ABQ Mom’s Guide to New Mexico Travel

Ruidoso, located just three hours from Albuquerque in the mountains of South Central New Mexico, is the perfect answer to your next family vacation. It’s a bit of a folly to say that summer is the best time to visit Ruidoso when it’s truly a year-round destination. However, summer in Ruidoso is a prime vacation spot for a cool escape to the mountains.

We don't have to go somewhere exotic for a wonderful family adventure. There's some great things to do & see in the city to our south.

Los Alamos, New Mexico is a quick family road trip (under 2 hours drive from Albuquerque!) that should be a must on your family’s summer bucket list. Los Alamos offers something for the history buff, the science enthusiast, and the budding naturalist.

Get adventurous with outdoor excursions and fun for the whole family! Farmington, New Mexico, has all the amenities and attractions every member of the family will enjoy, at an affordable price.

Within three hours of the Albuquerque metro, you and your family could be in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Chama, NM. Just south of the Colorado border lies this hidden gem of a town where the headwaters of the Rio Chama meet towering mountain vistas. Chama hosts a series of events called Chama Western Heritage Days, that would be the perfect summer getaway for a family living in the ABQ area.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is another one of New Mexico’s unique landscapes. Tent Rocks makes a perfect Albuquerque day trip and is great for families. Additionally, my family often takes out-of-town visitors to Tent Rocks. Tent Rocks is a quick 45 min drive northwest of Albuquerque (near Cochiti) and located on Cochiti Pueblo jurisdiction.

Oftentimes people think of Santa Fe as an adult-only town. And certainly it does have its fair share of fabulous restaurants, art galleries, historical sites, and shopping that we adults should take advantage of. But Santa Fe can also be a great place to take kids. Whether you are an Albuquerque resident in need of a one-day excursion with your little ones or you are a visitor from out of town, these activities can be a great diversion for you and your kids.

White Sands, New Mexico is truly a magical destination. If having an Instagram-worthy vacation destination is important to you (looking at you, fellow millennial moms!), this is THE place to go!

The VLA is a radio astronomy observatory located about two hours southwest of Albuquerque through Socorro, the small town of Magdalena and onto the Plains of San Agustin. As we adventured onto the desolate plains, in the distance we began to see huge radio antennas . . .

El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, or The Ranch of the Swallows, is a historic ranch dating from the 1700s. It now serves as a living history museum complete with authentically costumed villagers showing life on the frontier in early New Mexico.

Jemez Springs is an adorable and picturesque little town about 1 hour from Albuquerque and is just laden with history, gorgeous red rocks, fishing streams, a nearby lake, a rock tunnel, waterfalls, ruins, hot springs, and much more!

The High Road to Taos is quintessential New Mexico at its best. Old adobe houses in lush river valleys, local art galleries and rustic produce stands. A desert painted with yellows, reds, greens, and oranges. Picturesque villages known for weaving and crafts, forest roads to explore, restaurants to try, and beautiful Catholic churches to photograph.

The historic site is the location of the Kuau Pueblo ruins, which were excavated in the 1930s. You can learn about the history of the ruins and excavation process in the indoor museum. There are even some fun interactive stations geared towards children, too.

For being considered such a small town, Taos has much to offer. There’s delicious food, kid-friendly activities, and the great outdoors. I’ll list off some of my favorite activities that we took advantage of with our two-year-old and four-year-old daughters. Keep in mind that this is just a small sampling of what Taos has to offer!

As soon as you walk in to Tamaya Resort, you will be awed at the inviting view from the “living room,” the cozy chairs surrounding two large fireplaces, and the soft smell of piñon.