Stop 1: Las Vegas, New Mexico

We pulled off for lunch at Las Animas Grill in Trinidad, just before crossing into New Mexico. A mural covering one side of a building stopped us: “girls love flowers” painted in big block letters on a blue background with a smattering of roses. A touch presumptive, but Margot does indeed love flowers even more than she likes getting her picture taken in front of art.

“I love how mom used to take us on road trip all the time and now you’re doing the same,” my sister said from the passenger seat. “But Margot is calling all the shots.”

A couple hours later, we arrived in Las Vegas with legs that needed stretching. History buffs and ghost seekers alike are drawn to this small town, home to more than 900 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places (there are fewer than 13,000 residents). Self-guided tours can help anyone looking to go a little deeper than the exterior of the buildings.

What to do

Dwan Light Sanctuary and Montezuma Castle is just outside of town. Stop by the only United World Colleges campus in the United States to drive past the historic Montezuma Castle to visit the Dwan Light Sanctuary. The building is geometrically positioned to align with the sun, moon, and stars. Inside, prisms throughout the walls and roof cast rainbows inside throughout the day. It’s free to visit with a stop by the welcome center for the access card. The relaxing smell of pine and high-altitude air is a welcome break even if you don’t go in the light sanctuary.

It’s a short walk to the Las Vegas Plaza just about anywhere in town. Shops, hotels, and restaurants square off around a central gazebo that’s a pleasant place to spend a few hours and learn about Las Vegas’s history as an important trading hub in the 1800s. Don’t miss the El Zocalo gallery for art or Plaza Antiques for vintage finds.

Where to eat and drink

At The Skillet, it’s clear at first sight that “funky” is the word that best captures this gastropub. A colorful donkey head sculpture with exotropia and somewhat menacing teeth hangs from the wall above the beer taps, and a bus emptied out except for a small metal table and chairs is parked on the side of the patio. The menu has tacos, burritos, and burgers equally influenced by Asian-American and Mexican-American favorites. Come for the food, stay for the music, kid-friendly patio, and room to dance.

Charlie’s Spic & Span Cafe is a longstanding café serves New Mexican dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — think smothered burritos in fresh flour tortillas, tamales, and New Mexico’s biscochitos cookies.

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Where to stay: Castaneda Hotel

The Castaneda Hotel opened just before the turn of the 20th century and was once considered one of the finest hotels in the West — and was a big part of the start of the Fred Harvey hotel empire along the railroads through the Southwest. The Castaneda even hosted Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders on a reunion tour that drew quite a crowd for the day. The historic property had a rough couple of decades by the start of the next century, but new owners brought it back to life in recent years with refreshed rooms, a restored bar, and art from Tina Mion, one of the owners. It’s popular with Roosevelt fans and ghost hunters alike. The more I look back on my photos and videos from our stay, the more I catch something that feels a little beyond normal. If there are guests from beyond they seem to be pleasant (or at least otherwise occupied).

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