A perfect mother daughter girls trip: 3 days in Santa Fe

Taking a break from the organizing content to tell you about a great weekend trip I took with my mom to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  It was such a beautiful city and I wanted to share what we did in case you were looking to plan a fun mother/daughter trip or even a girlfriend get-away!  3 days is a perfect amount of time to explore what this city has to offer and I hope to see more of New Mexico in the future.

Weather and When to go:

We had very early flights into Albuquerque, New Mexico on Thursday October 22nd and we flew home early on Sunday October 25th.  I was a little nervous about going this late in October but the weather was absolutely beautiful.  Highs were in the upper 60’s but felt warmer than that in the sun to the point of just wearing a t-shirt.  At night it was a bit chillier, but a sweater and a jacket did the trick.  The leaves had changed and were all a stunning yellow which was just gorgeous against the mountains.

What we did:

Day 1:

By the time we got into Santa Fe on Thursday we definitely needed some lunch.  We ate at Draft Station which was a fun rooftop pizza spot overlooking the main plaza.  It was nice to scope out the scene and listen to music in the plaza while eating lunch. 

We then visited St. Francis Cathedral and continued walking to Canyon Road where we spent two hours exploring the art galleries. We stopped for a wine tasting (and purchased a bottle) at Ahmyo wine garden.  Their outdoor sculpture garden was stunning and the wine is from local winery Vivac (very good!).  Note that Canyon Road only has porta potties available to the public so doing a wine tasting was worth it alone to use their restroom.  We then saw Loretto Chapel and did some shopping until it was time for our early dinner reservation at La Plazuela at La Fonda.  I loved this restaurant, the ambiance inside was just lovely with painted windows panes and tables surrounding a little fountain.

Day 2:

We got up early, stopped at the local grocery store for pre-made sandwiches/chips and headed to Bandelier National Monument.  On the way in we stopped at White Rock Overlook Park.  I absolutely recommend checking out the lookout point here for a gorgeous view of the mountains and Rio Grande river. 

In Bandelier National Monument we walked the Main Loop Trail (the part to the Alcove house was closed due to renovations).  The trail was a bit busy but the cliffs against the yellow cottonwood trees were beautiful and amazing to see the petroglyphs carved into the rocks. 

We then drove to the entrance to hike the Tyuonyi Overlook trail which took about an hour.  This was an easy trail and overlooked the main loop trail we did earlier- so pretty!  We headed out of the park to hike the Tsankawi trail we passed on the way in (your entrance fee to Bandelier covers this trail as well).  This was a harder trail (also taking about an hour) with a narrow path and some ladders in a few spots but definitely worth doing.

We then drove 45 minutes or so to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs (we arrived around 3pm).  This might not be for everyone to have a morning of hiking and then fitting a springs in as well but it was doable for us.  I loved our experience at Ojo Caliente so much and would highly recommend it.  We soaked in the different springs and took our time with the “mud bath”.  Two hours for my mom was enough time to be in hot tubs.  We took advantage of the clean locker rooms there to shower and change for dinner.  The restaurant at Ojo Caliente was too busy so we ended up stopping on the drive back at a local hotspot La Cocina in Espanola, New Mexico.  A margarita was a nice way to end the day!  I would say this was both my mom and I’s favorite day in New Mexico.  It was a long one but if you're up for a full day I would highly recommend this itinerary!

Day 3:

We spent this Saturday morning meandering through the artists market in the Railyard District and checking out the farmers market.  So jealous of the locals that live here that get to experience the farmers market on the weekends, so many amazing vendors and things to eat. 

We spent the rest of the day visiting the Georgia O’Keefe museum, seeing the San Miguel Chapel (oldest church in the US), and just walking around town more before ending our afternoon having a margarita on the rooftop at Coyote Cantina (so good!).  We drove back into Albuquerque where we were spending the night due to our early flight the next day.  We had dinner at El Pinto in Albuquerque which seemed to be a hotspot for locals and we enjoyed a fun setting in their bar area.

I would highly recommend visiting Santa Fe!  It is a perfect place for a mother/daughter trip or a girlfriend getaway.  Such a fun combination of art, history, outdoors, and relaxation!