Mountainair: only a 1 hour drive from Albuquerque, staying in Mountainair allows you to explore some of the area. You can stay in the historic Shaffer Hotel. From Mountainair, you can visit the Salinas Pueblos ruins, the town of Claunch, the ghost town of Ancho, the small town of Corona and its museum, the ghost town of Cedarvale, and the ghost town of Pinos Wells, where there is an annual reunion.

Crownpoint: a 2 hour drive from Albuquerque. From Crownpoint, you can reach Chaco Canyon in about an hour. One Friday a month, a rug auction is held.

Monastery of Christ in the Desert: a 2 hour drive from Albuquerque, this monastery welcomes overnight guests for a minimum a 2-night stay. The recommended donation is $100 per night. “Included is the opportunity for our guests to share in the Benedictine way of life. Guests are always welcome to attend any or all of our daily prayer services as well as holy Eucharist (see the daily schedule). They may also participate, if desired, in short times of manual labor (three and a half hours maximum) under the direction of our monks. To aid all of our guests in their quest to seek God, an atmosphere is maintained that provides time for privacy, prayer, reading, and reflection on God’s Word speaking in prayer services and the liturgies.”

Truth or Consequences: a 2 hour drive from Albuquerque. From here you can visit the ghost towns of Engle, Hillsboro, Kingston.

Gallup: a 2 hour drive from Albuquerque, you can stay in the historic El Rancho. Every December, the Red Rock Balloon Rally is held.

Zuni Pueblo: a 2 and a half hour drive from Albuquerque, they offer interesting archaeological tours.

Capitan: a 2 and a half hour drive from Albuquerque. Here, you can visit the Smoky Bear attractions. From Capitan, you can visit the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, the Flying J Ranch, Fort Stanton, Lincoln, White Oaks, and the Carrizozo Heritage Museum.

Cimarron: a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque. Sadly, the St. James Hotel closed in September of 2024, but you can stay in the historic Casa del Gavilan. You can visit the Aztec Mill Museum built in 1864, Immaculate Conception Church built in 1873, and the Chase Ranch founded in 1869. You can also take a Legend by Lantern Tour, visit Colfax Ghost Town and Dawson Ghost Town. In between Cimarron and Raton is the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge.

Raton & Clayton: a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque, in Raton you can see the Shuler Theatre and St John’s Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as visit Folsom. About an hour east from Raton is Clayton, where you can stay in the historic Hotel Eklund. You can see the Public Library built in 1939 and the Luna theatre built in 1915.

Farmington: a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque, you can stay in Kokopelli’s Cave hotel, which reminds me of the cave hotels that Cappadocia in Turkey is known for. From Farmington, you can reach Bitsi Badlands in about an hour, the Aztec ruins in about 30 minutes to the east and Shiprock about 30 minutes to the west.

Las Cruces: a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque. Along the way you can visit Hatch and Fort Selden. You can visit Mesilla and the Double Eagle Hotel, the historic, Dona Ana church, the historic Jardin de Mesquite neighborhood, and the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage.

Deming: a 3 and a half hour drive from Albuquerque, you can stay in the Butterfield Stage Motel. From Deming, you can visit Fort Cummings or Columbus. Every August, Duck Races are held. Below you can see an old postcard, which features the Luna County Courthouse.

Cloudcroft: a 3 and a half hour from Albuquerque, you can stay in the historic Lodge Hotel. You can visit the Sacramento Mountains Museum, the Western Bar. You can also drive a bit to visit La Luz Pottery factory, the Old Apple Barn, the Tularosa Basin Museum of History, the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and Runyan Ranches.

Mogollon: a 4 hour drive from Albuquerque, you can stay in the historic Silver Creek Inn. In Mule Creek, there is apparently the “Thorshof Heathen Temple,” written about in the magazine Idunna, Issue 112. Along the way, in Quemado, you can see the Sacred Heart Church. You can also stop in Pie Town.

Silver City: a 4 hour drive from Albuquerque. You can stay in the historic Murray Hotel. From Silver City, you can visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery, the Buckhorn Saloon & Opera House in Pinos Altos, Fort Bayard, the City of Rocks, the Dragonfly Trail Petroglyphs, as well as Lordsburg and the ghost town of Shakespeare. Across the border in Arizona, Tombstone is about 2 hours away.

Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch: a 4 and a half hour drive from Albuquerque, this dude ranch “originally started as a hunting lodge in the 1980’s, Geronimo Trail evolved into a guest ranch in 2002.” Along the way you can stop at Chloride ghost town.

Gila Cliff Dwellings: a nearly 5 hour drive from Albuquerque. You can stay at the historic Bear Mountain Lodge, which is about an hour and a half from the ruins or the Lake Roberts Motel, which is only 45 minutes away.