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- Quick stats about this trip:
- ✈️: 3,640 miles
- 🚘: 1,245 miles
- 💳 : 70,815 points
- Chase: 54,615
- Hyatt: 12,000
- Avis: 4,200
- 💰: $68.75 per person per day (double occupancy)
In mid-August we started brainstorming for a destination for our next trip to take place in early September. To start we had many grand ideas such as Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, as well as Montenegro, but since we had a minimal budget set aside for this trip, we scratched each of those as soon as we did a bit of research. We then decided to stick to the US, and since I had seen very little of the Southwestern US, that seemed like a good region to settle on. My husband has visited most of the region, and we diplomatically settled on New Mexico as our destination since neither of us had been to the state before. Additionally, September seemed to be the first palatable month after summer to visit New Mexico, with both heat and rain settling near normal levels. At a glance we figured that New Mexico could be experienced in three to four days, but as we dove deeper we realized that we’d be doing ourselves a disservice by not giving it its full attention, and opted for a week instead. This still required us to cut out quite a few areas of the state, but we made do.
We purchased tickets on JetBlue’s direct flight from JFK to ABQ departing Wednesday evening. The flights were available via JetBlue’s site for 8k/pp per way, for a total of 16k/pp, while Chase Sapphire Reserve’s travel portal had it available for slightly less, at 15.7k/pp, so we purchased via Chase. Arriving at JFK, we parked in our usual spot near the Lefferts Blvd Air Train, free to Terminal 5, and passed security with TSA Pre-Check in seconds. We then proceeded to the Gameway Priority Pass Lounge, something I had failed to notice on prior trips out of JFK, since I wrongly assumed that there were no PP lounges in JFK. The lounge is a game room, but offers free water and snacks, and a place to sit away from the hustle and bustle of the airport (note that Gameway is only available via the Chase Priority Pass, and not via Amex or Cap1).
We dutifully made it to our gate in time and boarded, only to be told that the flight was delayed due to adverse weather earlier in the day, which created runway traffic. We finally took off 40 minutes behind schedule, but the pilot made good time and we landed in ABQ at our originally scheduled landing time.
As soon as we landed we headed to the car rental shuttle- there are no rental counters on-site- to pick up our Standard SUV reserved via Avis. The rental was booked utilizing 4,200 points covering all 6 days, so that left us with just $84 out of pocket for taxes and fees.
We headed straight for our hotel for the next two nights, Hotel Zazz, located just 7 minutes from the airport. We booked this hotel due its proximity to the airport, knowing we would be tired after the flight from NY, coupled with the free parking, decent ratings, and great pricing- 18.8k points for two nights. The hotel turned out to be a tad too kitchy for our taste, and in addition to the decor are obsessed with the status of being located on Route 66… worst of all, the parking turned out not to be free. That being said, the room was spacious and clean, and served its purpose.
Thursday morning we were up bright and early for the one hour drive to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. We purchased an America the Beautiful Pass prior to the trip via LL Bean (same price as via USGS, but with faster shipping options), which allowed us to book a free reservation for the monument ($5 per adult)- note that the ATB pass only waives the reservation fee- we still had to pay $22 per adult for the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Access Pass- this is the only way to access the tribal land that the monument is located on. We arrived at the tribal visitor center, confirmed our reservation, and were appointed a guide vehicle that would drive us through the reservation to the national monument. Near the monument there’s a booth set up where a park ranger (tribal member) checked our ATB pass, and then waved us through.
When we originally booked these passes I was reluctant, as I wasn’t sure that the steep entry fee for a national monument was justified, but within minutes of hiking the trail all my fears were allayed, and this turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. The trail started out with some delicious smelling bushes perfuming the area, and then proceeded to wow us with incredible hoodoo formations, canyon slots, and mountain vistas. The hike was moderately difficult due to the sun and the heat, but within the canyon there was shade and a cool breeze.
