Last Updated: July 12, 2026
Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico and one of the most extraordinary cities in America — the oldest state capital in the country, founded by Spanish colonists in 1610, sitting at 7,199 feet in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It has been an art hub for over a century; Georgia O’Keeffe, Willa Cather, and D.H. Lawrence all found their way here, and today Santa Fe’s art market is the second largest in the United States after New York City. The adobe architecture, the canyon light, the galleries along Canyon Road — we wanted to experience all of it. COVID-19 had other plans. Nearly everything was closed, and we moved through the city mostly from a distance, filing it away for a proper return visit. From Eagle Nest, it was a two-and-a-half hour drive through the mountains and then south along the Rio Grande.
Visitor Information — Petroglyph National Monument: Located at 6001 Unser Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120. The visitor center is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Trails are free to access; a small parking fee applies at the Boca Negra Canyon trailhead. Dogs are permitted on the Piedras Marcadas Canyon and Rinconada Canyon trails on leash. Visit nps.gov/petr or call (505) 899-0205 for current information.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
The drive from Eagle Nest to Santa Fe follows the Rio Grande south through a landscape that shifts dramatically — from alpine peaks and pine forest to wide volcanic plateaus and then down into the ancient river valley. The road hugs the river through sections of genuine canyon drama. New Mexico officially became part of the United States in 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War. At the time, some questioned the value of the acquisition. The artists and writers who discovered the extraordinary light and landscape here a generation later answered that question decisively.
Our arrival came with an unwelcome logistical complication. The RV park in Angel Fire that had cancelled our earlier reservation had received a piece of our forwarded mail — including our tax returns — but failed to notify us while we were still in the area. We ended up making a five-hour round trip back to Angel Fire just to retrieve it. Frustrating, but the drive was genuinely beautiful both ways, and by this point of the trip we had learned to find the silver lining in most detours.
Santa Fe Skies RV Park
Santa Fe Skies RV Park offered full hookups, adequate wifi, large sites, views of snow-capped mountains in the distance, and a pleasant walking trail through the property. With less than 20 percent occupancy due to COVID restrictions, the park felt peaceful and uncrowded — almost entirely to ourselves. The owners have decorated the grounds with a collection of vintage and retired vehicles that give the place a distinctly New Mexican character.
The day after we arrived, it snowed. At 7,000 feet elevation, Santa Fe holds its winter longer than you might expect, and nighttime temperatures dropped to 26°F — the coldest we had experienced on the entire journey. Our Newmar’s heated floors proved their worth, reducing how often the furnace needed to cycle and keeping the motorhome genuinely comfortable through the cold nights.
Spring had arrived just far enough to put the daffodils and tulips into bloom — and then promptly covered them in six inches of snow. There is something perversely beautiful about flowers in snow. We photographed them extensively.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
From Santa Fe we moved south to Albuquerque for the Freightliner service appointment we had been deferring since the engine trouble on the drive from Amarillo. The diagnosis was straightforward: a contaminated fuel filter. It had been replaced just two months earlier, which pointed to a batch of bad diesel picked up somewhere in Texas. The fix was quick and clean, and after weeks of monitoring the engine nervously, we were relieved to have it resolved. We stayed at American RV Resort near the service facility — full hookups, poor wifi, but a convenient location while the work was done.
Petroglyph National Monument
While the motorhome was being serviced, we found ourselves at one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in North America — and one that was still open while most of the city was shut down. Petroglyph National Monument protects a 17-mile escarpment of dark volcanic basalt along Albuquerque’s West Mesa, home to approximately 24,000 carved rock images — one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs anywhere in North America. We hiked the Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail, a 1.5-mile loop that passes roughly 400 individual petroglyphs, and it is dog-friendly — which meant Jake the dog could join us.
The petroglyphs were carved primarily by Ancestral Pueblo peoples between roughly 400 and 700 years ago, with some images potentially much older. Spanish colonial settlers added their own symbols and crosses to the rock in later centuries. The dark basalt — formed from lava flows that poured across the mesa hundreds of thousands of years ago — provided an ideal surface for pecking and scraping images into the lighter rock below. The result is an extraordinary outdoor gallery that connects the present landscape to thousands of years of human presence.
The images range from animals, birds, and human figures to hands, spirals, masks, and symbols whose meaning is known only to the descendants of those who carved them. Walking the trail and encountering them one after another — some at eye level, some clustered in dense panels — is a quietly profound experience. These are not museum pieces behind glass; they are part of the living landscape, still exactly where they were left centuries ago.
The petroglyphs were not the only things demanding attention on the trail. Rock squirrels and cottontail rabbits were abundant among the basalt boulders, and Jake the dog — a serious and focused hunter with exceptional eyesight — ensured that we did not walk past a single one unannounced.
Spring wildflowers were blooming throughout the basalt escarpment — scorpionweed in vivid purple, broom snakeweed in yellow, and desert annuals tucked between the rocks. The contrast of the dark stone and the bright flowers against the wide Albuquerque sky made the trail beautiful in a way that went well beyond the petroglyphs alone.
