Week In Review 2026-05-17: New Mexico Edition
As promised, here's my vacation recap from the thoroughly enjoyable time L. & I had in New Mexico...along with an unexpected and unwelcome bonus day in Texas that wasn't part of the plan. Similar to my recaps for Alabama and San Diego, I'll rattle off the highlights in chronological order, picking one highlight and lowlight along the way. This is a LONG post, so no offense taken if you were to skip ahead to the pictures at the bottom.
Friday 05-08. We had uneventful flights from STL to Dallas Love Field, then onward to Albuquerque. Again, I stress, uneventful, as that wasn't the case on the way back. We picked up our rental car, a 2026 Kia Seltos with about 11,000 miles on it. I felt comfortable driving it as it's not too dissimilar from my 2015 Kia Forte, though I question why any black car would be offered for rental in New Mexico. We took a leisurely drive up the Turquoise Trail to our temporary residence of Wrong Rabbit Ranch, a house named by its owners who were both college friends of mine, located about 15 miles south of Santa Fe's central plaza with the state's old territorial prison visible on the horizon. After unpacking and greeting the two elderly cats (whose care would be our "price" for staying at WRR), we ate dinner at The Pantry, a repeat from our last trip in July 2022. The New Mexican food gave us both a burst of energy, so we had just enough in the tank for a quick sunset visit to Keeping Together, a brewery I'll talk more about next Friday. Alcohol really hits harder at higher altitude and when you're in a dry environment, so two low ABV beers were enough. After a quick grocery stop on the way home, we returned to WRR and passed out hard. Highlight: Dinner and drinks. Lowlight: Honestly, none to think of for today.
Saturday 05-09. Our idea was to acclimate to the high altitude of Santa Fe, and also to spend some time outside. We planned a morning trip to the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, with a follow up visit to the Randall Davey Audubon Center for birdwatching. In retrospect, even this schedule was a bit too ambitious. We spent all morning outdoors at the Garden taking a tour with a very knowledgeable docent, all while drinking water constantly. Lunch was had at the Garden, then we drove to the Audubon Center. There was a 1.5 mile trail around the perimeter of the property that proved to be a bit too tough for us. Being outside at the Garden dehydrated us more than we had expected, plus the "foothills" around the park were at 7500+ feet in altitude. It wasn't until halfway up that both L. & I realized this trail was a bit too ambitious for our current conditions. Nevertheless, we finished the hike, saw plenty of wonderful birds and scenery along the way, but we were wiped out afterwards. We stopped into another Albertsons on the way back to WRR, though a nicer one than the night before, buying food and medicine to help us recuperate. Sleep came easy that night! Highlight: In spite of gasping for air, we saw many birds new to us at the Audubon Center. Lowlight: Being short of breath at 7500 feet in the foothills east of Santa Fe. Not recommended!
Sunday 05-10. We felt refreshed and revitalized on Mother's Day, ready to go exploring in Santa Fe. Owing to yesterday's experiences, we decided today would be spent largely indoors. Our first stop was at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, which held its liturgy outdoors that day due to iconographers setting up their scaffolding inside the church. We both enjoyed the service, though I regret not taking up the priest's offer to stay for lunch afterwards. Instead, we went to a highly-recommended coffee shop that was a massive disappointment. Their pour-over was $7.50 each for 8 ounces of lukewarm coffee that was thinner and more transparent than a cup of tea. Yes, it was caffeine in liquid form, but we would have been better off with church coffee or the piñon coffee we were drinking back at WRR. Despite this letdown, we ventured onward with lunch at Palacio Cafe, giving us fuel to tackle 3 museums in an afternoon! In order, we went to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (excellent and challenging works), the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (rather mid, not a lot to see, and I'm glad we had a free pass for it), and the New Mexico Museum of Art (a mix of contemporary and old art in a building that was worthy of display itself; a strong second behind IAIA). We were a bit arted out near the end of our time at the New Mexico Museum, so along the way back to WRR we stopped at the close-by Santa Fe Brewing tasting room, as this brewery pre-dates the craft beer boom by a significant margin--side note: look at the concerts they host! Dinner was back at WRR. Highlight: The first and third museums had works by Native artists that deliberately challenged stereotypes of what Native art can and should be, and I enjoyed being challenged. Lowlight: A tie between the overhyped coffee shop and the overhyped O'Keeffe Museum, though I hold out hope that the replacement museum will offer a better experience in 2028.
