A perfect day in New Mexico; a photo diary

I’ve told most of the people that I’ve spoken to but if you’re not one of them, here’s the news: I fell in love with New Mexico. Out of the 18 states that we visited, New Mexico definitely made the top 3 – I couldn’t quite choose between there, New York and California!

Scenically it’s breathtaking, everywhere is picturesque. The climate is perfect. The humidity is literally 0% and hair looks amazing at all times, no frizz in sight. I am not joking, ladies! The food (mostly Mexican would you believe?) is delicious. Try a tamale, you won’t be disappointed. The people are super cool; it’s inhabited mostly by artists, musicians and also apparently a lot of engineers, although we met less of them! And then there’s just this really amazing relaxed vibe which I didn’t always find in other states.

Originally, we had no plans to even visit New Mexico but Conor’s relatives convinced us that we should visit Santa Fe and so we changed our plans last minute and drove here from Austin, Texas. So grateful that we did!

We booked a last minute airbnb and stayed in a house I could only dream of ever owning, with the fabulous artist, Neecy. Neecy was the most amazingly kind, super cool and interesting host and you can find her work here. In addition, we were hosted by the amazing kitty, Boo (yes, the real life version of Boo if you click the link!) and pup, Kahlua which made the stay even more fantastic.

We stayed in Sandia Park which is around an hour outside of Santa Fe and despite the threat of bears and rattle snakes, we are so glad we stayed here. Sandia Park is on the Turquoise trail which is the National Scenic Route which connects Albequerque to Santa Fe and driving along this trail is just like stepping back in time. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, the wonderful Madrid is a great stop for a drink or a wander in some of the shops.

In a state as beautiful as New Mexico, pictures speak far better than words so here is a little look at what we got up to in one perfect day in New Mexico.

Firstly, a little early morning wander under blue skies near our airbnb. We very rarely saw any cars!

Secondly, a trip to the highest point in New Mexico, Sandia Peak. Hiking to the top is definitely not recommended, a car journey will take you most of the way. Warning to those with a weak stomach, the roads are very winding but the view from the top is worth it!

Then, we drove along the beautiful Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe.

Before eating some delicious burritos and soaking up the chilled vibes of Santa Fe.

Then finally, we returned to Neecy’s gorgeous home and did a bit of stargazing with some new guests who had arrived.

Sometimes you can spend weeks planning a day or a trip and other times, like this, you can just arrive somewhere on a whim with no idea what you’re going to do and end up having one of the best days of your life.

New Mexico, thank you.