R
eally? There’s enough to fill
two weeks?” was the response
from our friends when we
mentioned we were off to
New Mexico. In truth, our original plan
was to visit Arizona. However, after a
bit of research revealed the furnace-
like summer temperatures we’d be
in store for, it got crossed off the list.
Instead, we glanced across the map to
a neighbouring state and saw the magic
word, Albuquerque. Hot dog, jumping
frog, THAT’S where we would go.
Our starting point was the beautiful
town of Santa Fe. Getting there involved
a fairly arduous journey (nowhere is easy
with a two- and a five-year-old): Hong
Kong to Los Angeles, a four-hour layover
at LAX, where we escaped for a quick
jaunt to Manhattan Beach, then a two-
hour flight to Albuquerque, and then a
90-minute drive to Santa Fe. Thankfully,
we had decided to splurge and spent the
first few nights enveloped in luxury at the
Four Seasons Rancho Encantado. I had
fretted between staying in the centre of
Santa Fe or opting for something slightly
out of town. In the end, I was delighted
with the latter option, as the beautiful
scenery surrounding the hotel and
The
marvels
of New
Mexico
A New Mexico road trip has
plenty to keep the whole family
entertained, writes
Nicola Burke
.
January 2015
75
