Mother & Son road trip to New Mexico

I was a huge fan of the original Roswell WB show back in the early 2000’s so when Covid19 lockdown took place in the state of Illinois, many of us were stuck working and schooling remotely. In my house we did a lot of cooking from scratch, trips to the park and those bitter cold winter months we binged watched some older television shows that were kid appropriate. My son was hooked on the Roswell mini-series, so when his homework, online tutoring and chores were done he got to watch one episode before bed. A huge fan of national parks, hiking and historical cultural preservation New Mexico checked all the boxes on the list in addition to being the controversial alien crash landing location in 1947 where the television show Roswell was based off of.

Roswell, New Mexico we arrived on the weekend of the Alien convention July 3rd – 4th, while Roswell wasn’t exactly how the television show portrayed it to be it was unique in its own way. Everything was “alien” quirky themed, from the 10ft green Alien holding a Dunkin Donut coffee sign to the actual McDonalds restaurant being in the form of a space ship. When driving into Roswell, the outskirts of town are desolate. Many former towns in New Mexico have simply been abandoned, forgotten bits of the past which leaves this eerie feeling when passing through. That said we made the best of it, knowing we were driving through the lands of the Wild West once roamed by Billy the Kid and Jesse James where the Union Pacific railroad was constructed to connect the East and West. A must stop while in Roswell, a short 15mile drive is Bottomless Lake State Park a beautiful sink hole – lake for swimming, fishing and kayaking. The park offers camping, covered patio areas for picnics, kayaks and paddle board rentals along with clean facilities for patrons. Parking is $5 for non-residents. We took advantage of the nearby hiking and cooled off in the waters as the temps were hot in July, the scenery was beautiful.

Santa Fe, New Mexico next stop so this was an overnight stop for us on our way to Pecos National Historical Park, Bandelier National Park and Mesa Verde National Park. Because we traveled over the July 4th weekend many museums were closed, the downtown historical area of Santa Fe is lovely. We waited a long time for our dinner due to staff shortage, however we dined outside with the view of the town square where Native American dancers performed which was worthy of the wait. The food in Santa Fe is amazing. The Pecos and Bandelier National Parks are a MUST, my son loved climbing into the ancient cave dwellings they allow visitors. The parking in both locations are limited, so get there early otherwise parking is scarce plus its a good idea to get there early because of the mid-afternoon heat. The trails & caves are out in the open sun’s heat so be sure to bring lots of water and wear sunscreen, some parts of the trail are narrow and steep. That said a worthy visit and hike.

Aztec, New Mexico we had not planned to stop here as a matter of fact we had already made our way to Durango, CO at the time but a mishap with an online tubing vendor had me researching for nearby locations and it just so happened that Tico Time was right on the border the NM and CO border. Last minute booking for river tubing on the Animas River, less cheaper activity than neighboring Colorado’s tubing vendors and less crowded. The river is no more than 3ft deep, the staff is extremely customer service orientated. The experience was amazing, my son and I had our own private 75min river tubing adventure to ourselves taking in all the scenic mountain views with nothing but smiles. After our tubing experience we visited the Aztec Ruins National Monument a few miles up the road, exploring 900+ old ruins of the ancient Pueblo Indians. A worthy visit and you can see everything within 1/2hr to 1hr depending if you stay for the informational session.