Our Desert Homestead

The adobe-built streets in Old Town Albuquerque (35 minutes’ drive) make a hopping day out, packed with stores selling silver jewellery and vintage clothes, plus indie art galleries and a whole cluster of bars and dining options. The city also has a fine selection of museums, covering topics as diverse as hot-air ballooning and Pueblo Native American culture. To see some real-life Native American heritage, head for Coronado Historical Site (30 minutes), the remains of a Pueblo village with ceremonial chambers covered in Pre-Columbian artworks. At Petroglyph National Monument (30 minutes), follow circular trails to see canyon walls covered in sacred Native American symbols, some going back 700 years. And of course, the desert has some pretty spectacular natural features of its own. Check out the arid rock formations of the Toadstool Hoodoos (30 minutes) or see if you can spot the resemblance to a famous cartoon dog at Snoopy Rock (90 minutes), which is also a popular spot for 4WD safaris.