The best places to explore for a dog friendly adventure in the Southwestern state of New Mexico.
A little bit of throwback from one of my favorite trips to date. One of my dad’s best friends was living in New Mexico at the time and it gave us the perfect opportunity to check out this awesome state. Dad and I drove out, stopping in Arizona on the way and picked mom up from the airport in Albuquerque. Taos is about a two hour drive out so before we got on the road, we stopped for some coffee and a quick walk. IT WAS SO WINDY!! Mom was taking my picture and all of the sudden this huge gust of wind picked up a metal chair next to me and it scared the heck out of me!
The drive was beautiful. There were miles and miles of beautiful scenery. Santa Fe looked like an awesome city I hope we can one day go back and explore, but we wanted to make it to the house before sunset so we didn’t have time to stop. The Airbnb we had was so awesome! There was a little bit of snow on the ground, but not too much. The adobe style house sat on a small plateau with 360 degree views of mountains and valleys. The little jacuzzi on the back deck was in the perfect spot for me to roam around while the humans were relaxing. Mom didn’t want me to go too far though because of the wild animals all around.
The first night we decided to check out the Taos Mesa Brewing Mothership. We called ahead to make sure dogs were allowed and they said yep, the patio was open but we should definitely come prepared with warm jackets. The brewery had a great vibe, a beautifully lit patio, and some awesome beer. While we were eating dinner outside it started snowing. At first it was magical and light, but then the storm hit and it was suddenly like a blizzard. A band was about to go on inside so I took a nap in the cozy truck while my parents enjoyed some live music.
The next day I caught some zzz’s and chilled at home while they went snowboarding. Sunday I got to go up to the mountain! My parents decided to just cruise on the slopes and take turns watching me in the village. Mom and I walked around the shops and went to Tim’s Stray Dog Cantina for brunch. At first the patio wasn’t open, but the waitress was so nice she offered to work the patio so we could hang out. These people were awesome and the food was amazing. Check them out if you ever find yourself in Taos Ski Valley. We had so much fun exploring.
We headed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. WOAH! Guys, this place was slightly terrifying. The 10th highest bridge in the US, that was a crazy view looking down. Ya, it’s just a bridge, but definitely worth checking out. The best part was driving down a dirt road a couple miles out from the bridge to an area with a short hike down to the Rio Grande. The hike we went on was so beautiful, and at the bottom, there were a couple natural hot springs along the banks of the river. It was awesome!
The next day we had to head back home so we started our journey early in the morning to make time for a couple different stops. While driving along the 40, we spotted a sign for Red Rock State Park, nearing the Arizona border and we figured, why not?? Let’s check this place out. If you are close by or ever road tripping across this area, this hike is definitely worth the stop.
The views are beautiful
The terrain is different and worth seeing
The trail is not very populated
This park was definitely the cherry on top of a great New Mexico adventure. I loved every second of it!
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