Monday 05-11. Time to hit the road! Our goal today was to visit either Bandelier National Monument or Valles Caldera National Preserve, then head further west to Jemez Pueblo. When we stopped in at a visitor center in White Rock, a town that's more or less a suburb of Los Alamos, we gathered some info about both parks, then decided upon Valles Caldera. Our road bringing us there, New Mexico Highway 4, was more of a challenge to drive than the mountainous roads east of San Diego, so there was little time to gawk at the scenery. Upon our arrival there, we were greeted by numerous prairie dogs, blackbirds, and ravens. The air was thinner at Valles Caldera, being above 8500 feet in altitude, but both L. & I felt fine during both a short hike and our lunch. I loved the aroma of pine, dust, and smoke that was present in the caldera, and I wish there were a way to capture it and share with everyone. L. handled the drive towards Jemez, with NM 4 being less challenging for the rest of its route. The tradeoff was incredible red rock scenery around Jemez Springs and the adjacent Jemez Pueblo; if you've seen the red rocks near Sedona or Colorado Springs, Jemez may have both of them beat in terms of their intense colors.. After Jemez, we briefly made it to Albuquerque but had no real goal in mind, so we turned around and headed towards La Cienguilla, an old Spanish land-grant community outside of Santa Fe known for its petroglyphs on nearby rocks. We didn't see many carvings, as it turns out most of them were over a rock ridge we were in no shape to climb. Dinner was at Fun Noodle Bar, followed by yet more grocery shopping at a nearby Trader Joe's. We wrapped up this long day with a load of laundry, followed by stargazing at a small park within the subdivision hosting WRR; the skies being covered with numerous stars as to make a person dizzy. Highlight: The drive from White Rock to Jemez Pueblo, despite some of the twisty curves and climbs on NM 4. Lowlight: Probably the petroglyphs, as there weren't many to see and we weren't set up to climb around rocky trails.
Tuesday 05-12. More driving tours today. We started out by visiting Chimayó, a repeat location as we were last here in July 2022. We attended most of the daily Mass at El Santuario de Chimayó, followed by L. picking up some of the famed holy dirt for which the site is famous. Lunch was on the sanctuary grounds. From there, we drove up the High Road to Taos, as our goal was to see the Taos Pueblo; it was closed due to COVID restrictions back in 2022, so this would be our first time there. The scenery was wonderful, as you had so many colors at your disposal: ochre and brown for housing, cloudless blue skies, greenery on the mountains, with still a smattering of snow on some of the peaks. The pueblo closes to visitors at 4 PM, so afterwards we drove the Enchanted Circle north of Taos, encountering rock climbers, ski villages, cattle ranches, and tons of magpies along the route. We didn’t have enough time to visit any wineries south of Taos, so we took a leisurely drive back to Santa Fe by the Low Road that parallels the Rio Grande River. Back at WRR, we ate leftovers from Fun Noodle House and washed another round of laundry. Highlight: Great scenery pretty much everywhere. Lowlight: A tie between being unable to photograph said scenery as I was driving, and the poor timing of not being able to visit the wineries near Taos.
Wednesday 05-13. High culture and low culture collided on this day. When we were in Jemez Springs, we passed on the option of bathing in their hot springs, prompting me to make a last-minute reservation for a soak and lunch at Ten Thousand Waves for today. We reached the spa in mid-morning, relaxing for a too-short 90-minute spell in a partially outdoor onsen. The water was hot, but not too uncomfortable, though the adjoining sauna was too much to handle for either myself or L. We dressed in a hurry, then killed a bit of time on the beautiful grounds before our lunch at Izanami, which blew away just about any other sushi restaurant I’ve attended…well, maybe Nobu would be the exception. However, Izanami was far more affordable and filling than Nobu, with a great 3-course lunch that included dessert, along with a comprehensive and slightly overwhelming sake menu. It was my favorite meal of the entire vacation. So how do you follow up a relaxing spa experience and amazing lunch? You go to Albuquerque to watch the Isotopes play baseball and eat dinner at the park! We met up with A. and J., two recent graduates from Cornell College and fellow fraternity members, so we spent the entire game talking and occasionally watching action on the field. Both L. & I felt energized by the presence of A. & J., almost to the point where we could have talked with them for the entire night. However, we had to drive back to Santa Fe, where we got yet another solid night of rest after a full day. Highlight: The entire day from start to finish. Lowlight: None!
