Santa Fe, New Mexico

Heading south towards New Mexico, we spotted one last necessary stop in Colorado. The Great Sand Dunes National Park was on our way, so we figured why not stop in the nations largest sandbox? A giant sandbox it was! As we drove up, the sandy hills come out of nowhere. It’s as if the sky opened up one day and just dropped a load of sand and said here, have some fun. At the base of the dunes, there was a steady stream of water. It looked like every kids dream, as we watched several of them making castles and rolling around in wet sand, making sure to fill every crack…aka, a parents nightmare. Thankfully all we had was a dog who enjoyed the free drinking water, and we pressed on to the desert.

If you ever thought climbing a hill was hard, think again. Climbing mounds of sand in the heat was so intense and the wind seemed to pick up at just the right moment to throw sand in your eyes. We made it to the top of one hill and watched at kids “snowboarded” and “sled” down the sand. Slightly bummed we did not come equipped with sand sled, we quickly realized that it is in no way comparable to actual snowboarding or sledding….but more like going down a water slide with a very slow trickle of water. Instead, we raced down the dunes and back to the car to press on for even hotter weather.

Tim’s parents had visited Santa Fe a few years ago and had nothing but rave reviews, so we were excited to check it out. The drive was filled with wild flowers, mountain ranges in the distance, the beginning of beautiful red rocks and a very strange gas station with animal sculptures. We stopped in Taos for lunch, itching for some authentic mexican food. The small town had a cute center square surrounded by stores. We opted for some new Patagonia hats instead of jewelry and found a dog friendly restaurant called The Alley Cantina. We hit the road with only an hour left and headed towards our B&B, The Inn of the Turquoise Bear.

The Inn was New Mexico in true form. A funky adobe house with gardens, scattered rooms, outdoor eating areas and of course turquoise doors. We settled into our room, complete with a fire place and dog treats, excited to be skipping the tent for a night. We walked downtown to find the town square filled with music. It was as if we were being welcomed to town as we approached the Santa Fe Bandstand complete with a New Orleans band belting out jazzy tunes. We checked out the stores and galleries set out on a hunt for the perfect dinner spot. Erica struck up a conversation with an owner at one of the MANY turquois shops who suggested The Shed just down the street.

The Shed had been around since 1953, was family owned and they knew how to make a killer drink. We were used to the extra sugary margarita mixes that left you with an awful headache and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious margs they served up. Thank you for making us reconsider tequila Carswell Family. The food did not disappoint nor did the service. Our waitress suggested we hit up the Cowgirl BBQ for a nightcap and called her friend Henry, a pedi cab driver, to take us there. Another margarita for the books and we made it home headache free.

The best part of staying at a B&B is always the breakfast! We woke up early the next day and were greeted with fresh ginger waffles. Post ginger intake we headed to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Although small, it was mighty and worth the two hours indoors. Continuing on our art tour, next up was Canyon Road, but not before stopping by the jewelry vendors at the Palace of the Govenors to pick up a copper bracelet. Canyon Road is definitely worth a visit. The road is actually a street filled with curated galleries inside your classic Santa Fe homes. We accidentally spent hours here and found ourselves itching for a cold beverage when we wandered upon at El Farol towards the end of the road for some food. If you drive through Santa Fe, definitely take a stroll down Canyon Road.

Just when we thought we were finished with arts and crafts, we came across what looked like a vintage rug shop called Serret and Sons Architecture and Antiques. This maze of rooms and floors were FILLED with antique doors, pillars, windows, fireplaces...I mean you name it and they had it! It was incredible to get a bit lost and stumble upon all of the unaffordable goodies.

For our last night, we took the advice of Tim's parents and headed to the Pink Adobe for dinner nestled in a cute courtyard and 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar across the street for a night cap. The food and mezcal in this town are definitely worth it!

It was time to move on to our next spot, the Grand Canyon. A quick pit stop at Modern General for breakfast, a few photos crossing the continental divide and we were on our way to view a really big crack in the ground.

Hotel: The Inn of the Turquoise Bear
Taos Restaurant: The Alley Cantina
Sante Fe Restaurants: The Shed, Pink Adobe, Modern General, El Farol
Drinks: 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Cowgirl BBQ
Fun Stuff: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Canyon Road, Serret and Sons Architecture and Antiques