Our New Mexico Trip
Surprisingly, quite a few people have asked for our itinerary from our New Mexico trip. Apparently, living vicariously through our pictures wasn’t enough and people want to actually visit. That’s great! More people should visit New Mexico. It is an enchanting and beautiful state with tons to do! You can click on any picture to see the larger image.
How Much Does It Cost?
A question we were asked several times was, “How can you afford to do all that?” (or some variation thereof). The quick answer is, “We couldn’t.” We really could not afford a vacation. So we had to cut corners, use Groupons, pack our own food, and do as many free things as possible.
It took us over a year to save up for the trip and even then we needed to save up for another six months. The major cost was going to be hotels and food. Twelve nights of hotels adds up quickly, even if you stay in $50/night hotels. Just as we were thinking we would have to delay the vacation to save up even more money, we happened upon a huge saving aspect: a cabin in the Jemez Mountains for only $15 per person, per night. When we did the math using that cabin and bringing our own food to use as much as possible, the trip became doable immediately instead of saving up more money. I’ll go into detail on the cabin later, as it is definitely a jewel in the mountains!
Here are the money-saving tips we used to save up for the trip and save money on the trip:
- Pack your own food and eat it as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, eating local food in New Mexico is part of the New Mexican experience. So plan on spending some money on food. We packed peanut butter and jelly, honey, fluff, and cheap snacks. Make sure you buy your snacks and food at a grocery store: not a gas station. Look for sales ahead of your trip and stock up on drinks and road snacks. Make the sandwiches a fun family thing by pulling over at one of the many picnic areas on major roads (or rest areas). Get out of the car, sit in the sun and enjoy a picnic. If you eat lunch in town, eat a packed dinner at the cabin or hotel. If you eat dinner in town, bring a packed lunch with you.
- We saved money for the food we wanted to eat out with by not eating out when we were at home. When we wanted to go out to eat we would ask, “Do we really need to go out to eat or should we save the money?” 70% of the time we decided to save the money. The money we would have spent at a restaurant, we put into savings instead. The other 30% of the time? Well, you can’t say no all the time. LOL
- Every bit of money leftover at the end of each payday we transferred to savings. Whether it was a single dollar or a hundred dollars didn’t matter. Once the money was transferred to savings it was untouchable until the vacation. We committed to that from the beginning and stuck to it. You will be surprised how much that adds up to after a year if you commit to it and make a conscious effort to save money where you can.
- We looked for free or cheap stuff we could do. Mostly those things boiled down to state and national parks and walking around historic districts. There are fees for the parks, so keep that in mind, but they’re reasonable (unless you have 10 kids… then you should really save money for birth control – not a vacation).
- We used a few Groupons. We were hoping there would be more Groupon opportunities, but either they were for larger parties or for things we weren’t interested in. Where we could use them, we did.
- We went during the off season and that saved us HUGE money.
We actually came home without spending all the money we had saved. We were more frugal than we needed to be. Yes, that’s a good thing, but then again… maybe I could’ve had a few more Navajo Tacos!
Itinerary!
Okay, here’s the TL:DR version. If you’re interested in details, keep reading beyond this! To make it easier, I’m putting all links to the sites here instead of in the longer description area.
- Day 1: Depart Austin, arrive Carlsbad and stay in hotel.
- Day 2: Visit White’s City and Carlsbad Caverns. Drive to Roswell and visit Brantley Lake State Park, and Artesia on the way. Arrive in Roswell and stay in hotel. If you arrive in time for dinner, eat at Big D’s Downtown for amazing burgers (yes, veggie burgers are available). Otherwise, eat there at lunch the next day.
- Day 3: Visit Roswell, use Google to help you find all the alien murals, museums, alien sculptures, etc. Drive to Albuquerque and visit Lincoln, Isleta Resort & Casino (dinner) on the way. Arrive in Albuquerque and stay in a hotel.