Thursday 05-14. Our last big excursion, and a repeat visit to Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro. We had originally thought about seeing the Very Large Array telescope that’s an hour west of Socorro, but visiting both places on one day wouldn’t have been possible unless we were staying in Socorro itself. In any case, we ate lunch at a park in Socorro near the relatively tiny yet mighty New Mexico Tech, then spent the afternoon at the NWR seemingly to ourselves once we left the visitor’s center. The sheer size of the refuge means you won’t run into many people unless a big migration is happening, so we had few encounters with other people. Instead, we saw plenty of birds, such as Wild Turkeys, Bullock’s Orioles, and our first encounter with a Cinnamon Teal. We also encountered two javelinas rooting for grub, with neither of them too freaked out by our presence. Mule deer and elk were also seen, albeit in the distance. After a full afternoon at the refuge, we made tracks to head north on Interstate 25, though we had to plan our dinner accordingly as there are few places to eat. L. found a diner at a truck stop in Lemitar that appeared sketchy at first, but once she saw the size of the truckers eating dinner, she felt like we made the right choice. I’d call The Crane Cafe my second-favorite meal of the trip, as I had a combo plate serving the absolute best chile relleno I’ve ever had. L.’s carne adovada was still better than my dish, though you couldn’t have gone wrong with either. When we finished, L. looked up where the nearest Paleta Bar was located, and we somehow managed to get to this outpost in Los Lunas with 10 minutes to spare before closing. Full from dinner and dessert, we drove up some parts of an old Route 66 alignment before rejoining I-25 south of the airport, then back to WRR for another session of sawing logs at night. Highlight: Again, the entire day. Lowlight: Realizing that the Very Large Array wasn’t feasible, but that will be a goal for a future visit.
Friday 05-15. Our last full day of vacation, or so we had thought. Morning was spent entirely at WRR, cleaning up the house, washing laundry for the last time, and making one last cleanup for the cats. After lunch at WRR, we found a post office to mail postcards to family members, then we returned to Keeping Together for the second Friday in a row. During our last visit, I mentioned how their tasting room would look better in daylight, and it truly does. KT repurposed a former gardening shop and greenhouse, so their tasting room and outdoor paths are covered with plants and flowers. I cannot think of another brewery that looks like this, and it fits in perfectly with Santa Fe's vibe and the mission that its owner, Averie Swanson, wants to develop. I was also happy to talk with Averie, as she was onsite that afternoon, so I briefly mentioned our vacation's highlights and got advice for future visits. When we left KT, L. suggested we visit the Santa Fe Plaza and just wander around for a while, though to our surprise there was a car show going on there. If you want to unite numerous cultures, it seems that a car show featuring vehicles from the 50s onward is the way! I found a hardtop version of a blue Corvair convertible owned by the folks at WRR, as well as a Saab 96 two-stroke painted ironically with hot rod flames. After the show, we met up with T. & J., who live in Los Alamos, as they agreed to meet us for dinner at the less-crowded Plaza Cafe branch near WRR. T. is also a Cornell alum and fellow fraternity member; we hadn't met in person but we've talked a lot online beforehand. L. & I stuffed ourselves with a stuffed sopaipilla, which fueled the last of our cleaning at WRR afterwards. Oh, and I also managed to find time to buy a Sirui 85mm f/1.4 lens for my Sony camera! Highlight: Our last afternoon out and about in Santa Fe. Lowlight: Ending the vacation...or were we?
