If you’re a fan of Green Chile, hiking, beer, and art then I highly recommend you visit New Mexico, specifically Albuquerque and Santa Fe! Check out all of my recommendations and let me know if you’re inspired to visit.
Food & Drink
IMy cousin told me that Dion’s Pizza is the spot for pizza when in Albuquerque and I can see why. IT IS SO GOOD. LIKE A SOLID 10. And the thing that makes this pizza so special…IT HAS GREEN CHILE ON IT.
Check out all of my food and drink recommendations here!
What to See & Do
Albuquerque
PETROGLYPH NATIONAL MONUMENT
When I went to go visit my cousins in Albuquerque, they told me that if I was a hiking fan I needed to make it out to the Petroglyph National Monument and do some trails there. It was so cool! It was an easy/moderate hike with great views of different lava rocks (which we are standing on!) and from the top of the mountain we could actually see some of the hot air balloons from the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta that was happening that same weekend.
UTE LAKE STATE PARK
Take a three hour roadtrip to Ute Lake State Park to either camp or hike. It’s so beautiful!
BALLOON FIESTA
The Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is a bucket list worthy item. Every year, people from all over the world come to Albuquerque, New Mexico to set up their balloons, sell rides, and basically just hang out and admire the beautiful balloons in the sky. IT. IS. AWESOME. Check out more photos here.
WORLD’S LARGEST AERIAL TRAMWAY
Taking a ride on the Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway: World’s Largest Aerial Tramway was amazing! It was so awesome and the view at the top was breathtaking. Seriously so awesome. Everyone come here. I can’t say enough about the views. The ride itself is about 15 minutes long and there is a person on the tram giving some information about the history. Once you get to the top, there is usually snow and it’s beautiful!
SANDIA PEAK
There are so many trails to hike at the Sandia Mountain and the views are seriously incredible!
MARBLE BREWING COMPANY
Marble Brewing has delicious beer and cool art all around. Check out more information on my New Mexico Food and Drink Bucket List!
LAVA ROCK BREWING COMPANY
Lava Rock Brewing Company is another great spot to grab a beer! Check out more information on my New Mexico Food and Drink Bucket List!
BREAKING BAD FILMING LOCATIONS
I found Walter White’s house! I was hoping to get a picture of me in front of it but the current owner has ‘private property’ signs all over and kind of looks like Skyler so I got scared and drove off. But it’s still super cool!
I found Hank and Marie’s House as well!
I also found Los Pollos Hermanos!
ROUTE 66 HISTORIC ROUTE
Santa Fe
MEOW WOLF
My cousin told me that I absolutely needed to add Meow Wolf to my bucket list and she was SO RIGHT. Meow Wolf is an Immersive Art Installation / Choose Your Own Adventure Fun House created by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin with the help of over 100 artists. It is seriously so awesome. Check out more photos to inspire you to visit here!
GRAPE STOMPING!
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART OF THE Rancho De Las Golondrinas Harvest Festival was that I got to complete life bucket list item #14 : go grape stomping in order to make wine!!! I feel like my whole life has led up to this moment lol I got to stomp grapes that would eventually be turned into red wine (my favorite kind!!) Also I feel like the flower wreath totally completed this experience. WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY. VIDEO WILL BE UP SOON. IT WAS EXHAUSTING WORK BUT WELL WORTH IT
RANCHO DE LAS GOLONDRINAS
So I took a trip with the family to Santa Fe and before going I asked mg cousin if there was anything I had to add to my bucket list. He told me that I definitely needed to add the Rancho De Las Golondrinas which translates to Ranch of the Swallows (birds). It’s a live museum with an hacienda, animals, crops, and costumed workers. Luckily today was the start of their Harvest Festival and they had so many cool activities. No wonder it’s their most popular event, I highly recommend! Live museums are the BEST museums. I got to string a chile ristra , learn a ton about crops, drink some freshly squeezed apple juice from this awesome contraption and a ton of other cool things (pictures coming soon). It was so awesome. Life bucket list item #480 completed.
I also got a chance to make a flower wreath at the Harvest Festival at the Rancho De Las Golondrinas !!! It was so awesome and so calming and relaxing and I definitely needed this in my life.
I also learned about the history of the water wheel , the history of the loom AND THE HISTORY OF HOW BEER IS MADE. Fun fact: millers who used to work with beer became some of the very first billionaires by distilling wheat to make beer!!
I also made some friends with some alpacas.
VISIT THE MIRACLE STAIRCASE
The Loretto Chapel houses the Miraculous Staircase. This staircase is famous because the man who built it is unknown (he built it and then left with no pay and some say he was St. Joseph the patron saint of carpenters), the design is innovative and way ahead of its time (finished in 1878), and it has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support (thus defying physics and its very existence a miracle). Being the engineer that I am, I of course analyzed the design and then did some research online and I’m not sure it’s exactly a miracle…but regardless it is a beautiful design and a beautiful church. My mom loved it! If you are in Santa Fe definitely check it out!
My mom is so cute and bought me a rosary at the Loretto Chapel (home of the Miraculous Staircase ) to hang in my car to ‘keep me safe’.
Madrid
If you feel like exploring a quaint town, check out Madrid, New Mexico!
I hope you all enjoyed the list! Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic! Please comment and let me know what other items I need to add.
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-Maira