- Day 4: Visit Rebel Donuts for breakfast, Mama’s Minerals (fossils & rocks), Pueblo Cultural Center (lunch at the Pueblo Harvest Cafe inside), Jemez Springs, Jemez Historic Site, Los Ojos (dinner). Arrive at Jemez Springs and check into the Ardantane cabins.
- Day 5: Breakfast at Hwy4Coffee, Battleship Rock, Walatowa Visitor’s Center (Jemez Pueblo), Los Ojos (dinner).
- Day 6: Valles Caldera, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Tecolote (lunch), Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe Plaza, Kakawa Chocolate House (hot chocolate), Blake’s Lottaburger (dinner).
- Day 7: Chaco Culture National Park, El Bruno’s (dinner in Cuba).
- Day 8: Santa Fe Forest in the Jemez Mountains.
- Day 9: Rock & fossil hunting, Giggling Springs (Jemez Springs), Jemez Pueblo, Dave’s Burgers (dinner).
- Day 10: Dave’s Burgers (breakfast burritos), Las Vegas, Hillcrest Restaurant (lunch).
- Day 11: Depart Jemez Springs and head to Albuquerque to stay in the once nice hotel we booked the entire trip, the Hotel Albuquerque At Old Town. Visit Sandia Mountain, Frontier Restaurant (lunch), Nob Hill (if you’re okay with pretentious expensive stuff), Old Town Albuquerque, Sandia Resort & Casino (gambling and seafood buffet).
- Day 12: Depart Albuquerque, arrive Lubbock, TX.
- Day 13: Depart Lubbock, arrive Austin.
Here’s the expanded version with more details!
When we planned the trip we had our calendar setup day by day with arrival times at hotels, departure times, where we were going, etc. It was planned, but not overly planned. That plan fell apart quickly for us. Not because things took too long or because of problems, but because we simply slowed down and took our time and did what felt good at the moment. We still visited everything we wanted to do, but at a slower and more mindful pace. Even with two snow events creating havoc for the area (we were warm and cozy in our cabin), we still got to see everything, including several expeditions in the snow.
Keep in mind that we drove. Suzie kept saying that driving was a waste of vacation and that we should fly. I’m the opposite. Flying is a waste of vacation. You are at the mercy of others and stuck in airports with the risk of a body cavity search, flight delays, an incompetent and useless TSA, and asshole passengers with screaming children sitting next to you. I’d rather drive. To me the drive IS the vacation. Stop at roadside attractions. Stop at rest areas and picnic. Stop and take pictures and actually enjoy the scenery!
12/13:
We departed Austin, TX and drove to Carlsbad, NM. The US-285 from Fort Stockton, TX to Carlsbad is a mess. Almost the entire stretch is surrounded by oil wells and refineries and the truck traffic is heavy. It is full of pot holes and slow moving vehicles with few chances to pass. Be prepared to be on this road a while. Don’t worry, you’ll get through it, but it will test your patience: just keep your destination in mind – it will totally be worth it. We checked into the Great Western Inn & Suites in Carlsbad. The Great Western is a fairly good deal for the area and much cheaper than the name brand hotels. They cater to the oil & gas folks who work all the refineries and pumps in the area, which means they have a steady flow of customers and income, which means they take good care of their hotel. The rooms are clean and the beds are soft.
12/14:
Visit to Carlsbad Caverns! Make sure you stop in White’s City and visit the gift shop. There are tons of things that are picture-worthy in the gift shop. If you need gas, get it in White’s before you head to the caverns. There are pullovers on the way to the caverns with mini trails. Make sure you stop and look around. There’s a really cool trail that identifies all the plants used by Native Americans for clothing, food, dye, and medicine as well as a shelter cave they used. There are two ways down into the cavern. First is to walk the long path down to the Big Room. Second is to take the elevator down to the Big Room. If you have children, have any back or leg problems, or are not in good shape then do not take the winding path down and through the cavern entrance: take the elevator. The climb down is not easy. If you take the elevator, it’s simple. The Big Room trail is mostly flat and where it’s uphill, it’s done with a steady and even grade. There are parts of the Big Room that are handicap accessible, but honestly, you should avoid Carlsbad if you’re in a wheelchair or walker. There are two trails you can take in the Big Room, the full Big Room Trail or the Shortcut Trail. Do yourself a favor and walk the 1.5 mile full trail!
