiking trail before it became too hot to continue. Although the temperatures were just in the 80s, it felt significantly warmer due to the harsh sun and dry air. Lots of water and sunscreen are a must when visiting this park. This park would also be difficult to explore in the warmer months due to the extreme heat and dangers of the dessert in the summer. So if you want to make White Sands a stop on your New Mexico roadtrip, plan for a cooler month.
