5 Things I Loved About My New Mexico Trip

If someone asked you what place in the US you’d most like to visit, probably none of us would say New Mexico. But, guess what? You need to visit there and you didn’t even know! I took a family trip to see my dad, sisters, and stepmom in New Mexico, and I decided I wanted to give you guys a recap!

I’ve been to New Mexico a handful of times in the past because my dad moved out there years ago, when I was in high school. I didn’t have birthday plans this year, so Jasen and I decided it would be really nice to go spend some time with them and enjoy NM. It was also Jasen’s first time visiting, and his mom flew out too which was great!

Besides taking in some of the cool things New Mexico has to offer, there was a big birthday surprise in store for me from Jasen and my family, so I was on high alert! More on that below. After dropping the dogs off to their new sitter, we flew out early on Tuesday the 5th. Even the flight there was awesome as we flew over really pretty fields and mountains.

Once you get into New Mexico, you are simply amazed at the natural beauty. My family lives in Albuquerque, and they literally have mountains surrounding their house. Every time you hop in the car you’re on a scenic drive, whether it’s the petroglyphs or the Three Sisters Volcanoes. Here’s what a typical car ride to the store looks like:

1. One of the first highlights of the trip was traveling in my dad’s RV! I’d never been in an RV before, and I must say that I love it! Our first road trip in the RV was to White Sands National Park. Guys, this is like no place on Earth! It’s an area of New Mexico where the sand dunes are literally white. Apparently they became white because of some weapons testing that occurred, but now it’s a natural wonder. We took some time to just take it all in and snap some pics. You’ve got to go!

2. We took a 2 hour road trip to the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano in Grants, NM. I rode in the back of the RV on a bed, and my sister had the other bed. It was such a comfortable experience! I literally got to sit back and enjoy the ride. The Ice Cave and Volcano was like nothing I’d seen before. We hiked up this mountain where we were able to see 29 other volcano peaks, which was breathtaking. The volcano’s epicenter was sooo deep, the pictures don’t do it justice. We then hiked down tdo the other side of the mountain, which is where the ice cave was. You literally walked down three STEEP flights of stairs until you were in this cave. As you walked down, you suddenly felt the temperature change drastically. The ice cave is around 30 degrees year round, no matter how hot it gets above. The ice in the cave is around 30 feet deep which was just nuts to see! A must visit.

3. Our next road trip was to the Ojo Caliente hot springs. This time we took a car ride for about 2 hours, riding through the New Mexican capital of Santa Fe. 2 hours may sound like a lot, but honestly a 2 hour ride through NM is so relaxing and beautiful. The hot springs were everything I needed! The pools are in the middle of the mountains. There were 6 different pools with various minerals such as iron, lithia, and arsenic that can be beneficial for health. They had a “whisper only” policy throughout the pool area, so everything was very quiet and calm. We finished the visit with some time in the steam room. I highly recommend you visit there! Sidenote: On our way back home through Santa Fe, we stopped at Jambo Cafe for some AMAZING African-Caribbean fusion cuisine. If you’re ever in Santa Fe, you have to go!

4. The next couple of days we chilled and did things locally around Albuquerque, and caught up on rest. Monday we headed out for my big surprise! We packed up two cars and the entire family hopped on the road. I had no idea where we were going…well maybe slightly lol…because I knew we were headed to Arizona (my dad and stepmom spilled the beans smh!), but I didn’t know exactly where. Once we got to Arizona, which was about a 4.5hr drive, we got to a really nice AirBnB in Flagstaff. We perused Flagstaff for a while, exploring all that the college town had to offer. We stumbled upon a Thai restaurant for dinner, and the food was AMAZING. The next morning we hopped back in the car to head to my surprise! The drive through Arizona was so scenic, with mountains and forest everywhere you look.

We finally arrived at my surprise destination…THE GRAND CANYON! I started seeing all the signs and my suspicions were confirmed haha. When you arrive at the Grand Canyon you kind of don’t know what to expect, because you can’t see the canyon from afar at the south entrance. You drive through a wooded area for a while, and then all of a sudden there it is. When I tell you this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life…that’s an understatement. The canyon is indescribable. You can’t help but marvel at God’s creation while you’re there. So overwhelming! Jasen, my sister and I hiked down into the canyon which was super scary because there are no guard rails, and there’s a literal cliff next to you on a narrow trail. The people on the trail were super friendly and we all understood that we had to take our time and consider each other. We hiked down into the canyon for a little over an hour, and finally said let’s head back. Going down was relatively easy, but the way back up was the challenge! Ya girl had to stop a few times to gather herself (did I mention it was harder to breathe? The elevation in both NM and Arizona took some getting used to). We finally made it to the top after about an 1.5hr. Even though that trip back up was taxing, would I do it again? YES!

I was on cloud 9 after that. We traveled back to Flagstaff and relaxed with some food (more Thai) and board games. Have you ever played Settlers of Catan? So fun! Jasen and I play it frequently with our friends, so I was happy to introduce it to my family. It’s super competitive and takes strategy, which I love! And of course ya girl won! My youngest sister was so mad! Lol.

5. We got back to Albuquerque on Wednesday, so there were two days left in NM. We chilled out and just enjoyed family time, which was my favorite part of the trip overall. Laughing at baby pictures, playing board games, and just catching up was enriching to my spirit. There are tons of cool things to do in Albuquerque, like the Sawmill Market which is a marketplace with vendors and restaurants, kind of like Union Market in DC. The food there was amazing. We also visited Old Town Albuquerque.

Guys, if New Mexico wasn’t on your lists of places to visit, ADD IT NOW. There’s so much I didn’t mention from the vivid sunsets, Flix Brewhouse dine in movie theater, and just the overall vibe being so chill, especially if you’re used to living in a big city. Ahhhh New Mexico, a great place to visit!