You’ll get to see the Hall of Giants, lots of cavern pools, see some remnants of historic explorations of the cave, Top of the Cross, the Bottomless Pit, the Massive Gypsum, The Chandelier, the Totem Pole, Cave Man, Crystal Springs Dome, the Painted Grotto, and more. When you come outside, make sure you walk to the western edge of the parking lot and take a look out at the great expanse.
We left Carlsbad Caverns and started driving towards Roswell, NM. On the way out of Carlsbad toward Roswell along the US-285 is Brantley Lake State Park. It’s worth the 10 mile jog off the beaten path to see the lake and check out the primitive camping area. You’ll have to pay a small fee (honor system if the visitor’s center isn’t open) to gain access. There’s a park there if your kids need to get out of the car and play a bit. There is easy access to the water via the primitive camping area (just don’t drive where people have pitched tents). You cannot access the water from the boat ramp, as that is reserved for people offloading boats into the water.
You can also stop in Artesia further up the road and check out all the sculptures and memorials. They have some really beautiful ones, especially the oil rig memorial. We arrived in Roswell and stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites. It wasn’t the cheapest option, but it wasn’t the most expensive, either. We stayed there because the cheaper options didn’t look that appealing to us (in the Norman Bates kinda way). An AirBnB might be more suitable for you if you’ve used it before. We arrived in time for dinner and ate at Big D’s Downtown. One of the best burgers I have ever had. Their green Chile burger is phenomenal! Eat at Big D’s if you can.
12/15:
Roswell, NM was for Suzie. She got to do all the cheesy Roswell things she wanted to do. There are tons of alien-related things to do in Roswell. You can take the guided tour if you want to spend the money, or you can do your own thing like we did. The International UFO Museum (sorry, no UFO’s there – it’s like having an airplane museum without actual airplanes) charges a small fee, but it’s doable. If you want to read a bunch of magazine articles and look at pictures and see a few paper-mâché setups of aliens landing in New Mexico, then the IFUOM is for you. If you’re into that sort of thing, you will absolutely love the museum and the rest of the alien-related stuff in the area. Roswell is split into two populations: those who embrace the alien-related stuff and those who hate that Roswell is associated with aliens. So if you go into a business or restaurant that doesn’t have alien stuff up, don’t talk about it: they don’t serve your kind there! If alien-related stuff is not your thing, then you should avoid Roswell as there is nothing else to do there (except Big D’s). Roswell is a day trip: you can do everything there in a single day, so no point in staying multiple days.
We departed Roswell and headed toward Albuquerque. Just before we left, Suzie was looking up places to stop and roadside attractions and she asked if we were going through Lincoln. Originally we weren’t, but figured an extra hour on the road would be fun and that would bring us through some really beautiful mountains and old lava fields. We did not regret that decision.
It turns out that Lincoln is more than just “a preserved town” and is where a lot of the Billy the Kid action took place and it is the origin of the Regulators. During the off season, a lot of the locations and shops are closed, but a few are open and the Courthouse is always open (during normal business hours). Lincoln is absolutely worth a stop! Make sure you also swing by the local coffee shop. It’s an art gallery up front, but go in back and get the spicy Mexican hot chocolate. We left Lincoln with a smile on our face as the town brought back memories of Young Guns and oddly enough, confirmed that a lot of what was portrayed in the Young Guns movie was historically accurate.
We left Lincoln and kept heading west on the US-280 toward Socorro and the I-25 corridor. We hit the Valley of Fires Recreational Area, just north of Carrizozo, in time for an amazing desert sunset with enough light to stop at some of the markers and take pictures of cacti and lava flows. Then we drove in the pitch black until we reached the I-25. We stopped at the Isleta Resort & Casino just south of Albuquerque to grab some dinner. If you go to Isleta to eat or gamble, make sure you use the valet: it’s free. Just give your valet a $5 bill when you pick your car up (don’t be a douchebag who doesn’t tip the valet). We stayed the night in another Comfort Suites because it was super cheap. Turns out it was super cheap because it’s a crappy hotel (letter to Corporate for sure). But it was just one night.
