I visited New Mexico for the first time in December 2019. There are a few well known and popular spots to visit in New Mexico and there are a range on activities from museums and botanical gardens to casinos, bars and hot springs.
An Amtrak goes through New Mexico on the way from Los Angeles to Chicago and there is hiking, camping, hunting and white water rafting available in addition to a convention center with major events like any other world class city.
I arrived in New Mexico on Saturday around 10 A.M. and left on Monday around 8 PM. This gave me 3 full days to explore, relax and have fun and simulated a long 3 day weekend. I was working part time but had to be at work on Tuesday by 2 P.M. I made it to work on time feeling relaxed and refreshed. No jet lag since it was a short trip and I’m getting used to flying, but your mileage may vary.
During my 3 day weekend in New Mexico I worked out at the hotel gym, explored Downtown , went bar hopping at 3 different bars, visited the Native American Museum and Cultural Center of the Pueblo Indians and spent some time watching t.v. in the hotel. I actually got to see a Christmas movie that was premiering in Canada through the hotels t.v. network which was pretty cool. On my final day, I went hiking through a national park. I finished off the final day soaking in a hotspring and followed that up with a soak in an authentic bathhouse.
The airfare and hotel for the weekend cost $375 for 1 person but since the hotel can be shared, bringing another person along would have just cost an additional plane ticket plus admission at the places I visited. Not too expensive if you are into to traveling and know how to manage your money.
During my trip to New Mexico, I decided to take public transportation because white water rafting was out of season and everything I wanted to visit was accessible via walking, bus or Amtrak. The bus picked me up right outside the baggage claim and dropped me off around two blocks from the hotel. It was less than a 10 minute wait for the bus and it runs every 20 minutes or so. The bus took less than an hour to get from the airport to the hotel. On the way back I took a cab, the cab took about a minute to get to the hotel and notified me of arrival via via text message, and no apps or data connection required. It was a 20 minute ride to the airport and the trip cost less than $30. This was a great 3 day trip and only required a backback with a few days of clothes and one pair of dress shoes besides the sneakers I was wearing.
Definitely looking forward to returning and exploring other things to do when I get some free time.