Elephant Butte, New Mexico
Elephant Butte Lake is the largest body of water in New Mexico, formed by the Elephant Butte Dam on the Rio Grande — completed in 1916 and, at the time of its construction, the largest dam in the world. The lake takes its name from a volcanic lava plug that rises from the water, its rounded profile bearing a passing resemblance to an elephant’s back. It is a major recreational destination for boating, fishing, and water sports under normal circumstances. COVID-19 had closed the state park entirely, so we took in the views from outside and moved on.
The drive to Elephant Butte came with its own drama. A dust devil appeared on the horizon about a quarter mile ahead of us — a rotating column of wind-driven sand reaching several hundred feet into the air. It dissipated before we reached it, but we were immediately sideswiped by a lateral wind gust that hit the motorhome like a wall. At approximately 40,000 pounds, the Dutch Star absorbed it without going anywhere; a lighter travel trailer might not have fared as well. Wind warnings had not been in the forecast. We check weather carefully before every driving day, but the high desert can generate conditions that no forecast captures.
We stayed at Elephant Butte RV Resort — full hookups, poor wifi, nicely landscaped with large sites and mostly long-term residents. The park was accommodating in a way that mattered at this point of the trip: we were allowed to wash the motorhome. After weeks of high desert dust, rain, and road grime, it needed it badly.
The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway runs through this region of southwestern New Mexico — and the region’s connection to Geronimo is real and profound. Born around 1829 into the Bedonkohe band of the Chiricahua Apache in what is now the New Mexico-Arizona border area, Geronimo spent his early life as a peaceful man. In 1858, while the warriors of his camp were trading in the nearby town of Janos, Mexican soldiers under Colonel José María Carrasco attacked the encampment and massacred Geronimo’s mother, his wife, and his three young children. That loss transformed him. He spent the following decades leading one of the most sustained and determined military resistances in the history of the American Southwest, fighting both Mexican and US forces with tactical brilliance across terrain he knew intimately. He surrendered in 1886 — the last major Native American military leader to do so — and died a prisoner of war in 1909, having never been allowed to return to his homeland.
South of Elephant Butte along the Rio Grande sits one of the most wonderfully named cities in America: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It was originally called Hot Springs — an entirely accurate name, as the town sits on a cluster of natural geothermal springs that have drawn visitors for centuries. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, host of the enormously popular radio program Truth or Consequences, announced that he would broadcast the show’s 10th anniversary episode from whichever American town agreed to rename itself after the program. Hot Springs, New Mexico stepped up. The city officially changed its name on March 31, 1950. Ralph Edwards visited every single year for the next fifty years to celebrate — and the annual “Fiesta” he helped establish, featuring a parade, live music, a beauty pageant, and Hatch green chile, continued long after he was gone. The hot springs spa culture the original name referred to is still very much alive in Truth or Consequences, making it a genuinely interesting destination in its own right.
Spring wildflowers were coming into their own along the Rio Grande corridor — spectacle pod, evening primrose, and desert annuals we had not seen since the Texas leg of the journey. Truth or Consequences had the same COVID-shuttered feel as every other town we passed through, but it was easy to see why people return. The public art, the hot springs, the dramatic desert landscape — it all adds up to a place with genuine personality. We will come back when the world is open again.
Practical Tips for Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Elephant Butte
Santa Fe rewards a dedicated stay. The city’s historic plaza, Palace of the Governors, Canyon Road galleries, and exceptional restaurant scene deserve far more than a drive-through. Plan at least three to four days to experience Santa Fe properly. The shoulder seasons — May and October — offer comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds than the busy summer period.
Arrive at Petroglyph National Monument early. The Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail is uncrowded on weekday mornings. The basalt escarpment provides little shade, so hiking in the heat of the afternoon is uncomfortable — aim for early morning or late afternoon, especially in summer. Bring water, wear sun protection, and watch your step on the loose volcanic rock.
Dogs are welcome on two of the three main trails. Piedras Marcadas Canyon and Rinconada Canyon both allow dogs on leash. Boca Negra Canyon — the most heavily visited section — does not permit dogs. Check current trail conditions and restrictions at the visitor center before heading out.
Elephant Butte Lake is best in spring and fall. Summer heat in this part of New Mexico can be intense, and the lake draws large crowds of boaters on summer weekends. Spring and fall offer milder temperatures, calmer water, and better conditions for hiking the surrounding trails. The fishing for striped bass and white bass is excellent year-round.
Respect the desert wind. The Rio Grande valley and the high desert plateau around Truth or Consequences can generate sudden, powerful wind events — particularly in spring. If you are traveling in a large vehicle, check wind forecasts carefully before driving days in this region. Side gusts on exposed highway sections can be genuinely dangerous for tall or lightweight rigs.
Truth or Consequences is worth a stop. The natural hot springs spas are open to the public and offer a genuinely relaxing alternative to the crowded resort hot springs found elsewhere in the Southwest. The town has a small but excellent arts scene and a laid-back character that is easy to appreciate.
For more of our New Mexico travels during the spring 2020 road trip, see our previous stop at Eagle Nest, Taos, and Red River along the Enchanted Circle.