12/16:
I woke up early (as I did every single morning on the trip) and headed to Rebel Donuts. You should absolutely do Rebel. They are better than Voodoo Donuts. Seriously. They are! If you’re a Breaking Bad fan (I’m not) you can get the Blue Sky donuts. Make sure you try the French Toast donuts and the bacon & red Chile donuts as well! Watch for a possible awesome sunrise over Sandia Mountain. They aren’t always spectacular, but you just might get lucky! We stopped at Mama’s Minerals downtown and checked out their expansive rock and fossil collection. Then we headed over to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Spend the money and go into the museum. Even if you don’t like Native American stuff (why are you even in New Mexico at this point then?), it’s a worthy cause to give them your money. At the end of the Museum make sure you visit the Pueblo Harvest Cafe. Do yourself a favor and be a culinary explorer and introduce yourself to Pueblo food and get the Pueblo Feast for two. It says it’s for two, but really four could eat all the food. You’ll get everything you need to introduce you to Pueblo/New Mexico style foods.
From there we headed up to Jemez Springs (pronounced Haymiss) to visit the Jemez Historic Site. They are open year round, but not every day, so check their web page ahead of time. The Jemez Historic Site is ruins where you can see the Spanish Catholic influence on the Pueblo natives and how that influence changed everything for many natives. There is a small entrance fee into the park.
In Jemez Springs, make sure you eat at least lunch or dinner at Los Ojos. You’ll enjoy the ambiance and the food. Also check out the local shops (some are too expensive but others have some cool stuff). Eat breakfast at least once at the Hwy4Cafe and get the Jemez Burrito with elk sausage!
We immediately fell in love with the cabin when we checked in. The scenery was phenomenal. The cabin was cute and roomy enough for the two of us. I’ll get more into the cabins below as they deserve their own write-up. We settled into the cabin and waited for the first snow storm to hit.
12/17:
The snow came and was still falling at higher elevations. We only had a light dusting at the cabin and that was already melting. Our original plan was to head into Albuquerque, but instead we decided to go see some snow. We drove north on SR-4 to find snow-topped mountains and it did not take long to find them. We came across Battleship Rock and it was gorgeous in the snow! We decided to go further north on the SR-4 and made it a few miles before the roads got too bad and we had to turn around. So we decided to go back south and head to the Jemez Pueblo. We stopped at the Walatowa Visitor Center for the Jemez Pueblo. We got to see a couple of local artisans, check out their gift shop, and tell them about the snowy roads. They had no idea the roads were that bad and immediately called my report into the Pueblo administration and police. We bought some red Chile and green Chile honey (they are amazing, BTW). Next to the Walatowa center is a large gas station that’s the only gas station for a while, so that’s the place you need to fill up each day before heading out exploring. We spent the rest of the night eating in front of the fireplace at Los Ojos and then enjoying the freshly falling snow at the cabin.
12/18:
With the snow stopped and already melting, we decided to try heading north again on SR-4. We are so glad we did because we ended up at the Valles Caldera! There are tons of (and miles of) trails to walk at the Caldera, but we stuck with the 1.5 mile trail around the base of the lava dome. We were the first humans to walk the trail since the snow. Walking the Caldera after a snowfall, so quiet, able to see the tracks of elk, rabbits, coyotes, cougars, and other animals was simply magical! I have no doubt that the Caldera is gorgeous in different seasons, but being there in the snow and as quite as it was made it very special for us.
After leaving the Caldera we had no plans but it was still early in the day, so we decided to continue on SR-4 and see where it took us. Where it took us was an armed gate at Los Alamos. We thought they were going to make us turn around, but they just asked for my driver’s license and sent us through. While we couldn’t get into the secure areas and testing areas, we could see some of the buildings from the road before we hit Los Alamos proper: the city built by radioactive science. We continued to drive on and head to Santa Fe. On the way to Santa Fe, stop at Camel Rock. Yeah, it’s cheesy, but it’s cool as well!
