Southwest Road Trip: Traveling Solo from San Antonio to Santa Fe

The first leg of my road trip from San Antonio to Santa Fe took me to Lubbock, TX, the home of Texas Tech University, numerous wineries and the career birthplace of many famous musicians – from Buddy Holly to Waylon Jennings!

The last time I drove through here, the American Windmill Museum was closed. So, this time, I made sure it would be open. What a cool place to visit!

It is the largest windmill museum in the world, and it didn't disappoint. This large place houses hundreds of windmills indoors and out, each with a well-explained story of its origin and purpose. A huge room is dedicated to working model railroad tracks with several beautiful villages. The detail of the dioramas is outstanding! I spent about an hour here watching the trains go through the villages and admiring the exquisite detail of the scenes.  

After a fun couple of hours at the museum, it was time to check into the Cotton Court Hotel. This boutique property offers a beautifully appointed, comfortable hotel room with a full-size refrigerator and plenty of drinks and snacks. You must pay for these, but having them in the room is so convenient! I particularly enjoyed the beautiful courtyard and live music in the evening. My room faced the patio. There are rocking chairs to sit on and enjoy the festivities outside each room – a nice touch. A restaurant adjacent to the hotel called the Midnight Shift had good food. The pork rinds were a standout for me. 

The next day, I headed to Santa Fe and stopped briefly at the Billy the Kid grave and Fort Sumner historical site in New Mexico. The Inn of The Governors in Santa

Fe welcomed me to a cozy room with a fireplace I thoroughly enjoyed every

night. They also served biscochitos, a traditional Mexican cookie, and sherry at 4:00 p.m. daily – a real treat! The hotel was centrally located, and I could walk to the plaza, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

I also visited the Loretto Chapel and marveled at the mysterious spiral staircase, the construction of which is a mystery to this day; I never tire of visiting and being in that chapel. 

Day two in Santa Fe included visiting the Museum of International Folk Art, one of the most unusual and well-curated museums I've seen (I highly recommend a visit to this one!), and the Botanical Garden. I love flowers and always jump at the opportunity to visit botanical gardens. These were lovely and easy to walk through, with plenty of benches to sit on to admire the vistas and watch the birds and butterflies. 

However, the highlight of the day was the Sky Railway ride. They have themed rides, and I chose the Ale Trail. During the scenic 3-hour train ride, I sampled beer from Marble Brewery, listened to live music, and enjoyed gorgeous views from the outside platform observation deck. I pre-ordered a hand-held charcuterie board, which was cleverly served in a little tin tub. This experience was memorable, and I cannot wait to return and do another themed ride. 

On day three, I took a day trip to Taos. This was my first time there, and I was looking forward to the scenic drive and visiting Taos Pueblo. I stopped at El Santuario de Chimayo, a National Historic Landmark, where the red dirt inside

the chapel's pit is known for its miraculous healing properties. The chapel itself is beautiful and peaceful, but everything else is geared toward tourists, including the fantastic stories about "one-of-a-kind" finds and, of course, the prices in the

countless gift stores.

Taos Pueblo was visually attractive, and the history was fascinating. According to their information, this is the only living Native American community designated a

World Heritage site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The scenery lent itself to fabulous pictures, and I revered the sacredness of the land and its rich history.  

It's worth noting that the entrance fees, gift shops, and restaurants were priced much higher than average, and most establishments were cash-only, so remember to bring cash. ATMs are not readily accessible in this area.

The Taos Plaza was picturesque, and there were interesting restaurants and shops. A shop called Chocolate + Cashmere sold decadent truffles made of goat milk. I walked around and then drove through town before returning to Santa Fe. On the drive back, I stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the second-highest bridge in the US highway system and fifth-highest in the US. It's 600 feet long and 1,300 feet tall and offers spectacular views of the gorge and the Rio Grande. On the land side, you can admire the enormity of this impressive structure. I

wondered at the engineering, imagined the people who worked on it toiling to build this marvel and worked up quite the appetite as I drove back to Santa Fe anticipating another excellent meal. 

A good friend recommended Café Pasqual's, and it was so good I ate there two days in a row: dinner and breakfast. I ordered the Peach burrata salad and the Cochinita Pibil, a traditional shredded pork dish from Merida, Yucatan, for dinner. It was one of the best renditions of it I've had! The salad had juicy peaches, and the burrata was creamy and sprinkled with just enough olive oil. Oh, and the Mescal Old Fashioned was not bad, either. I returned for breakfast and had Linda's Granola Bowl, a lovely fruit compote and Greek yogurt drizzled with honey, atop a homemade granola bowl. I still crave that one for breakfast.  

After three days in Santa Fe, it was time to head back to SA. The first return stop was to White Sands National Park in Alamo Gordo, NM. I saw its glow in the distance as I drove to the park. What a sight that was! The ever-changing white gypsum dunes contrasting with the clear and intense blue sky are breathtaking. Once there, I bought a sand sled and happily sled down a few slopes. What fun this 60-year-old had! If you don't plan to stay long, the best way to see the park is to drive the entire loop, which takes about 1.5 hours, and stop to explore some of the walkways and viewpoints. This is a spectacularly beautiful park. The next visit will include overnight camping so I can view the sky in all its splendor.  

On to the next stop: Roswell, NM, the UFO capital of the US. This is such an interesting and quirky town. The International UFO Museum and Research Center is worth the visit (suspend your disbelief and approach with curiosity!). At the Alien Zone, there is a setup where you can take selfies among alien scenes; it's campy and fun! Other cool attractions include the alien-themed McDonalds and several scenes along the main drag. On the way out of town, I had to stop once more to take several selfies with giant UFOs and alien cutouts along the highway. 

The final stop on my road trip was San Angelo, TX. I stayed at the Inn at the Art Center. The Inn is nestled in an Art Center of art galleries and studios. There are several rooms all decorated in different styles throughout the Center. There is also a small restaurant called Roots at the Silo serving dinner Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I missed it this time, but I have had dinner there before and remember it being delicious. The pottery at the main shop was gorgeous, and I bought a couple of pieces.  

One of the San Angelo highlights for me is the International Water Lily Collection, a series of outdoor ponds showcasing a variety of water lilies. The park is open to the public, with easy access for those with mobility issues. If you go at different times during the day, you'll experience different views because the lilies open or close depending on species and light levels. This is a photographer's paradise, especially if flowers are your muse (and they are mine).  

Art in Uncommon Places is an interesting pop art gallery where you can find sculptures and murals by local artists. The murals throughout town are always interesting, and you can get your steps in by walking around town in search of them. Once you've worked up an appetite, having lunch at Ms. Hattie's Restaurant and Cat Lounge can satisfy your hunger and visual aesthetics by enjoying this historic building. This used to be a bordello and was in operation until 1952, when the Texas Rangers closed it up. The building was built in 1896 and still has all the original floors, ceilings, and staircase. There are tours available of the museum.  

The last leg of this road trip traveling solo made me think about all the wonderful sights, sounds, and flavors I experienced and inspired me to make plans for a return visit to White Sands National Park and the Water Lilly Collection.

If you’ve been to any of the places I visited, let me know what you liked and would recommend to other senior women traveling solo. I’ll use your recommendations to curate my next road trip adventure!