First, we found airline tickets through Allegiant Airlines for $82 round trip to Albuquerque NM - which was why we went there! (Their prices are great, but watch out for extra fees that can be added if you don't read the baggage and seating stipulations.)
First day we arrived about 3pm -stayed in Hotel Albuquerque right near Old Town - and we walked around there the first evening. It's full of shops and eateries and is all stucco, the original part of the town. Try an caramel apple from the sweet shop there!
The next day was our first full day, and we drove just outside Albuquerque to see the Petroglyphs - Indian writings on rocks. This involved climbing, walking, and exploring. There are also small volcanoes to walk too, as well. We then opted for lunch in downtown Albuquerque - mexican food - and it was certainly not Tex-Mex! Our next activity was riding the tram up Sandia Peak ($25pp) - the ski mountain nearby - and it was breathtakingly beautiful - what a ride! That evening we found a place to eat called Route 66 - a cute vintage diner - with great burgers and shakes!
Second day was spent driving the Turquoise Trail, a highway from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, through several small towns along the way. The first was Tijeras, and we went on a walk behind the ranger station to see where an old pueblo had been excavated. We drove on to Golden, where a family run general store sold Indian pottery and jewelry - super nice people and a great stop. Madrid was the next town, an artsy funky place. We at lunch there at The Hollar - great food. We went in a couple of junk shops. Cerrillos was next, and it was old with a few interesting buildings, as well as a really fine mercantile store. We ended up in Santa Fe but decided to return the next day, to have more time.
Third day we drove to Jemez Springs Historic Site and toured ruins of an old pueblo - much more visible than the other one. It was awesome. From there, we drove up the road to Giggling Springs - a place where hot springs were available for a good mineral soak - we loved this! It was 39 degrees outside, but the water was 102 degrees. We then took Hwy 4 through the valleys of the snow covered mountains and seriously - it was gorgeous. It had snowed a bunch the night before, but thankfully, the snow plows had just gone before us to clear the roads.
We arrived in Santa Fe to see the historic sites (churches and some of the oldest buildings in the U.S.) and to walk the plaza. Santa Fe is so beautiful. We had been told to try Tomasita's Mexican food - disappointed again! We really enjoyed all of the beauty though in this city, and it's really worth a visit - following the list of sites to see!
Albuquerque and Santa Fe are only an hour apart, and there is so much to see and do in between these two towns. We had a blast...and didn't spend too much money.
The tram was $25 pp and the soak was $25 pp for an hour soak, and all of the other things were either free or minimal charges. Our hotel had a fridge, so one could easily store snacks, and gas expense was minimal as well, as we didn't drive too far each day.
If you're looking for a fun trip, try this one - you won't be disappointed! But I'd suggest eating food other than the Mexican food there...especially if you're used to eating Mexican food in Central Texas.
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