We ate a late lunch at Tecolote, a restaurant recommended on Triple D. We wanted to eat at Berg’s, but they closed permanently after 45 years in operation. We went to historic downtown Santa Fe. Parking is a pain in the butt downtown. If you can’t find street parking, some of the churches will allow you to pay to park there. There are a couple of public parking garages, but they’re more expensive. We visited the Loretto Chapel ($3 entry fee) and checked out the “miracle stairs” (even though there’s actually no miracle). From there we walked to the historic downtown area. We realized most of the shops catered to the really rich. Santa Fe has become so pretentious. But don’t let that scare you off. It’s worth the day visit. There are cheaper shops. There are local artists. There are beautiful buildings to see and awesome parks to visit. If you’re there around Christmas, the luminaries are phenomenal.
On a recommendation from a friend, we stopped at the Kakawa Chocolate House. They will give you a sample of everything that’s in rotation that day. If you don’t like the bitterness of dark chocolate, this place may not be for you. I’m not a fan of dark chocolate, but they let us try the Tzul spiced hot chocolate. Yeah, that was amazing. It is pricey, so get a 3oz if you want to save money or share a 6oz. Honestly, we didn’t like their chocolates, so you may want to stick with the hot chocolate. We got hungry later on the road home and stopped at a Blake’s Lottaburger. Make sure you eat at a Blake’s at least once during your trip. Try to find an older one, as they are better than the new franchise ones.
12/19:
We decided to drive north on the US-550 and see what we ran into with the maybe goal of reaching Durango, CO to see the snow-topped mountains. We never made it to Durango because we realized we were very close to Chaco Canyon (thanks, random road sign). The proper name of the park is the Chaco Culture National Historic Park World Heritage Site. Yep, long name. The road to Chaco Canyon is not an easy one. When you leave the US-550 there is a gas station there. If you need gas, drinks, or anything else: get them there! There is no place else to stop for anything between that gas station and the national monument.
The first 8 miles of road are paved: after that it’s 10 miles of gravel and then 4 miles of a dirt nightmare. If you have a really low car (with hardly any ground clearance) or a bad back… don’t bother. You’ll ruin your car or mess your back up. If you have a car with at least 8” of clearance, then you’ll be fine. You can stay in the center of the gravel part as long as no other traffic is coming from the opposite direction. When you leave the gravel and hit the dirt, it’s eroded and full of pot holes. You’ll have to navigate left and right and slow down a lot to avoid the bigger holes. You’ll pass though a wash. If it has been raining, you will not make it past the wash. Do not even try: you will die. Turn around and maybe try again when it’s not raining (in other words, don’t go to Chaco Canyon during the Monsoon season). Once you reach the park itself, the road becomes paved again.
Stop at the welcome center and pay the small day pass fee. Then head on in and enjoy the ruins. Spend the extra $3 to get the brochures for the larger sites (and don’t forget the free ones as well). Chaco Canyon was really amazing. Seeing the ruins of the Chaco culture was cool as hell. We had recently watched a documentary about the Chaco, so that was fresh in our minds as we walked through the ruins. On the way back, stop at El Bruno’s in Cuba, NM. They don’t skimp on the spice there with their New Mexican dishes.
12/20:
We had another free day so decided to just explore the area. We decided to take some side roads and ended up on SR-485 heading north through the Santa Fe Forest (which is nowhere near Santa Fe) and along the Guadalupe Rio. There are numerous washes along this road, so if it’s raining or has recently rained, drive with caution and turn around if the wash is flowing. After several miles you’ll enter the mountains on the canyon road. Then you’ll drive through two single-lane tunnels. Make sure you stop after you go through both tunnels at the pull-over on the Guadalupe Rio side. The scenery here is totally worth the stop. The river cuts through the rock and several waterfalls are visible. The tunnels have been used in several movies, including 3:10 to Yuma. We then drove east on SR-290 to another part of the Santa Fe Forest, but unfortunately it was closed when we got there. So we went back to the cabin for the rest of the evening. It was then we got the full tour from the owners and shown all the trails and highlights (more details and pics below).
