8 Serene Towns In New Mexico For A Weekend Retreat
“Si vis pacem, para bellum”—If you want peace, prepare for war, as the saying goes. And as the state of New Mexico is so named after Mexitli, the Aztec god of war, the many serene towns in the region owe their tranquility to bygone conflicts. The small town of Chimayo, for example, is a pilgrimage site for survivors of war. Silver City had seen its share of outlaws and renegades. And Los Alamos was where the atomic bomb was created to paradoxically start and threaten peace.
Serenity has its price, and in the most serene towns in New Mexico, these places are tranquil locations right for a weekend retreat.
Silver City
Be attracted to the allure of Silver City. Located in the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains, Silver City has pulled in many visitors like the infamous Billy the Kid, the legendary Geronimo, Judge Roy Bean, “Dangerous” Dan Tucker, and many more renegades and outlaws of the Old Wild West. In the distant north, the 3.3-million-acre Gila National Forest shelters a plethora of hidden wonders in the Gila River. Another type of Gila, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, contains and preserves the ancient stone dwellings of the Mogollon people who inhabited the area.
Besides these Gilas, Silver City is also home to the Central Mining District. This district encompasses Santa Clara, Fort Bayard, and Hurley, and the whole collection is one of the oldest mining areas in the Americas. As for the Mimbres Valley of the Chihuahuan Desert, there are a number of igneous rock formations in the City of Rocks State Park that can be admired by geology lovers or admirers of landscapes. Should you wish to stay a while in Silver City, book a room at the Serenity House, Palace Hotel, or LuLu Hotel Silver City.
Taos
For those seeking winter in the normally hot deserts and landscapes of New Mexico, the chill town of Taos will keep you frigid and cool in its winter wonderland. The Taos Ski Valley, a world-class snow resort in the gelid Sangre de Cristo Mountains, provides several venues and opportunities for skiing and snowboarding. Close by, an area called the Enchanted Circle also creates enchanting moments for you to engage in winter-themed activities in New Mexico.
Beyond the snow and fun, Taos is also a site of historical significance. The most prominent feature in town is the Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site illustrating the thousand years of history of an ancient culture. Elsewhere, the San Francisco de Asis Church endures as an adobe masterpiece for photographers to memorialize. Lastly, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is the fifth-highest bridge in the US, with an impressive height of 650 feet above the Rio Grande River. Only 70 miles from Santa Fe, see more of what Taos has to offer while staying at the Historic Taos Inn, the Old Taos Guesthouse, or El Pueblo Lodge.
Las Vegas
Although not as popular as Sin City in Nevada, the town of Las Vegas in New is still a lovely location where “landmarks, legends, and lore” come to life. Only around 77 miles from Taos, Las Vegas was where 21 of the Rough Riders— recruited by Theodore Roosevelt to serve in the Spanish-American War—first lived. The Rough Rider Memorial Collection narrates their duties and operations for the US. Las Vegas also has another historical and military value for the US, which was manifested by Fort Union, which was once a headquarters for General Stephen Kearny.
Even though the town lacks the high-end hotels and casinos of its namesake, Las Vegas has quite a few lodgings that will keep you safe and relaxed, such as the Historic Plaza Hotel, the Castaneda Hotel, and the Historic El Fidel Hotel. Discover more from a town that thrived, thanks to the Santa Fe Trail and Santa Fe Railway.
Ruidoso
Atop the awesome Sierra Blanca Mountain Range, Ruidoso is another wintry escape from New Mexico’s scorching sun. As a three-hour getaway from Albuquerque, Ruidoso promotes the Ski Apache resort, a region of challenging snowboarding and skiing routes for you to brave. The town also has its own cultural and artistic nuance, which can be appreciated at the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts.
Nearby, the Lincoln National Forest is the utopian region for those desiring the natural and simplistic splendors, while the Mescalero Reservation is a protected area of forests and mountains home to the Apache. Elsewhere, the Lincoln Historic Site showcases 19th-century adobe architecture like a museum and a church. In September, the All-American Festival or summer horse races at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track are some of the many activities to keep you excited in Ruidoso. As for establishments like the Sitzmark Chalet Inn, Hotel Ruidoso, and Elevate Hotel, you will not feel disregarded in this stunning town.