After a refreshing break with snacks and plenty of water, we headed to the Los Alamos History Museum, located in Los Alamos, a 1+ hour drive from Cochiti. The entry fee here is just $5 per person, and since my husband and I are both mildly obsessed with Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project, so we found the place fascinating. The docents here were very knowledgeable about the area and its history, which greatly added to the experience. Nearby attractions that caught our interest were the Manhattan Project National Historical Park which is closed on Thursdays, and the Bradbury Science Museum, which we opted to skip since we were to visit a different science museum later on in the trip.
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Our last stop of the day was to the Bandelier National Monument, just 20 minutes from Los Alamos- this was an easy stop even after being on our feet for hours, as the trails are paved and mostly flat. Being later in the day the weather was significantly cooler, and we enjoyed exploring the various pueblos that are open to the public. Entry here is $25, but free with the ATB pass.
With nightfall coming on, we started the two hour drive back to Albuquerque, stopping in Santa Fe at a Walmart to stock up on food. Santa Fe lies at an elevation of 7k feet, and it was cool to see all the chip bags in the store blown up due to the difference in oxygen outside vs in the bags.
Friday morning we checked out of Hotel Zazz, and headed to Albuquerque’s Old Town to explore. This area is an art lover’s dream, and while we’re not exactly that, we did appreciate the cuteness of the area. We stumbled into a great photography gallery with beautiful landscape shots, and got stuck there for over an hour, admiring.
Next, we headed an hour out of town to the mountains overlooking the city, Sandia Crest. The first thing we noticed was the temperature dropping as we ascended- while it had been 82F in Albuquerque, the temperature plummeted to 53F at the top. In addition to the biting wind, it was hard to walk more than a few steps without resting, as we felt the elevation keenly- Albuquerque is located at 5.3k feet, while Sandia Crest sits at 10.6k feet. We admired the views of the city spread out below us, but were unable to hike any of the trails due to the elevation. There is a $3 fee at Sandia Crest, but it was again covered by our ATB pass.
We then headed back down to Albuquerque to stock up on food for Shabbos, and checked into our VRBO, located a 10 minute walk from Chabad.
The Rabbi and Rebbetzin graciously invited us to their home for the Friday night meal, where we had a phenomenal time along with 40 other guests. New Mexico houses many military bases, so there were several military guys present, along with a fighter pilot and helicopter pilot from the IAF who were there to train at a US base. The fighter pilot shared his experiences of October 7, and while he couldn’t get too much into detail, shared a bit of the Iranian war as well. It was fascinating to hear about their experiences, especially at a time and place that connects us all.
Shabbos morning shul was followed by a kiddush and shiur, after which we headed back to our rental for lunch. The day passed quickly, and we headed back to shul for havdalah- unfortunately for us, the heavens opened up just then and it rained like only a desert can- we waited several minutes for the rain to let up, but it seemed to taunt us. Fortunately for us we were in a place of Yidden, and someone offered to give us a ride back to our accommodation- mi k’amcha yisroel!
Sunday morning we were on our way, driving 3 hours south to the Museum of Space History located in Alamogordo. The second half of the drive is along the massive yet barren (seemingly) White Sands Missile Range, with eerie signs posted every now and then warning of road closures due to missile tests. The museum details all there is to know about space exploration, and we were so fascinated that we ended up staying til closing time, at 5PM.
We then headed 25 minutes west, to another highlight of the trip, the otherworldly White Sands National Park. Entry here is $25, but was once again covered by our ATB pass.
White Sands stands out from the surrounding landscape, and is noticeable from afar as a stark white spot in the desert. We started with the Dunes Trail, which took us 25 minutes and was nice and easy, even in the heat.
By the time we were done temps started to cool and dropped by 20°, and we headed to Alkali Flats to relax on the dunes. The area is vast enough that each group can have a dune to themselves without crowding others.
We lazied around here until the sun started setting, and experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets.
Since there was a full moon that night the park had a concert going, but we opted to skip that since we still had 1.5 hours of driving to get to our hotel for the night in El Paso, Texas.
The drive was uneventful, and we checked into the Holiday Inn Express and Suites El Paso North by IHG, which we had booked via Chase Sapphire Preferred- $50 to the card which triggered the annual credit, and the remainder via 4k points. The hotel was nothing to write home about but served its purpose for a night, and early the next morning we were out to explore another highlight of this trip, Juárez, Mexico.
