One of the best times to visit New Mexico is in the summer, believe it or not. Yeah, yeah, it’s hot, but as long as you know where to go, you’ll be able to stay cool even while traipsing around the desert. This Albuquerque to Santa Fe road trip is filled with hot springs, forest hikes, and pie. Oh, yes, lots of pie. It doesn't get any more classic Southwest than this!
Start off by heading west on US-60 for about 45 miles until you hit The Very Large Array Visitors Center. You might remember this radio astronomy observatory from, like, every movie in which we make contact with aliens. It’s a totally rad road-trip stop right in the desert.
After getting your dose of science for the day, hop back on US-60 for another 40 miles until you hit Pie Town, New Mexico. Definitely stop at Pie-O-Neer Pies. If you love pie, you will be in PIE HEAVEN! All of Pie Town has a rustic and friendly charm about it.
When you’ve had your fill, hop back on US-60, and this time, head east to I-25. You’ll be on the highway for about two and a half hours 'til you hit the town of Truth or Consequences. With a population of just a little more than 6,000 this is a great little town to get away from it all. Spend a day lounging in one of the town’s many hot springs: There’s even a Hot Springs Historic District! Truth or Consequences is very serious they are about its 10 commercial bathhouses.
Riverbend Hotsprings is affordable, and has a very friendly staff and picture-perfect views of Turtleback Mountain and the Rio Grande. You’ll probably find it hard to leave.
By now, you’re probably ready for more pie! Hit up the Passion Pie Cafe for breakfast and pie. They make a mean breakfast egg sandwich on a homemade croissant.
2300 12th Street NW, Albuquerque, NM, US
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Albuquerque Historic Old Town
After leaving Truth or Consequences, and before you hit up Jemez Springs, take a break and unwind at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Albuquerque's historic Old Town. This is a fantastic location to spend the night before you continue your Endless Summer road trip.
After your belly is full and you've rested up, hop back on the road and drive three hours to Jemez Springs. Just a few hundred people live in Jemez Springs year-round, but it’s home to the Jemez Springs Bath House, which has inexpensive tub soaks.
After all that soaking, take a break and hike one of America’s most beautiful forests, Santa Fe National Forest. Established in 1915, this forest is fantastic to visit all year-round, but is particularly amazing in the fall when the aspens turn bright orange and gold in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Santa Fe Plaza is a tree-lined public plaza that some believe “serves as a mystical energy vortex due to the sacred ground beneath, previously occupied by Native American tribes and containing their ancient burial sites.” Saint Francis Cathedral is an iconic and breathtaking Roman Catholic cathedral, and provides a gorgeous photo op.
While in Santa Fe, make sure to visit Loretto Chapel, which is believed to have been built by Saint Joseph himself. Built in 1878, the church lacked a way for the sisters to walk up to the choir loft. When local carpenters couldn’t figure out an appropriate solution, the sisters “made a novena to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.” And lo and behold, the very next day, a mysterious stranger came into town on the back of a donkey. A few months later, he finished a gorgeous circular staircase to the choir loft. The stranger disappeared as quickly as he arrived, hence the legend that the carpenter Saint Joseph himself.
There you have it: the absolute best road trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, via Pie Town, Truth or Consequences and Jemez Springs! Along the way you'll have hopefully had your fill of pie, hot springs, hiking, and Southwest history.