Chasing Epic Adventures

Santa Fe, New Mexico

We absolutely loved Santa Fe. Between the incredible food scene, beautiful hiking and unique art experiences, the city has a creative, laid-back vibe that makes you want to slow down and stay awhile.

We stayed at this wonderful Airbnb:

Santa Fe Airbnb Rental

Located about 10 minutes from downtown Santa Fe, the house has two comfortable bedrooms, an amazing hot tub with beautiful views, and direct access to the Dale Ball hiking trails. We absolutely loved relaxing in the hot tub after long days of exploring.

Some of the restaurants and cafes (rated out of five stars) we experienced during the trip were:

Saturday

We arrived at our Airbnb around 5:30pm and headed out for dinner around 7:00pm. One thing we quickly learned: Santa Fe restaurants can have very long wait times, especially on weekends. We tried several places before finally ending up at Tomasita’s after about a 30-minute wait. After reading all the glowing reviews, we were excited to try authentic New Mexican cuisine. Unfortunately, our meals were just okay. I ordered the Southwestern Chicken Salad and Dan had the Carne Adovada. Maybe we simply chose the wrong dishes.

Sunday

We started the day at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisan Market, which runs every Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. The Railyard district is a fun area to wander, with shops, galleries, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Coffee at Crash Murder Business was great — unique, creative, and probably some of the best coffee we had during the trip.

Afterward, we headed to Santa Fe Plaza, the historic heart of the city. The Plaza is full of charming shops, art galleries, restaurants, and beautiful adobe architecture.

Lunch at Apothecary Dining was one of the highlights of the trip. The menu was creative, unique, and absolutely delicious. The decor and ambiance are eclectic and unusual in the very best way. We loved it so much that we returned later in the week for dinner with friends.

Monday — Spa Day at Ojo Caliente

Monday was dedicated to relaxation at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, one of the oldest health spas in the United States.

Ojo Caliente is known for its naturally sulfur-free hot springs containing four different minerals: arsenic, lithia, soda, and iron. We made it our mission to soak in every pool, cover ourselves in mud, bake in the sun, and then plunge into the mud pool afterward.

We both booked the 80-minute Essence of Ojo massage, and my massage from Chris was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had.

That said, while we really enjoyed the experience overall, we did find parts of the spa — especially the pool areas and locker rooms — a bit dated.

Dinner that evening was at Cafe Pasqual’s. We sat at the community table, which turned out to be a great experience because we met some wonderful people. We shared the scallop special appetizer, the Plato Supremo entree, and the Honey Cake for dessert. Everything was outstanding, but the Chile Relleno completely stole the show.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning was spent exploring Meow Wolf Santa Fe and its famous immersive exhibit, House of Eternal Return.

The experience is hard to describe — part art installation, part mystery, part psychedelic dream world. Visitors explore more than 70 rooms filled with hidden passages, neon forests, surreal landscapes, and interactive art while uncovering the story of a vanished family.

We absolutely loved it.

Dan in the washing machine portal


Later, we had a late lunch at La Choza and shared the combination platter, which was delicious.

Wednesday

The La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site was absolutely worth visiting, although finding the petroglyphs was more confusing than expected.

We initially followed a trail on Trailforks that claimed to lead to the petroglyphs, but it actually headed away from them. Even so, it turned into a beautiful three-mile hike.

Back at the parking lot, we decided to give it one more try — and finally found them. The petroglyphs are actually only about 0.4 miles from the parking area. The key is to follow the white directional arrows until they end, then head uphill to the left.

We discovered hundreds of petroglyphs and were so glad we persisted.

Lunch was at Plaza Cafe, which is famous for breakfast. Unfortunately, our lunches were only average.

That evening, we attended a sound bath with Adrienne from Perfect Fifths Sound Healing. She was wonderful. Our friends were completely new to sound baths, and I think they left just as hooked as we are.

Thursday

Our day trip to Bandelier National Monument was one of the biggest highlights of the trip.

Located about an hour from Santa Fe, Bandelier preserves ancient ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and archaeological sites. Visitors can climb wooden ladders into cave dwellings built more than 700 years ago by the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The famous ladders at Alcove House rise 140 feet above the canyon floor and make the experience especially memorable.

If you visit Santa Fe, Bandelier is absolutely a must-see.

For dinner, we returned to Apothecary Dining, and it did not disappoint. The food is a foodie’s dream, and the eclectic bohemian decor creates such a fun atmosphere. Easily one of our favorite restaurants of the trip.

Friday — Taos Day Trip

Friday was dedicated to a day trip to Taos. We drove the “Low Road” from Santa Fe in the morning and returned later that day via the scenic “High Road.”

Our first stop was the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We parked on one side of the bridge and walked a short trail to overlook the gorge. The views were absolutely spectacular, with the deep canyon cutting dramatically through the landscape far below.

Next, we toured the fascinating Earthship Biotecture sustainable homes. These off-grid homes are designed to be fully self-sufficient and are built primarily from recycled materials. The construction methods are incredibly creative — walls are made using tires packed with earth along with aluminum cans, glass bottles, and cardboard.  

From there, we continued on to Taos Ski Valley. Since we visited in May, the village was extremely quiet, with many businesses closed for the shoulder season. I imagine the area feels much more alive during ski season or summer hiking and biking season, but it was still beautiful to see the mountain without the crowds.

We later wandered around downtown Taos and had lunch at La Cueva Cafe. The food was delicious, very reasonably priced, and some of the best casual New Mexican food we had during the trip.

For the drive back to Santa Fe, we took the famous High Road. Although it’s longer than the Low Road route, the scenery was absolutely stunning and well worth the extra time. The drive winds through mountain landscapes, tiny historic villages, and beautiful high desert scenery. We loved it.

Saturday 

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is a large, year-round market in the Railyard district, known for its local, New Mexico-grown produce, meats, honey, and artisan goods. Walking around the market is a nice way to spend a morning. We found an interesting guitar store called Sante Fe  Guitar Gallery. We fell in love with cookies called Biscochito, the best we ate are from a cafe called Santa Fe Biscochito Company. Lunch was at a great food truck called Lupe’s Andale 2.

Sunday

We started the morning enjoying the art galleries on Canyon Rd. Very enjoyable, highly recommend!

We drove the Turquoise Trail from Santa Fe to the Albuquerque airport. It’s a bit longer than taking hwy 24, but much more scenic. We stopped for lunch in Madrid at the Mine Shaft Tavern. The burgers are amazing.