Los Alamos
There are few things more serene than a place that is both eerie and unassuming. Los Alamos, nearly 33 miles from Santa Fe, creates this atmosphere due to its natural features and historical significance. Surrounded by the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the west, the Santa Fe National Forest to the north, and the Bandelier National Monument to the south, Los Alamos is a paradise for those seeking the dynamic changes of nature. When it comes to history, Los Alamos contains pre-Columbian artifacts and petroglyphs in the Bandelier National Monument.
But the town is most historically revered or renowned due to the Manhattan Project, a clandestine operation where scientists in World War II created the weapon that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The details of the atomic bomb’s inception can be viewed at the Bradbury Science Museum. In addition, the historic Los Alamos National Laboratory was where Robert J. Oppenheimer and other scientists completed the bomb. If you want to spend more time in Los Alamos, seek rooms at the Canyon Inn for untroubled nights in the area.
Aztec
Close to the southern border of Colorado, visitors can be humbled by the diversity and uniqueness of Aztecs. Deriving its name from the Aztec Ruins National Monument—a collection of 11th-century Puebloan structures originally thought to have been constructed by the Aztecs, when in fact it was the Anasazi—the town continues to promote many ancestral and geographical heritages such as the annual Highland Games and Celtic Music Festival in the first weekend of October.
Aside from this Irish and Scottish tradition, Aztec also preserves the ancient Native American cultures, like the ruins of the Great House in the Chaco Canyon, a 900-year-old edifice made of 400 masonry rooms and housing North America’s largest constructed great kiva. If you are not one for sitting or walking around, you can always exercise along the Animas River Walk, the Alien Run, the Navajo Lake State Park, and more.
Chimayo
Midway between Taos and Los Alamos, Chimayo has remained a sacrosanct site of worship for years. Before the Spanish established a permanent Catholic community in 1813, the Tewa Native absorbed many healing spirits in a place once called Tsi-Mayoh. Now repronounced Chimayo, over 300,000 Catholic pilgrims undertake an exodus to the hills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In this town, which has been "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States,” the people continue to absorb the same healing remedies in Chimayo.
Today, an adobe church combining Spanish and Native American decorations is now located on El Santuario de Chimayo, a hill famed for its healing soil. Close to the church, the Shrine of Santa Nino de Atocha was where US soldiers who survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines paid respects to their fellows. Let the soothing and healing atmosphere of Chimayo warm your soul, and let fine lodgings like Casa Escondida Bed & Breakfast give you a good night’s rest.
Deming
An hour away from Las Cruces, and about 35 miles from the US-Mexico border, the resplendent town of Deming promises thrills and adventurers for many a traveler. The town was named after Mary Ann Deming Crocker, wife of Charles Crocker, who established the Southern Pacific Railroad. To this day, visitors are welcomed into the Rockhound State Park, which contains many geological wonders and treasures.
The world-class Deming Luna Mimbres Museum elaborates on the cultures of the Mimbre Native Americans who once resided in the Mimbres River. The Pancho Villa State Park, meanwhile, memorializes General Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s raid, which was recorded to be the first and last armed invasion of the US in the 1900s. Not too far away, the Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area enthralls the most outdoors of people with New Mexico’s wilderness. When all the traveling gets you exhausted, recharge at the Best Western Deming Southwest Inn.
There are admittedly many famous towns in New Mexico. Roswell in the Chihuahuan Desert, where aliens are supposedly located, or Alburquerque with its International Balloon Fiesta. But if you are looking for true serenity in the Wild West, these small towns create a soothing atmosphere for relaxation and rejuvenation. In Chimayo, you will feel the same spiritual healing as many others have for centuries. In Taos, you will feel the ancestral energies of a proud and prospering people or the snowy chill of the high mountains. And in many more serene towns, you will be thrilled and satisfied during your weekend retreat in New Mexico.
