During the holiday season this past December, my mom, myself and Markell went to Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Boulder and Denver, Colorado. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

My birthday fell during the first full day of our trip which is also when we arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hungry for an authentic New Mexican lunch, we went to a restaurant where I got a assorted platter (taco, enchilada, beans, etc) and a verrrryyy boozy margarita. It was a great way to get my birthday started!

Despite what so many people think, northern New Mexico can get really cold in winter – snow included. It actually snowed on my birthday and we had to leave New Mexico early because of a blizzard that was heading that way. In the meantime though, we had about a day and a half of good weather to explore.

Markell and I went on a quest just outside Santa Fe to see a petroglyph site. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that the petroglyphs required about a mile and a half of rock scrambling, which was a bit risky in the snow (and without hiking or snow boots on). Markell enjoyed taking photos with his new camera he got from his grandpa for Christmas.

We found two boulders with petroglyphs. It is always fascinating to me how these drawings have been there for hundreds of years. Who drew them? And why?

Next on our trip was Boulder, Colorado. A friend of mine had raved about the town so we thought it was worth a visit. We ate on Pearl Street which is the main street in town, and then went to the Celestial Seasonings Factory which is based in the town!

The Celestial Seasonings Factory tour in Boulder, Colorado, is free to visitors. Better yet, as you wait for your turn on the tour, there are several teas you can sample. Celestial Seasonings is a true operating factory so we were able to see their manufacturing processes (as someone who studied Products and Process in grad school, I was so excited for this!) and learn more about the company’s operations and history.

The next day I went on a early morning solo hike on the Fowler Trail at Eldorado Canyon near Boulder. Eldorado Canyon is truly one of the most beautiful places I went on the trip, as the trail had constant views overlooking the canyon. It was a bit nerve wracking though as parts of the trail were snowing and icy, so I had to tread carefully. It was worth it for the surroundings though!

Into the mountains, we spent the afternoon in Idaho Springs, Colorado at the Argo Gold Mine. This was an functioning mine up to the 1940s when a massive flood made it impossible to continue operations. We were shown how to pan for gold, learned about the history of gold mining in the area, and went into the beginning of the tunnel for the former mine (you don’t go into the actual mine as it still has several feet of water).

No visit to the Denver is complete without going to Red Rocks Park. Markell and I had been to see the amphitheater when we in Colorado in 2015, so this time we went for a hike with a guide on the Trading Post Trail. The hike was fun and Markell enjoyed posing on the rocks for a few photos!

And that’s a rap on our Colorado and New Mexico trip. Colorado is such a stunning state and now that I’ve been three times in winter, the goal is to go in a (warmer) season next time!

x Noelle