12/21:
We went rock and fossil hunting in the canyon. Then we went to Giggling Springs in Jemez Springs as a treat. It was only $25 per hour per person, which is a really good deal considering that some of the hot springs in the area can cost hundreds of dollars. The water was hot enough that we couldn’t stay in the whole hour, so we got a smoothie in their shop and just chilled on the patio watching the sun go down. Then we went to the Jemez Pueblo to check out a local pottery artist we met in Santa Fe and to get some dinner at Dave’s Burgers and More. The pottery artist invited us into her home and introduced us to her family and sat us down at their dining room table and showed us the process of getting the clay, mixing it with volcanic ash, using local plants to make the paint, etc. Then we went to Dave’s to get a burger. Suzie got to try her first Indian Taco and I got the Pueblo Burger. The cold was fierce as another winter storm was rolling in. They invited us in to eat at their table instead of being in the cold. We got to sit and talk about the Pueblo, food, and Jemez culture with them in their house. It was really cool and greatly appreciated. The hospitality we encountered was above and beyond. Then it was back to the cabin to prepare for the winter storm.
12/22:
We woke up to lots of snow! Not just at higher elevations, but everywhere. We had 2.5 inches at the cabin and higher elevations had up to 16 inches! I risked driving down the mountain in the snow in order to run to the Jemez Pueblo and get some breakfast burritos at Dave’s. They only make breakfast burritos on certain days and they sell out quickly. If you happen to be there on a breakfast burrito day, get up at 6am and go get some! Safety tip: if your car has electronic stability control, turn it off when you are going down slick roads (ice, snow, etc). Turn it on going up the hill.
When the snow stopped we went north on the I-25 to try to make it to Las Vegas (the New Mexico one). It was still actively snowing in areas and there was a chance we would not be able to make it through the pass, but we at least wanted to try. While the roads were a bit rough in some areas, we were able to make it to Las Vegas. Roswell was for Suzie and Las Vegas was for me. Las Vegas is where they filmed the original Red Dawn and I got to see the Calumet welcome sign and Murphey’s Drugs where they got the toothbrushes in the movie and later blew up. Murphey’s Drugs is now a bank, but they left the Murphey’s Drugs sign up. We stopped at the Castaneda Hotel as well. My original plan was to actually spend a night in Las Vegas and stay at this hotel, but the hotel shut down and is now surrounded by fence and decrepit. It’s too bad because it’s the hotel where the Cuban and Russian officers stayed during the invasion and where the Mayor’s office was located. The last thing we saw was the park where Matty died in the movie with the gazebo in the background. Then we hit the Hillcrest Restaurant for a late lunch and started driving back to the cabin as it was starting to actively snow again. We needed to get over the pass before it got blocked. The pass wasn’t blocked but it was treacherous and there were lots of trucks and SUVs on the side of the road. I think a truck and SUV gives people too much confidence and actually makes them more likely to wreck or hydroplane.
12/23:
Time to depart the cabin and head to Albuquerque for a stay in a hotel there. This was our one expensive hotel we agreed upon, the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. Before we went to the hotel we decided to drive up Sandia Mountain. The top of Sandia is accessible by tram except during the winter, so we had to drive. The road had been plowed and was okay until we got to higher elevations where it was actively snowing and we were enveloped by snow fog. We did make it all the way to the peak, but when I tried to park I lost traction and got stuck. I had no choice but to put it in reverse and flip the car around in order to get forward momentum to go back down the mountain. So we didn’t get to enjoy the top of Sandia, but the road up and down was gorgeous, especially in the snow. There were lots of people taking advantage of the snow and sledding on the slopes of the mountains and the ski resort was open.
