I'll never get tired of the view towards the Rio Grande River from Overlook Park in White Rock. On…read moreevery trip to Northern New Mexico (however far apart), you'll find me here (hot or not) admiring the scenery. Last week was but one experience that I hope to repeat.

We came back in May and it's just not as nice. No waterfall. It's hotter. The sunlight is so bright…read moreand air is drier so there's less color saturation/contrast in the area. Sept and October are the months to visit.

This waterfall blew my mind! I didn't know that such a large waterfall existed in NM! I'm so glad…read morewe hiked it, and I'll be back! The water was pretty frigid, but still fun!

The staff here is rude and act like they are doing you a favor by letting you pay them $20 to see a…read morefalls, the view of which is ruined by the dam, clearly built above it. I do not recommend.

Great park for dogs and their humans! My medium and small rescue dogs love going there and meeting…read morenew friends.

Visiting is a little more complicated than some other parks/monuments, but if you just read the…read morewebsite you'll get it figured out! The key is that reservations are required, both from the NPS and from the Cochiti Pueblo. Get the NPS reservation first, and only then get the Cochiti Pueblo one (link to that is on the NPS site!). Don't drive to the trailhead, drive to the Cochiti Pueblo visitor center first, check in there, then follow the guide car (runs pretty much continuously all day) to the NPS entrance. The trailhead has multiple pit toilets, all of which were well maintained. The hike through the slot canyon and up onto the ridge is absolutely stunning. There really aren't words to do justice, nor do the pictures really convey things either. The hike into and through the slot canyon isn't steep, although there are some pretty big steps required to clamber over some rocks here and there, and it can be narrow and is often sandy. There's not a lot of elevation change though until you get through the slot canyon, then you just switchback straight up a couple hundred feet onto the ridge. That section isn't terribly long though, and the views from the top are well worth it. The first third of the hike and the last third are pretty exposed to the sun, so make sure you apply that sunscreen and bring plenty of water!

Incredible. Reservation was easy. Gov Rec Ticket and Cochiti Tribal Pass, so two tickets. Worth…read moreevery penny. We got our tickets about 5 days out from visit. Check in at Visitor Center on arrival to check off your name on the list. Visitor centre has good restrooms, snacks and a few gifts and some very pleasant staff. Next Line up behind the white pilot vehicle and he will guide you in for a few miles where they will check your pass. After that its another few miles to a small carpark with restrooms and then off your go. We did slot canyon. Half a mile walk through amazing scenery/narrow passages through the stone and some climbing over rocks. I found it quite easy but do go before the sun comes out. We started at 9.30 am. After this section, which took us about 40 minutes due to lots of photo ops you will see another sign saying 1 mile to overlook. We almost gave up as the first climb looked hard - its not, just go on. We are in our 60's with dicky knees and it was not issue, just use your bottom when you have to. A light pair of garden gloves would be handy for when your hands scrape the boulders. All practical stuff here, the views speak for themselves. it's stunning and because of the limited access you meet few people along the way. As always with State Parks, check the website for any passes required or closures.

