New Mexico is the 5th largest state in the USA. It is a beautiful mountain state and there is a lot to see. In our latest adventure (February 2022), we spent a week exploring the state, and in this blog post, I showcase the best of our 'winter' visit so that you can plan yours.

If you have a week, there are four areas that you should plan to explore. Fly in and out of Albuquerque. Plan to rent a car. Review this list and scroll down to dig deeper.

1. Taos
2. Santa Fe
3. Albuquerque
4. Las Cruces

TAOS

Taos is a ski Town. You can stay in town, or drive up and stay right by the slopes at 9000 ft. When we went in February, most shops closed at 5 and several restaurants were open just for dinner and did not stay open very late.

My recommendation is to hit the slopes during the day and grab an early dinner in town. Or grab a late breakfast or brunch and explore parts of town. Keep in mind that some spots are closed on certain days of the week. Also, the food scene is not so great for vegetarians.

Where to stay?

We stayed at the historic Taos Inn. The rooms were pueblo style - very simple, cute and clean. Pricey if you ask me - for what they offer. If you are skiing, there are options by the slopes. One would think that prices would be lower past winter months.

Where to eat?

Love Apple comes first on the list when you look for vegetarian food but it was closed when we went. Cid's Health Food market is cool, resembles Whole Foods from outside.

Then there is FarmHouse which has some veggie options but we didn't particularly like it. We stopped by World Cafe twice for some quick breakfast bites and coffee, this was decent and the icing on the cake was that it opened early and was walking distance from Taos Inn. The restaurant at the historic Taos Inn - Doc Martins was decent and also had some fantastic cocktails.

Gutiz warrants a special mention and our vote. It has really good coffee and breakfast too.

What to do in Taos - besides skiing?

Taos is a town that connects you with nature - it is quite peaceful.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge will take your breath away. We bundled up, parked our car and walked the muddy path to the bridge - the 10th highest in the US. You can drive over the bridge but the best way to see the gorge is to park and walk on it. It's quite spectacular

The San Francisco De Asis is an old active church in the village of Ranchos de Taos, just minutes from the main Taos plaza. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

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Walk around Taos plaza and explore the area - Many galleries and cute shops. We met a lovely lady who suggested we take the High Road on our way back to Santa Fe.

Even if you are not into winter sports, drive up to the High Noon ski area and village. Grab a bite or coffee, sit indoors and watch people skiing and snowboarding. The snow is light and fluffy and there are 70+ trails - a lot going on!

,Between Taos and Santa Fe

Take the High Road between Santa Fe and Taos to see little Spanish villages and churches along the way. Stop at two places:

• Village of Las Trampas for a quick visit to the Church of San Jose de la Gracia, built in 1770-76, designated as a national historic landmark
• Village of Chimayo for a visit to Santuario de Chimayo, a very old and beautiful church

,SANTA FE

The cutest town of them all. We stayed at the El Rey Court which was a little bit further off from downtown Santa Fe - just maybe 5-8 minutes off (Its a small town!). We looked for hotels closer to the action but everything was too expensive. Nevertheless, it worked out just right, we would stay at the same hotel again.

What to see?

Bandelier National Monument (an hour away from Santa Fe)

Absolutely worth visiting, this monument preserves the ancestral homes of the Pueblo people. You can see how little dwellings were carved into soft rock. Don't miss it, and get the guide that tells you more about each numbered spot - it definitely helped us appreciate the place a lot more.

Canyon Road

Ooh so arty-farty. No really, jokes apart, there is a lot of talent and creativity here. My favorite was Prescott sculptures.

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There are others too. If nothing else, drive by!

Downtown and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

The downtown plaza is nice with a ton of shops. We walked into an olive oil company which had oils with New Mexican flavors. There was a dumpling shop, an ice cream shop, bunch of restaurants, you can easily spend an hour walking around.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is a Santa Fe must-do. If you do not know much about the artist, I encourage you to learn about her work and her life. It is truly inspiring. Reservations strongly recommended.

