Discover the Hidden Gems of Northern New Mexico
New Mexico has been on our travel list for some time. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which takes place every October, has been the main draw. With more than 500 hot-air balloons, it is the largest ballooning event in the world! But there is so much more to New Mexico. Come take a look!
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CHAMA
Our first full day in New Mexico was spent enjoying the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado! A gorgeous train ride, especially in October when the aspen leaves turn bright yellow! Buffet lunch was provided about half way, and we returned to Chama on a beautiful bus ride along CO-17 highway.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad begins at an elevation of 7,860 feet in the town of Chama. It reaches Cumbres Pass at an elevation of 10,022 feet. That's a gain of almost 2,500 feet from the town! The total distance covered is approximately 64 miles, and takes about 7 hours, plus an additional one hour bus ride back to Chama from Antonito. Along the journey we spotted pronghorn antelope, elk, mule deer, and hawks circling above!
We stayed at the Lofts at Sterling and Sage, which is about as close to the train station as you can get! The rooms were decorated in a gorgeous Southwestern style, and the bathroom, bed, and balcony were all generously proportioned. Our beautiful room, the Toltec Room, overlooked the mountains and rail yard! Self check-in and self check-out made this lodging super convenient.
We couldn't find any decent restaurants in town, so we just recommend stopping by Subway sandwiches or the local grocery store, Lowe's Market (a.k.a. Chama Valley Supermarket).
SANTA FE
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is definitely the cultural heart of the state! From Santa Fe Plaza, to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, to the New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum Hill, and the art galleries of Canyon Road, there's plenty to see and do!
Santa Fe Plaza is the heart of Old Town. We enjoyed Native American dancing there, and perusing the silver and turquoise jewelry for sale along its perimeter.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is also in Old Town. A gorgeous sandstone structure on the outside, it is ornately adorned with stained glass and detailed paint in its interior.
The exterior and inner courtyard alone make the New Mexico Museum of Art worth visiting! Located in Old Town, the exhibits on display when we were there showcased the indigenous history and way of life.
Museum Hill is just a short drive away. We really enjoyed lunch at the Museum Hill Cafe, where we tried the delicious Enchiladas Suizas!
Canyon Road art galleries are a definite must see! The variety of outdoor sculptures alone makes this a worthwhile destination!
El Farolito Bed & Breakfast Inn is a fantastic place to stay in town, with tons of character! We were immersed in all of the Southwestern atmosphere we'd hoped for! It's a great location, within walking distance to Santa Fe Plaza and Canyon Road galleries.
Reagan and Aileen were great hosts, answering questions, providing recommendations, and serving great food for both breakfast and afternoon snacks. We highly recommend this charming location for your stay in Santa Fe!
ALBUQUERQUE
The main attraction in October is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!
We chose to ride in a hot-air balloon during our first morning session of the festival! Rainbow Ryders is the official hot-air balloon ride concessionaire for the event. Our balloon ride check-in began at 4:45 am, and continued up until we departed to load into our balloon, around 6:15 am. The check in location was the Rainbow Ryders tent, just inside Admission Gate 9. We paid a grand total of $1287.50 for two people. Expensive? Definitely! But it's a once in a lifetime kind of experience.
We went ahead and added the Ryders Club VIP experience for about $150 per person. This gives you access to a heated tent with a warm buffet breakfast, a swag bag, and personal escort to your hot-air balloon. For us it was worth it. I mean, when you've already spent $1200, what's another $300? Right?
When you attend the festival, plan for a high volume of traffic. Parking is $20 cash only, and parking lines entering the park can take about half an hour or more. See my Transportation tip below.
Our hot-air balloon ride was wonderful! We rose to an altitude of 9100 feet, and covered a total distance of over 10 miles. We were able to witness the beautiful sunrise over the Sandia Mountains surrounded by hot-air balloons, and glide over Rio Grande River as well.
Transportation tip: For the most convenient way to get to and from the fiesta, we recommend using the park and ride. This allows you to avoid the traffic congestion and separate parking fee. You simply scan your ticket upon boarding the bus and enter the balloon fiesta upon your arrival. The park & ride shuttle can take anywhere from about 30 to 60 minutes, so plan accordingly.
This was the schedule of events for the sessions we attended at the fiesta:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
Morning Session
5:45 am ...........Drone Light Show
6:00 am ...........Dawn Patrol Show
6:30 am ...........Krispy Kreme Morning Glow
7:00 am ...........Mass Ascension
Evening Session
5:00 pm ...........Team Fastrax Skydiving
6:30 pm ...........Night Magic Glow (CANCELLED)
6:30 pm ...........Fiesta de Los Globitos (Remote Control Balloons Exhibition) (CANCELLED)
---> We left after this, via the park & ride shuttles, around 7:00 pm
7:30 pm ...........Team Fastrax Skydiving
7:45 pm ...........Drone Light Show
8:00 pm ..........AfterGlow Fireworks Show
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
Morning Session
5:45 am ...........Drone Light Show
6:00 am ...........Dawn Patrol Show (CANCELLED)
6:30 am ...........Krispy Kreme Morning Glow (CANCELLED)
7:00 am ...........Farewell Mass Ascension (CANCELLED)
Strong winds (approx. 7 mph or above) or rain will cancel balloon events, from mass ascensions to balloon glows. Our Saturday evening session didn't have any balloon activities. Sunday morning only had a static (grounded) display of approximately 80 hot-air balloons. While it was nice, it was only a fraction of the over 500 balloons in attendance.
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta also had many food and souvenir booths, as well as live performances. There was a chainsaw demonstration and merchandise booth as well.
But there's more to Albuquerque, New Mexico, than just a hot-air balloon festival! We also enjoyed the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden and Aquarium, Old Town, the Rail Yards Market, and even Tablao Flamenco! Ole!
Our ABQ BioPark tickets included the Botanic Garden and Aquarium. We enjoyed the seasonal displays around the garden, as well as the model railway garden! And the cafe at the aquarium has views of the shark exhibit!
Old Town Albuquerque is full of shops and restaurants. The plaza has a gazebo where live music is often performed. We were fortunate enough to enjoy live mariachi music while we were there!
Rail Yards Market is an indoor/outdoor market hosting handcrafted goods, food and drink, and activities! It occurs every Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm during the months of May to October. We always enjoy local markets for the cultural opportunities they provide. You get to meet locals, and really get a feel for what it's like to live in the region.
Tablao Flamenco, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town, is a wonderful dinner and traditional flamenco dancing performance! Doors open at 6:15 pm, with dinner served around 7:00. The flamenco performance begins at 8 pm, with a brief intermission in which dessert is served. It's a great experience when you're in town!
For food, we highly recommend Vegan Vato (website) in Old Town, Albuquerque! Excellent food! We couldn't believe it was vegan! Good prices as well.
Although we weren't able to enjoy it, we also recommend taking the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway for panoramic views atop Sandia Peak! Just ensure you purchase your tickets in advance. We did not, and were told there was a 30 minute standby queue for passengers without online tickets. Yikes! That was too long a wait for us, with the possibility of never making it onto a tram.
Another place you could visit includes the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Their Fall dance performance schedule (September and October) is on weekends at 11 am and 2 pm.
Our original choice for lodging was The Desert Compass in Old Town. Accommodations were not available when we inquired, but we still recommend staying here.
New Mexico is full of Indigenous People arts and crafts and plenty of Mexican, and even some Spanish, charm! We loved the adobe-style structures, cuisine, arts, and the hospitality of the people. If you've never experienced the American Southwest, we definitely recommend you give the "Land of Enchantment" a try!
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