Frijoles Creek flows right through the Bandalier National Monument. It is a gentle waterway here as…read moreit passes under foot bridges and along creeks dotted with river rock. But that was not always the case as the gigantic 2011 Las Conchas wildfire burned through the monument's watershed. According to a story in the Albuquerque Journal newspaper, " the fire left thousands of acres charred and denuded, and cleared the way for huge floods through Frijoles Canyon in 2011 and again in 2013 that threatened key features of the (Bandalier) monument and the visitors center." Yes, little Frijoles Creek (El Rito de los Frijoles, Spanish for "the little river of beans,") turned into a mighty raging river of water.The floods here washed out Frijoles Rim Trail and the bottom part of the Falls Trail down to the Rio Grande. The Bandelier website says the "Frijoles Canyon Trail between Alcove House and the Upper Crossing "is basically a streambed hike at this point - passable but challenging in places due to erosion, rockfalls, fallen trees, log jams, flood debris, dense vegetation and numerous stream crossings," said the Journal newspaper at the time. Frijoles Creek generally flows at 10 cubic feet per second or less. But in September 2013, it was rushing along at 9,000 cfs, park rangers say. That's a lot of water moving around. Frijoles Creek was so powerfully flooded that 300-year old trees came toppling down along it's banks. But this Creek is so important because it is one of the few places in the plateau region where water flows year-round This reliable source of water must have been very important to the Native Peoples who utilized the H20 for drinking and cooking. Animals and wildlife would have been attracted to the area to drink at the stream. A wide range of plant life would have flourished along the stream. The Creek I saw at Bandalier in May 2015 was a peaceful stream of cold river water. The water is so cold because it flows down from the melted snow up in the mountains above the plateau. The Creek has waterfalls. Both Upper Frijoles Falls and Lower Frijoles Falls feed the Creek stream. But these waterfalls are not really the main attraction, as not much water flows over them. However, the hike up to see the Falls and the beautiful rocks around them are fantastic. I have to give Frijoles Creek 5 YELP STARS for it's unusual name and the fact that this hardy watershed has recently survived both a raging wildfire and torrential flooding. It's consistent flow of water enabled the Ancestral Pueblo people to survive and flourish in this sometimes arid and harsh climate.

Convenient and accessible!…read more En route to Bandelier National Monument, we stopped at White Rock Visitor Center, to take advantage of the shuttle service that you can get from here to Bandelier, especially because there's limited road access to the monument. The shuttle service runs about every 20 minutes, and gets you directly to the main visitor's entrance of Bandelier. Inside the visitors center is where you'll find tons of information of nearby attractions and sites, with brochures, maps, etc... The space was also very large, clean and dog-friendly. There's also a help desk at the center where staff are happy to speak with you for recommendations and assistance. You can also pay for your park fees here. I advise anyone who's on their way to Bandelier National Monument to stop by the White Rock Visitor Center for its shuttle service and getting tips and information on other nearby sites while in the area.

A pit stop to grab the Bandelier Shuttle, we were happy to miss the first ride and spent some time…read morein the center. Delightful staff, with so much knowledge, ask them questions! You will learn a lot :) They also have very easy parking, nice bathrooms, and lots of fliers to promote ideas in the area. The gorgeous large windows make it a delightful pit stop to sit and relax, while you take in a bit of the mini museum.

Ten years later, Gayle and I revisited the Valles Caldera as we took the long way back to…read moreAlbuquerque from Santa Fe (via Los Alamos). It was a big winding from Los Alamos, but finally the stunning view of the Valle came into full display. Wonderful stuff, with my only regret not driving a bit into it to take in the Visitor Center. Next time.

What an absolutely stunning oasis in the middle of the Jemez Mountains! We saw quite a few…read morecreatures on our trip today! A Groundhog, prairie dogs, Chipmunks, Elk and a coyote all in the span of about an hour! Truly a stunning place to visit with amazing views and kind National Park workers!

Very nice after the remodel rest rooms !! !! !! ! Build…read moreby COMMUNITY Development Fundsw in the 1970s !! !! !! Originally it was the Regal Airport !! !! !!

A beautiful park with lots of fun amenities; Ragle Park is a gem for the Littles and grown-ups…read morealike. Excellent condition basketball courts with great bench seating, a super fun long slide that all ages love, a quaint pavilion for small gatherings for Barbecues and packed lunches, complete with nice walking paths and beautiful open green spaces for the littles to run and play. Bring your basketball or your soccer ball, keep your dog on a leash and pick up their waste, please, and don't forget your hand sanitizer.

Nice to walk along the frozen Santa Fe River and see so many unique art installations. The earthy…read morecarved wooden images of an oversized fish and Native Americans make a sharp contrast with the very modern Brickface HOPE linking past and present together.

Take a walk, y'all! What a joy to take this easy stroll across the primo Santa Fe pedestrian…read moredistrict. A sweet little path abuts the sweet little canal, with lovely trees and seating areas, and seamless transition to Plaza window-shopping. Parking opportunities line the walk (at least where we were), some by the plaza, metered, but others farther off are free. Honestly, it was a delightful way to spend 4 miles and a leisurely Tuesday afternoon in Santa Fe. You should take a walk too!