If Patrick and I could design our dream recipe for the perfect weekend getaway, it would hands down be everything that is the village of Ruidoso. Ruidoso NM is a mountain town that sits in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in southeast New Mexico, just a few hours drive from West Texas. While the scenery is absolutely breathtaking, the town itself is where the real charm lies.

We filled a long weekend climbing to the tops of several mountains, strolling through desert sand dunes and munching on as many green chiles as we could possibly find. I’m sharing all of the details of what made our stay in Ruidoso stand out along with recommendations of what to do, see, eat and where to stay in this New Mexican mountain village.

Getting to Ruidoso NM

Ruidoso NM is nestled in between a range of beautiful green & rocky mountains so it’s no surprise that its location is well … quite remote! The easiest way to get there is to fly into either Albuquerque or El Paso and drive a few hours into town. They’re both roughly the same distance away but we chose El Paso because we wanted to make a pit stop to White Sands National Monument on our way to Ruidoso.

Stop at White Sands National Monument

White Sands is quite possibly one of the most majestic places I have ever visited … in my entire life. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which makes the reward of getting there half the fun.

This national monument is open to visitors year round and only requires a small entrance fee to visit. White sand’s stunning dunes encompass 275 miles of desert making it the largest gypsum dune field of all.

Visitors can come by and camp here for the weekend, spend a day, an afternoon or even a few hours exploring this endless sea of dunes. As soon as we got out of our car, we slipped off our shoes (well … Annie and I did lol) and started running through the dunes. Even though the sand hand been in the sun all day, it was as-cool-as-can-be on our feet. This is because the sand is made up of gypsum, which is completely different than the white beach sand we’re used to and doesn’t absorb the heat from the sun. 

We were short on time during our visit, so we showed up just about half an hour before sunset. We were told the sunset at White Sands was out of this world spectacular … and after seeing it with my own eyes, I totally agree! If you find your way to White Sands, I highly recommend staying atop those sandy dunes until the sun sets. You won’t regret it!

I also recommend bringing a tripod along with you to capture family photos. In a destination as remote as White Sands, it’s going to be pretty hard to come by a stranger walking along when you want to snap that perfect photo. We bought this one before our trip and it was a game changer. I will cherish these special photos from our visit to Ruidoso NM for the rest of my life, I’m sure.

Where to Stay in Ruidoso NM: Ruidoso River Resort

Steps away from downtown Ruidoso lies Ruidoso River Resort. No matter what your plans are for the weekend, this mountainside oasis makes for the perfect retreat. Our room was set up apartment style and included a full kitchen, living space and balcony with a river view too. The common area courtyard was complete with several outdoor grills, a firepit and so many beautiful trees just starting to change their colors for fall.

My favorite thing about our stay at Ruidoso River Resort was that most of the restaurants and shops in town were just a short walk away. After dinner, we were able to saunter on home and slip right to sleep before a full day of expl0ring greeted us the next morning.

DAY ONE in Ruidoso NM:

Grab Breakfast at The Cornerstone Bakery & Cafe

I don’t go out to breakfast too often when I’m home in Houston, but it’s one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Cornerstone Bakery is a cute local eatery that serves up a delicious breakfast and lunch boasting dishes that tastes like your mama made them. (You know, if your mom just happens to be a really good cook!)

We had waffles and an egg scramble with all the fixings along with cup after cup of New Mexico pinon coffee. My favorite part of our breakfast experience was how accommodating Cornerstone Bakery was to our sweet Annie! Instead of a coloring book and crayons, we were able to play with bread dough, cookie cutters and a rolling pin atop a cutting mat. I’m pretty sure we would have been content to stay here for hours on end playing too.

Sit on the Top of Sierra Blanca at Ski Apache

Our gondola ride from Ski Apache up to the top of Sierra Blanca was the highlight of our stay in Ruidoso NM and a must do for every visitor!

During the winter months, Ski Apache is covered with snow and beckoning skiers of all levels to their slopes. But come summertime, there is still plenty to do for guests of all ages. Ski Apache offers mountain biking trails and zip line rides from the top of Sierra Blanca. The gondola is what really piqued our interest because how else are you going to go up and down a 12,000 ft. mountain with a toddler?

 

Once our gondola made it to the top, a short hike awaited us to get to the peak. If you are bringing a small child with you up here, I definitely recommend bringing some sort of carrier as the hike is too much for a stroller and their little feet. The views from the tip top were absolutely incredible and had us wanting to sit and stare for as long as possible.

Oh, how I would just love to know what was going through Annie’s mind that morning!

We packed our tripod with us again for the ride up to Sierra Blanca. So glad we did because there wasn’t a soul in sight to take our picture on top of the peak! Now to frame these and put them all over the house. 🙂

Visit Fort Stanton NM

I always love a good mix of history drizzled on top of a visit to someplace new. Fort Stanton is a former military base that sits on the outskirts of Ruidoso, not too far from Ski Apache. We drove past some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on during our drive to Fort Stanton and the whole time I kept imagining what it must have been like for early settlers and military men on horseback to ride through the same vistas way back in the day.

