The New Mexican Desert in Autumn
My aunt and her family live in a rural area of southeastern New Mexico. Typically they travel up to St. Louis to see us, but I had wanted to take my mom down to visit them for some time. We were finally able to make the trip this past fall.
It was my first time flying with my mom and my two sons (ages 6 months and 4 years, at time of travel). My husband was unable to make the trip so I recruited my brother’s help in case any mishaps arose during the travel. I couldn’t have made the trip with out him! Since we accidentally spent the first day of our trip in Ft. Worth, TX, we were so glad when we finally arrived to Roswell, NM.
Our main mission was to join my aunt, cousins and their kids in their daily lives, so we went to football and volleyball games, attended a youth event at their church, and savored home cooked meals, crowded around the dining room table together. It was so good to catch up and spend quality time with them. However, we did also have some special adventures and meals out around the area.
We stayed with my aunt and uncle most nights. Their house is located in NM dairy country, so my 4 year old enjoyed seeing the various animals and big machines around us. We even got a personal tour of a working dairy and fed newborn calves!
At the back of her house, my aunt has a sizable greenhouse filled with large plants and other fascinating objects such as sea shells, rock and mineral specimens and even antiques that captured my son’s attention. She had been the librarian at their local elementary school and is one of the most interesting people I know. She can take a fairly normal item and teach young children (and adults!) about it in a way that draws them in with interest. I now attribute much of my love for natural things to her, and my grandfather, who had the same gift. It was such a joy to me to see my son charmed by her too.
As I mentioned, we mostly at in, but we did travel up to Albuquerque over the weekend to visit my cousin and her family who live there. We knew we wanted to do some shopping and eating around there so my cousins recommended that we check out Los Poblanos.
Los Poblanos is a historic property outside of Albuquerque that offers several luxurious experiences. They farm the land with lavender and produce which is served at their restaurant. They also have a distillery where they produce an array of botanical gins. If you are interested in staying overnight, you can reserve one of their thoughtfully designed cabins and relax in their spa. We also poked around their gift shop, which features many beautiful products made onsite or locally sourced and inspired.
We ended up dining in their restaurant, Campo, for brunch. I am, admittedly, not a very brave, adventurous eater. I ordered their farmer’s breakfast, which upon reflection was probably the safest choice on their seasonal menu. It was the best breakfast I think I have ordered.
But I actually had food envy! My brother ordered a brisket dish that included english muffins and quail eggs. He let me sample the dish and I wish I had ordered that instead… it was so good!
Apart from immersing ourselves in family activities, we also visited two national parks: White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns. My son completed the Junior Ranger Program at both parks, and it was probably the most memorable park of the trip for him.
We went to White Sands National Park early in our trip and it was the first time we had attempted the Junior Ranger Program. The Park Ranger gave us the activity booklet appropriate for my son’s age. As we left the visitor center and entered the park itself, it was as if we had entered another world. The further down the path we drove, the more we felt we had landed on a planet from the Star Wars series. Unlike sand at a beach, this blindingly white sand had no water in it. It did not clump together, but was soft and dusty instead. We had planned to go sledding on the dunes but failed to wax the bottoms of the sleds we brought so we were unable to actually sled down the shifty sand.
Later in the week, we drove down to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I remember loving these caves when I visited as a child so I was excited to see them again. On the way to the park we passed a large herd of Barberry Deer and enjoyed the rugged scenery filled with prickly pear. Again my son was excited to do the Junior Ranger Program, so we got him a booklet and started the activities while we wanted for our tour to start.
At the beginning of the tour, the Ranger explained the rules of the caves, including the requirement to whisper while inside the caverns. My son did a great job whispering the whole time, but he also whispered the WHOLE time! He was so enameled with the cave formations that he did not stop talking or asking questions the entire time we were down there. It’s understandable though, the cave formations are truly stunning.
Overall, it was a wonderfully adventurous trip. Being from the Midwest, New Mexico felt like such a learning experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We were thrilled to visit family and loved getting to see a slice of what their life is like.
