Last year, for our anniversary, we decided to take the whole fam and drive north for the weekend and explore Santa Fe and the surrounding area. By this time, we already knew about our upcoming orders to Alaska, so we were pretty motivated to cross things off our bucket list. So we packed our itinerary as full as we could, and off we went!
Where We Stayed
Our first stop was actually to check into our Airbnb. I had stayed in an Airbnb before, but this was Jon's first time. I think he was pretty hooked after his first stay, because our Casita was so cool!! Honestly, it was a little far out of the city (about 30 minutes) but it was right on a private horse ranch! So it was a gorgeous location and a really cool little spot to stay. I mean, how can you go to Santa Fe and not stay in casita?? So if you're up for a little drive into town, I'd definitely recommend it!
What We Did
Our first afternoon was spent checking out Meow Wolf. Oh gosh, this place is pretty indescribable, and I feel like, by trying to describe it, I won't do it justice! So, I'll just list what their website says, which is this:
"Meow Wolf creates immersive and interactive experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. This includes art installations, video and music production, and extended reality content."
It's basically a big, interactive art museum and it is something I would recommend for all ages! Our 18-month-old and 4-year-old both really enjoyed it just as much as we did! If you do bring kids, keep an eye on them, because it's pretty easy to get turned around.
This place was such a cool experience. We had fun just exploring each area, but there is a mystery to be solved, so if you can find all the clues and figure out the story, let us know!
The next day, we drove out to Bandelier National Monument. We hiked along the bottom of a cliff with over 1000 manmade caves that were home to Puebloan ancestors over 10,000 years ago!
The main loop trail is 1.2 miles roundtrip. We opted for the extra mile to see the Alcove House, which I would say was the highlight for myself and my 4 year old. To get there, you have to climb 140 ft up a couple of decently tall ladders.
This was such a cool hike! We got to see a lot of ancient Native American sites during our time in New Mexico, but this one was definitely one of our favorites.
The next morning, we explored historic Downtown Santa Fe.
Exploring historic Santa Fe was really cool! It was all within walking distance as well as around some really great shopping and restaurants. This was our last day in Santa Fe so we headed home after a morning of exploring.
Where We Ate
Our meal of note was a brunch at Tune-Up Cafe before we made our way to Bandelier. The place was crowded, so it is obviously a local favorite. I don't think you can really go wrong with any menu item here. We had the pancakes, an omelette, and the "Tune-up Breakfast" and all of it was delicious!
Bonus Stops
Though we had a little bit of a drive ahead of us, we weren't quite done with our adventure after roaming around historic downtown. On our way home, we took a detour and hiked a little bit through the Tent Rocks National Monument slot canyon.
The scenery was nothing short of spectacular and the detour was well worth it! If you can spare a little bit of time to get out there, we highly recommend it! Just bring water, because even at the end of September, it was hot!!
While you can hike up to the top, we hiked in as far as our kids could and hiked back out, but it was all just stunning.
It seems pretty incredible, but it was so cool, we u-turned a few times just to hear it again!
This "Musical Highway" was installed in 2014 as a partnership between NMDOT and National Geographic to encourage drivers to go the speed limit. All I can tell you is, if you're into quirky, one-of-a-kind sites like we are, this random section of highway is definitely a stop for you! Our trip to Santa Fe was one for the books. We even added it to our list of possible places to retire once we get out of the military life - whenever that is. Have you been to Santa Fe or do any of these places sound exciting to you? Let us know in the comments! Save to your Pinterest Bucket List board for future reference and follow us on instagram for more of our every day adventures! Until next time, get out and enjoy where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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