Fort Stanton was built in 1873 and used as a military base during the Apache wars. It was once home to the famous Billy the Kid. Since then it has been used as a number of different things from a tuberculosis hospital to a detention center for Germans during World War II. Visitors can stop by for a self-guided tour every day of the week.

Go for a Family Hike

Hiking was high on our list of things to do when we were planning our trip to Ruidoso. We haven’t been hiking with Annie in AGES so we didn’t really know what to expect. The three-mile loop around Alto Lake was the perfect way to test the waters. We stumbled upon wildflowers, multiple deer and even a waterfall during this short and simple hike.

Finish off the First Day in Ruidoso NM with Dinner at Hunt and Harvest

After probably a long day spent exploring, we couldn’t wait to walk over to Hunt and Harvest for dinner. This restaurant sits inside The Mercantile which is a marketplace that gives visitors the opportunity to shop before dinner and stay after for a drink and live music. Patrick, Annie and I shared the taco salad, tortilla soup and taco plate for dinner. It’s not a Mexican restaurant, but clearly, we had Mexican food on our minds!

DAY TWO in Ruidoso NM:

Breakfast at Khrome Grill, Ruidoso NM

We started off our second day in Ruidoso NM with something savory & sweet at Khrome Grill, an adorable little local eatery on the main street in town. We ordered buttery pancakes and bacon and a dish of green onions, charro beans, eggs and cheese. So so good!

Step Back in Time at Hubbard Museum of the American West

I highly recommend paying a visit to this cowboy culture museum when in Ruidoso. We had a fabulous time and our museum guide, dressed in the finest 19th-century fashions, made the experience such a treat! The Hubbard Museum of the American West houses artifacts from Native Americans to almost every different type of stagecoach or covered wagon you’ve ever seen in an old Western film. We were so impressed with the children’s area in the museum, they provided Annie with a place to play, learn and discover making the visit fun for everyone.

Stop for Sandwiches and a Piece of Pie at Village Buttery

Oh my goodness, this lunch was good. SO good! We sat outside on The Village Buttery’s large patio and ordered sandwiches and pasta salad with slices of pie to follow.  Be sure to try their famous Buttermilk Pie if you ever pay a visit. It was di-vine! This adorable lunch spot is in the heart of town and walking distances from many of the shops too.

Speaking of shops, you won’t be leaving Ruidoso NM empty-handed after a stroll past their downtown boutiques. A few we visited and loved were The Woodsman (great guy stuff!) Sweet Retreat, Klassy Kids, and Old Barrel Tea Company  I also spotted a few different shops that sold silver and turquoise jewelry (my weakness!) and was able to find a gorgeous silver cuff that’ll always remind me of my visit here.  

Sip on Local Wine in Style

A fabulous way to end a day on your feet in Ruidoso NM is with a comfy seat and a glass of wine, naturally! Noisy Water Winery bottles their wine just outside the city and sources its grapes from various parts of New Mexico. We were able to stop by their location outside of town and see the Winery’s lovely event space and tour behind the scenes where the grapes are turned into the good stuff.  You can try the wine out there or grab a glass in town at their tasting room too. My favorite was the Curtain Call Bordeaux! 

Get Your Green Chile Fix at El Camino Nuevo

New Mexico is famous for their spicy green chiles and El Camino Nuevo not disappoint in that department! We were served spicy green chile salsa upon arrival … which paired quiiiite nicely with my watermelon margarita I must add. I usually don’t opt for flavored margaritas, as they’re often too sweet. But this one was JUST perfect. I honestly don’t think I’ve had a better-flavored margarita anywhere else.

If the weather is nice, grab a table outside for a glimpse of the sun setting through the trees during dinner time.

Day Three in Ruidoso NM:

Hike Nogal Peak

We knew we wanted to tackle a “legit” hike while we were in this beautiful mountain region. And Patrick did a lot of research to find us the perfect one. He read a few things about the Nogal Peak trail and we were like … okay, let’s do this!! And oh my word it was an unreal experience. The views from the trail were some of the best I’ve ever seen! But getting to the trail … that is a different story!

Let me tell you, the drive up to the trailhead was kind of terrifying. Imagine a one lane dirt road with no guardrails taking you … to the top of a mountain. I think it was mostly terrifying because we didn’t have four-wheel drive. But our little SUV did the job and got us there. I would definitely recommend making sure you have a four-wheel drive vehicle before attempting the drive up to this trailhead. Trust me, you’ll thank me later!

But once we got on our feet and hit the trail, all of our anxiety from the drive up was quickly erased with all the gorgeous scenery that greeted us.

Annie was so good in her carrier too! She would tug on Patrick’s ear every now and then and let out a little squeal of delight when we’d pass flowers on our way up. Once we got to the top we let her down and sat on the ground soaking in the sights and sounds of nature.

Our long weekend getaway to Ruidoso NM was more magical than words could describe! We were blown away by the vista, the food, the hospitality and everything this New Mexican village had to offer. I highly recommend an adventure out here for your entire family whether you love the outdoors, history, shopping or just relaxing this town has something for everyone!

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Big thank you to The Village of Ruidoso for hosting my family this fall. This weekend in Ruidoso NM an absolute treat! And as always, all opinions are my own. Thank you to you guys for supporting the brands that make Lone Star Looking Glass possible.

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xo, alice