Earlier in December I headed down to New Mexico to visit one of my big brothers for a long weekend. He’s working on completing his residency in Albuquerque and December seemed like a good time to get down there…I wasn’t expecting the weather to be as cold as the Midwest, but we made the most of it!
Instead of boring you with a complete play-by-play, here’s my top 5 highlights to inspire you a little.
Top 5 New Mexico Highlights:
1. Hiking around Tent Rocks: Just a short drive from Albuquerque, our small group made an afternoon of hiking in and around Tent Rocks. I loved the texture and patterns that the snow stuck in the wind-worn rocks made, along with the views once we reached the top. You could see for miles.
1. Hiking around Tent Rocks: Just a short drive from Albuquerque, our small group made an afternoon of hiking in and around Tent Rocks. I loved the texture and patterns that the snow stuck in the wind-worn rocks made, along with the views once we reached the top. You could see for miles.
2. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe: Visiting the museum was a must-do since the lady is one of my all-time favorite artists. After brunch at Cafe Paris in downtown Santa Fe, we walked over to the museum. The boys were patient while I took my time soaking up the collection…
3. Frontier Restaurant, Albuquerque: A choatic and tasty experience that you shouldn’t miss. The restaurant just keeps expanding into its neighboring buildings. The line wasn’t too long when we arrived, but you can tell that’s not always the case…with check points indicating how long the line will be from that point forward and a traffic director at the long row of registers.
I attempted to eat a huge and very tasty breakfast burrito with spicy, adovada beef, hash browns and green chiles. They also make fresh squeezed orange juice, killer cinnamon rolls and home-made tortillas which they served warm with honey on the side (we bought some to take back with us too!). It sounds so classy when I write about it, but really, you’ll find all types here. It’s great for people watching – especially for late night dining (according to my brother).
4. Canyon Road galleries, Santa Fe:
A great place to find one-of-a-kind art and antiques. All along the road you’ll find Native American artifacts neighboring contemporary galleries with chairs made of money (literally!). A great place for inspiration if you’re not quite ready to buy.
5. Farina Pizzeria & Marble Brewery, Albuquerque: For our last night in town, we headed to Farina Pizzeria for some very tasty salad and pizza. We shared the chopped salad and a couple pizzas which were well worth the wait. We then made a stop at Marble Brewery, Albuquerque’s own brewery, to sample their brews. 
All-in-all it was a great trip. We avoided any sort of crowds that we might have encountered since our visit was between summer and ski season. But hopefully I’ll make it back for the Balloon Festival some day!
P.S. When ordering in New Mexico and you have a choice of green or red chile sauce, go for the green; or if you’re curious about the red, ask for a little bit of both, it looks like Christmas!
While Christmas is fast approaching, you still have time to find the perfect gift for the hardest to shop for on your list. Here’s the full list of my “Twelve Days of Christmas” gift guide/wish list from the past two weeks to help inspire you.