MeowWolf Museum

So trippy, you will love it! This is an experience, and one you will remember for a long time! Plan at least a couple hours and be prepared to walk into coolers, fridges, fireplaces and washing machines :)

Where to eat in Santa Fe?

There are interesting places to eat here but one stands out! Paper Dosa - such a cute place! It is a popular joint amongst the locals. And look at the size of that dosa!

For breakfast, consider New York on Catron. And definitely order their hatch green chili bagel!

Secreto Lounge for cocktails. This lounge /bar is at the Hotel St. Francis. And not only are the cocktails spectacular, the apps are darn good too.

ALBUQUERQUE

This is a big city! Lots of hotel chains. We stayed at the Double Tree in downtown.

What to see?

Petroglyph National Monument

Stop by this monument to see symbols and drawings carved onto volcanic rock by Native Americans 500+ years ago. There are 4000+ such designs in this area and a short walk is all you need to see most of them.

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Sandia Peak Tramway

The view from the top is splendid - Must do! Take a tramway all the way up to 11,000 ft. There is a restaurant up there where reservations are required. Enjoy the view and dress warm.

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Finally - ABQ Downtown.

We visited a cute tea shop, lots of other stores and we were constantly reminded that we were in NM with all the ristras (red chillies) hanging on doors and from ceilings - a symbol of good luck and good health. Often these chillies are dried and consumed.

Where to eat in ABQ?

Sawmill Market for lunch and/or dinner is a great idea. Feels like a luxury food court with a variety of cuisines. My suggestions for vegetarian food:

• Flora Tacos-to-go
• Beer at Paxton's
• Churro Y corn
• Kulantro - for Asian
• Neko Neko Asian ice-cream
• Tulipani pasta

Vinaigrette! We tried this New Mexico-based farm-to-table restaurant in Austin actually and fell in love with it so we just had to eat there on our visit. Their salads are so fresh.

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An evening at Marble Brewery is an evening well-spent! Especially when the Indian food truck - Tikka Spice is on the scene! Check if they will be at the brewery, we got lucky! And it goes without saying that the craft beers are pretty awesome.

This place is buzzing!

Frontier - for New Mexican breakfast

This place is right next to the University of New Mexico and it is an institution! They celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. Food is OK but it is a thing-to-do. I ordered the vegetarian tortilla soup - it was good but super spicy!

And plan to walk around the campus across from the restaurant - if you can. We loved the sculptures on campus and we loved posing by them :)

LAS CRUCES + WHITE SANDS MONUMENT

This town is a popular retirement destination because it is at the edge of the Chihuahuan desert. It is in South New Mexico so it is warmer than most other areas in the state.

One of the major attractions in this area is the White Sands Monument in Alamagordo. So, get to Las Cruces in the evening, stay the night and spend the next day driving to and at the White Sands. You need half a day at White Sands, so you can plan to head back to Alburqueque by early evening.

Where to stay / eat in Las Cruces?

There are several hotels in this town as well as at the village of Mesilla, which is right by Las Cruces. We stayed at the Home2Suites which had nice big rooms with kitchenettes.

Plan to dine at Salud and to celebrate some local wine at Lescombes. Don't go anywhere without reservations, especially for dinner.

White Sands Tips

There is an entrance fee to get into the monument. Carry plenty of water and also food if you have dietary restrictions. Don't bother buying the plastic slides because the dunes are really quite high so it can be exhausting, plus they seem pricey. Carry jackets, it can get pretty windy. Remember to watch the documentary in their theatre because it is super informative.

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Anything else near White Sands?

Not really. Most restaurants in a 30 minute radius are chain restaurants, we grabbed pizza at Carino's - Order the one with hatch chillies! Also, Pistachioland is famous for its various pistachio flavors. They serve pistachio ice cream too but nothing special, it feels store-bought!

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,Green Sea Shells is all about the joyful pursuit of happiness. Doesn't travel make you happy?Subscribe to the blog updates and follow me on social media platforms on FaceBook, Instagram and Twitter.