We then went to downtown Albuquerque to eat at Frontiers. If I had my way, we would have eaten there every day. You have to eat at Frontier in Albuquerque. Parking is a bitch and you can only park for 45 minutes. So get in, order a variety of food to try (make sure you get their cinnamon roll), eat, and get out! We head up to Nob Hill and there are a few cool shops, but it’s really pricey and snobbish and pretentious in so many bad ways now. So we just went to the hotel to take a nap before heading to the casino.
The Sandia Resort & Casino has a seafood buffet on a few nights. It’s a bit more expensive than their normal buffet, but if you’re a seafood lover it’s worth it. I hate seafood, but Suzie loves it and she was craving it. She enjoyed unlimited crab legs and mussels while I enjoyed unlimited prime rib and mashed potatoes. We gambled a bit while there and went back to the hotel.
12/24:
We departed Albuquerque and drove to Lubbock, TX. We just didn’t feel like driving all the way home in a single day. 12 hours in the car just did not sound like something we wanted to do. So we stopped in Lubbock for Christmas Eve (one of seven people in the hotel). We lucked out and found out there was an Alamo Drafthouse in town and there were still seats available for Rogue One. It was the perfect Christmas Eve dinner and treat!
12/25:
Lubbock to Austin and home. We both took 12/26 off to recover from the trip.
The Cabin!
Let’s talk about the cabin. When we stumbled upon this cabin for $15 per person per night, we jumped on it. It allowed us to take the vacation immediately instead of waiting to save more money. First let’s get the obvious out of the way: the cabin is located on the Ardantane property. Ardantane is a Pagan and Wiccan-centric center. That doesn’t mean you have to be Pagan or Wiccan to stay there. All that Ardantane asks is that you be respectful of the earth to stay there. That means use their toiletries to help maintain their state-of-the art black/gray water recovery system. That means don’t damage their property to destroy any of their grounds (rocks, trees, etc). That means properly recycle your trash while. That means don’t dump trash in the desert or on the mountain. If they have a ceremony while you are there, you can go into the dome and watch from outside the circle (or join if you want to participate). Be respectful of the people and the property.
There are currently two cabins on the property: the Cattail Cottage and the Halloween Cabin. The Cattail Cottage contains a queen and twin bed as well as a dresser. The Halloween Cabin contains a bunk bed that’s made of a double on the bottom and a twin on the top. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room in the Halloween Cabin, so I would recommend the Cattail Cottage for longer stays. Each cabin comes with a heater for cold nights and the beds are made with clean sheets before you check in. You are responsible for stripping the bed after your stay and depositing the linen in the hamper in the bathroom. There are areas on the 27-acre property where you can tent camp as well.
Speaking of the bathroom, the HARRE Potter bathrooms are heated during the winter. There are two bathrooms in the same building. One is a sink and toilet and the second has a standing shower with a folding handicap seat in the shower. The second one is fully handicap usable with bars along the toilet, etc. The bathroom has motion sensor lighting to help you find it at night.
Hawk’s Haven is currently the “media room” where you can watch movies, and access the fridge and microwave. Hawk’s Haven has a large patio with chairs and tables for enjoying any meal, but especially for watching the sunset while eating dinner! There are plans in place to make Hawk’s Haven into a third cabin once the new common room/kitchen are completed. There are lots of plans in the word at Ardantane, including a common room, common kitchen, more cabins, etc.
There are plenty of trails, including trails for those who are spiritually inclined, such as the Seeker’s Trail with 7 altars or meditation points along the trail. The trail ends in a labyrinth for meditation and walking.
The dome is used for events and has a coffee maker in the building. There are tons of books on Paganism yes, but also science and nature books as well as some fiction. There are plenty of chairs to relax in. You can use the dome as long as they are not using it for retreats or ceremonies.
Ardantane is a beautiful place and worth going to. If you happen to be in a Pagan or Wiccan group or coven, then you should definitely consider using their facility for a retreat. If you are not Pagan or Wiccan, you’ll be just fine there. After all, I did just fine there. :)
Blair Scott: Synthentral 