Saturday 05-16 part 1. We tidied up WRR after our breakfast, then "checked out" around 10:30 AM. Similar to our arrival, we drove along the Turquoise Trail to head into Albuquerque, only to find a massive traffic jam on Interstate 40 due to construction. I topped off the Kia's tank at a gas station close to the Big I, returned to Interstate 40, then almost saw two trucks cause an accident near me as I was exiting onto I-25 towards the airport. Nothing bad happened to us or to the trucks, but in hindsight, the traffic and accident were omens of what was to come. We ate lunch at the Sunport, and had enough time to wander about the shops before lining up to board our connecting flight to Dallas. While the takeoff was uneventful, it soon became apparent that the ride would be a bumpy one as the plane encountered a lot of turbulence to the point where I felt queasy at time. I also noticed, via Southwest's internal portal and the FlightAware site, that the plane wasn't flying higher than 19,000 feet. About 45 minutes into the flight, both the turbulence and low altitude were explained by the captain, as we were suddenly diverting to land in Lubbock. There was a mechanical fault that wouldn't allow the plane to fully pressurize in order to reach its standard cruising altitude of 33-35,000 feet. Lubbock was the closest airport to land in, which would necessitate a mechanic to inspect the plane then verify if it can be repaired or not.
Saturday 05-16 part 2. We landed in Lubbock around 5 PM to discover that the airport was essentially shut down for the day. There were two restaurants, both of which had closed, as there were no more departing flights. If we were hungry, we were pointed towards two vending machines near the last gate (Gate 9) and the first gate (Gate 1). The airport looked relatively new and clean, as it wasn't really encumbered by throngs of passengers. Lubbock is primarily a commuter airport that shuttles people to Dallas, Denver, or Houston, with far fewer flights in the other direction. I should also point out how flat and brown the land is around Lubbock, so while we were waiting for the decision to come down from Southwest, we had very little to look at, minus a really nice sunset. Neither L. nor I had to attack the vending machines, as she brought some snacks along that helped calm our stomachs, but to be fair, the anxiety surrounding the flight didn't make us too hungry. We were going to miss our connecting flight from Dallas back to STL, but I was able to secure a flight on Sunday 05-17 around 11 AM, as well as a free hotel room near Dallas Love Field for the night--now all we had to do was get there. Southwest finally announced around 7 PM that our initial plane wasn't able to fly as its repairs were too extensive, so we swapped planes with another inbound flight that landed around 8:15 PM, which would then take off around 9:15 PM and land in Dallas around 10 PM. That flight was short and uneventful, but many of the passengers were understandably showing signs of hanger and fatigue. When we landed in Dallas, we also saw that the airport was closed for the night, but I found a Farmers Fridge vending machine and bought two jars of salads and protein bowls for our eventual dinner once we made it to the hotel. After we got our baggage, we had to wait for nearly an hour for a shuttle to take us all to the hotel. Another passenger, S., was exasperated by the delays and claimed this evening was driving her to drink, so as we waited for the tiny minivan to make another trip back for us, she offered us some tequila, and yeah, we accepted. When we finally made it to the hotel, it was after 11:30 PM, and the chaos in the lobby made me wonder if the hotel couldn't handle the information from Southwest about our arrival, or if Southwest didn't fully communicate with them about the day's events. In either case, we didn't check into our room until just before midnight. We ate our jars of food, then somehow managed to sleep around 1 AM. Highlight for the day: Honestly, nothing was notable. Okay, maybe the shot of tequila and the food from Farmer Fridge were alright. Lowlight for the day: Where to begin?‽‽‽‽ This post is already long enough as it is!
Sunday 05-17. Originally, this day would be our recovery day from the vacation so we could transition into the regular work week. Instead, we spent this morning getting shuttled to Dallas Love Field, which was already jumping full of people at 9 AM. We ate a hearty Mexican breakfast, then walked some of it off as our boarding gate was still handling other flights. The flight back to STL was crowded yet uneventful, minus the passenger who sat next to L. who had clearly not bathed in a couple days; his odor was bad enough to taste. We were both too tired to be nauseous, though. Our flight landed after 1 PM, then one nervous taxi drive later, we finally made it back home after 1:30 PM. The apartment was in good shape, but we weren't, and for the entire week after the vacation, L. & I have been out of sync with the world. We will need the Memorial Day weekend to recover from our vacation! Highlight: Finally making it home! Lowlight: Feeling wrecked from the extra day of vacation that wasn't relaxing at all.
Picture time!
Thanks for reading this far. As a reward, here is a series of photos from New Mexico, taken with my iPhone, my Canon rangefinder, and my Sony camera.
