It's long been on our bucket list to do the Enchanted Circle, NM, in the fall to see the aspens change. My mom is visiting from Denmark and is starving for some adventure, so now was the perfect time. There are some guides online as to what to stop and see on the way - we did none of that, but still had an amazing time. Here's what we did instead.
view over rio grande at black rock hot springs arroyo hondo
Backseat driving our 100series, Rio Grande, NM
We did an extended version of the circle and started out on the back road to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Both the bridge and the gorge never seize to amaze us in grandeur. From Albuquerque we took the NM-570 turnoff along the Rio Grande through the Rio Grande Gorge State Park and climbed out of the gorge. It's an easy, short climb and a shortcut to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Bot kiddos were napping until we reached the bridge. E was woken up prematurely (always a potential danger), but was very excited to get out of the car.
Rio Grande River Gorge Bridge, NM
Staying west of the gorge on old hwy-64 without crossing the river, we soon connected to b-007 via dirt roads. This is a beautiful stretch back down to the river which takes you by a natural hot spring and over an old bridge before dropping you in Arroyo Hondo. We hiked to the hot spring during Christmas 4 years ago and loved it. It's still a beautiful spot. You won't have the hot spring to yourself, but whoever you meet there will be very nice. (I was blessed and thanked for being a mother as part of the Hindu celebration of fertility). Also, look for chatty otters in the river.
Black Rock Hot springs, arroyo hondo, Taos, NM
After a long, sunny lunch break (and a good potty), it was time for O to nap so we continued towards Questa and finally got onto the actual loop which starts in Taos. We would have stopped at an interesting looking thrift store (and not the recommended Artesano De Queasta) had it not been for the kiddos getting a little antsy.
perfect lunch spot black rock hot springs near Taos, NM
It was a short drive to Red River, our planned overnight spot. The local brewery welcomed us with well deserved and great tasting beer which we enjoyed while deciding on where to stay. (We cheated and did an 'overlander light' weekend with my mom, meaning, we stayed in a hotel). Turns out that Red River is busy all year long, so booking ahead is not a bad idea if you have a preferred location and budget. We got a 2 bedroom condo (with the patina and atmosphere of years of traveling) - it had what we needed except maybe sunlight. The old school playground and the deer wandering around town made it very quaint. Toddler E approved of The Anchovies Pizzeria - she ate most of their kids pizza which we ordered to go.
Red River, NM
Playground at the Riverside Lodge, Red River, NM
Come bedtime we wished we had brought our tent. It's always a challenge getting an overtired toddler to sleep in a new place. Ever since we ditched the pack'n'play it's even harder to make her stay put in a new place. She's used to the tent and sleeps happily there. We had brought her sleeping pad assuming she would like the familiarity. But wow, it took many books, singing, hubby M snoozing on the floor next to her and eventually leaving the room before she finally gave in. "I'm awake, dada!" Toddler sleep regression is real (this also happens at home these days). All the more reason to NOT SKIP NAPTIME during the day. Persistence is your friend here along with a night light so the little one can see where she is.
After a ‘cozy’ night of hourly wake ups by E or O or both (they did okay considered being overtired and in an unfamiliar place) we woke up to a real taste of winter. The weather had changed overnight and turned bitterly cold and wet. This was no issue since we planned to stay in the car the rest of the way. We decided to find a trail for some more off-roading for my mom (who is really into it, surprisingly). We decided on Goose Lake Trail (trailsoffroad.com was our friend here). It started out promising with a river crossing, a steep incline and beautiful yellow aspens. But we saw ourselves defeated only half way up due to snow (not a ton, just enough to not tempt fate). Had we traveled with our regular crew or known the trail, we would have continued. But no need for too much adventure with two ticking time bombs in the back. Poor E slept just long enough to miss the snow on the mountain, but she saw some later.
Attempting Goose Lake Trail, Red River NM, in the snow in our 100series Landcruiser
The rest of the circle was beautiful, but very wet. Toddler E was happily bribed with pretzels, lollipops and fruit snacks (plenty of opportunity for perfect parenting at home), so she stayed fairly happy despite being overtired. We got by with lots of singing, playing musical instruments, and reading. The tablet didn’t even come out until 30 mins from home where she earned it. O decided on not to nap more either and practiced his highest pitch, A LOT. Silly babies!
Baby O happily entertained with a book in the car
The last stretch was very uneventful (the weather didn’t invite us to stop either), aside from spotting a few turkeys and a hidden food gem on NM-68 heading south out of Taos. The Guadalajara Grill has AMAZING TACOS! (and everything else looked delicious as well). The old car wash became visible when trekking down the long hall for the restrooms.
All in all a very enjoyable trip and an easy and scenic get-away from Albuquerque. I do love New Mexico!
The old car was hall at Guadalajara Grill, Taos.