The plan to visit Juárez came together at the last minute, on the drive over to El Paso, so of course we didn’t have our passports with us. Several confident Redditors mentioned crossing over to Mexico with no passport at all, although none at Juárez, but we figured worse case they’ll send us back the way we came- no harm, no foul. We parked a block away from the border, paid $1/pp to leave the US, and then proceeded along a long pedestrian walkway to the Mexican border. The chaos and traffic into the US was a site to observe, and not knowing if we would make it into Juárez, felt that it had already been worth the walk.
We reached a small room at the end of the walkway, and I, expecting a checkpoint, slowed down- the guard (i.e. mall cop) was immediately irate, and waved me forward, and with that we were in Juárez! We walked along the main avenue, taking in the stark difference between this city and El Paso, which although neighboring, are like night and day.
After a few minutes of walking we hit a large outdoor market, which was fun to explore.
Every few minutes someone stopped us to wish us shalom, which was in contrast to the ‘free palestine’ graffiti sprayed all over the city. After about an hour of enjoying the market we headed back to El Paso and the US border. We had our Global Entry cards with us (we use that as Real ID when flying), so we expected an easy way back into the US. After paying the .80 cent Mexican exit fee, we proceeded along the walkway to the checkpoint. At one point a Mexican gentleman stopped us, pointed to some graffiti, and informed us that this was not done by ‘his people’, but rather by ‘other elements’ (seemed like he meant US citizens crossing over).
As predicted, the way back to the US took seconds with our Global Entry cards, and we were once again ensconced by the huge buildings of El Paso.
We then proceeded to drive two hours to Guadalupe National Park in Texas. We loved the landscapes here, but found the park to be wholly undeveloped- no myriads of trails, no scenic drives, and most sections of the park closing at 5PM, several hours before sunset.
We stopped at the Salt Flats for some beautiful views, with temperature holding steady at 98F.
Around the bend, in the mountains, it immediately dropped to 83F, which made viewing the incredible El Capitan and surrounding mountains a lot more palatable.
After stopping by the visitor center we settled on the McKittrick Road area of the park for some short hikes, but unfortunately by the time we got there it was after 5PM, and the road was closed. Entry here is $10/pp, but covered by the ATB pass.
With the park closed to further exploration, we headed to our hotel for the night, Hyatt House Carlsbad in New Mexico, booked using 12k Hyatt points. The hotel was clean and comfortable, and we settled in for an early night.
The next morning, we headed to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where we had booked advance reservations for 10:30AM- reservations are valid from the selected starting time til 2:30PM, and are $1/pp, which is not covered by the ATB pass, although the $15/pp entry fee is covered by the ATB pass.
Having visited Mammoth Cave National Park before, I did not have very high expectations for this park, but boy was I surprised, as this turned out to be one of the top spots on this trip. The cavern is huge- beyond description- and the formations are just so fun to see. We ended up staying at the park til 4PM, to take it all in.
After a fun-filled day we headed north for the 4.5 hour drive to Albuquerque, breaking up the drive to stretch our legs with a quick stop in quirky Rosewell.
Our flight back to NY was at 11:59PM, giving us ample time to really enjoy our last day in New Mexico.
We landed back in NY 35 minutes ahead of schedule at 5:40AM, tired for the day ahead, but with amazing memories in tow.
The ATB pass cost us $80, but ended up saving us $113 in entry fees just on this trip! Passes are valid for one year, and we’re hoping to multiply those savings 10X before the year is over…
Additional points of interest that came up in our research, but either due to distance or scheduling conflicts we did not end up exploring: Shiprock, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area, Taos Gorge Bridge, Taos Ski Valley, Taos Pueblos, Santa Fe museums and more, Jemez, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Albuquerque Nuclear Museum, Sandia Peak Tramway, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (amazing in migration season!), Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Spaceport/ Virgin Galactic, Santa Rosa Blue Hole and Route 66 Auto Museum.
Next trip report coming up shortly!
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