Angel Fire, NM

At the beginning of September 2022, we made our way, again, to beautiful northern New Mexico and camped at the Angel Fire RV Resort.

This was our second time to camp in this location and we absolutely love it!  We'll make a second post detailing the sites and amenities at Angel Fire RV Resort.

The village of Angel Fire, New Mexico, is located in northern New Mexico within the Sangre De Cristo Mountains at an elevation of 8406 feet.  Its population is around 1300.  Angel Fire is home to the Angel Fire Resort, with ski slopes and terrain parks, plus a summer mountain-bike park and zip line. The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway passes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park, which is home to the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel. Farther north, Eagle Nest Lake is ringed by mountains and is stocked with salmon and trout.

TK's sister and brother-in-law owns a cabin in Angel Fire so we took advantage of there hospitality to visit the acreage around the cabin and play on their ATVs.

We also did a little hiking on the Elliot Barker Trail.  In the summer months the trail is popular for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking.  The trail is open to snowmobiles, cross-country skiers and snowshoers in the winter months. To access the trail you'll drive west on Highway 64 about .7 miles from the Angel Fire RV Resort.  There is plenty of parking available at the trailhead.  When you enter through the gate the trail follows and old jeep road for the first 1/4 mile. At 0.6 miles, there is a fork to the left that loops back to the trailhead.  Elliot Barker continues to Apache Pass through a variety of terrain, passing Forest Roads 70, 70A and 70B.  The trail continues to the south, eventually tying into the South Boundary Trail #164, but may be difficult to follow. 

During this trip we spent a little time exploring around the village of Eagle Nest, New Mexico. Eagle Nest is a small, summer home community and resort area.  The area offers camping, backpacking and hiking, gold exploration and fishing. Right in the middle of the village and off highway 64 is the Enchanted Circle Gateway Museum & Visitor Center.  Unfortunately, the museum was closed during our visit so we explored the area around the museum which had many artifacts from the areas gold mining days.

Traveling back towards Angel Fire we had the opportunity to visit the Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  The Chapel was the first major memorial created to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War.   It was recognized by the United States Congress as a “memorial of national significance” and served as inspiration for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.  

In 2017, the Department of Veterans’ Services took over management of the Memorial.  Today, the Memorial includes a visitor center and museum, with a library of over 1,000 books and 2,000 photographs, memorabilia exhibits, touchable displays, artwork, and sculptures that provide a glimpse into the daily life of our troops.  The Memorial also includes an amphitheater, a memorial walkway, memorial gardens, a Huey Helicopter display, and the gravesites of Doc and Jeanne.   The Memorial also overlooks the Angel Fire State Veterans Cemetery, which opened in July 2020.  Approximately 45,000 individuals come each year.

If you'd like to see more of our Angel Fire adventure check our our latest video on our YouTube Channel:

Red River, New Mexico

In late summer of August 2022, we traveled once again, to beautiful northern New Mexico and stayed at the Angel Fire RV Resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico.  During one of our day adventures we traveled from Taos, New Mexico, to Red River, New Mexico, stopping along the way.  Our first stop was at Eagle Rock Lake just outside of Questa, New Mexico.

Kiva oven outside of church at Questa, NM

Beautiful stained glass windows of St. Anthony's Catholic Church

St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Questa, NM

Old adobe structure at Questa, NM

Eagle Rock Lake Day Use Area on the Carson National Forest is one of the most popular recreations spots in the Questa area.  Spreading across some three acres, it is a hot spot for both locals and visitors for fishing, picnicking, and hiking. The lake was recently completely rebuilt and redesigned.

Sunflower at Fawn Lakes Campground

Moving closer to Red River we make another stop at one of our favorite campgrounds, Fawn Lakes. Fawn Lakes Campground is located in Carson National Forest, one of a few campgrounds located along the scenic canyons of Red River. Visitors enjoy fishing and exploring nearby hiking trails.  This campground use to have two or three ponds that were stocked with trout, however, when we visited last we saw that at least one pond had eroded away and was completely dry.  We're hoping the state of New Mexico corrects this problem quickly and brings Fawn Lakes back to life!

Capulin Canyon north of Red River

Red River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Red River is located along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, and is 36 miles (58 km) from Taos.  The town is surrounded by majestic mountains and within it are the cutest shops, hotels, restaurants and parks.  Fishing along the Red River is popular but so is renting a Jeep or ATV and exploring a few of the many trails and old mines in the area.

 

Popular honey hole along the Red River

Everyone is friendly in Red River, especially if you have snacks!

Whenever we're in Red River we always stop at one of our favorite saloons, Bull O' the Woods and enjoy their delicious loaded green chili fries!  Bull O' the Woods has been providing Red River’s locals and guests an authentic saloon experience since 1939. Live music, open campfires, a full kitchen, pool, shuffleboard, and the largest selections of beers keeps bringing us back.

After a tasty lunch we headed up Mallette Road and to a part of Red River's Bitter Creek Mining District. Several mines along Bitter Creek can be accessed by heading to Cabresto Road, Forest Road 134, from Questa to the Midnight Mine.  We did not get to explore the area for very long as thunderstorms threatened to cut our time short.  We still had enough time to visit Midnight Meadows and the Edison Mine.

We always have a great time in Red River but after a full day of exploring we were exhausted so we headed back to our home base of Angel Fire, New Mexico.

If you'd like to see more of our adventures in Red River view our video on YouTube and don't forget to like and subscribe!

Create our travel inspired cocktail with this recipe:

Spicy Red River Margarita

Ingredients

2 oz tequila

1 jalapeno, quartered  & seeded

1/2 T kosher salt

1/2 tsp. coarse sugar

1/2 cup ruby red grapefruit juice

1/4 cup simple syrup

Steps 

1. Place tequila and jalapenos in a small bowl. Let stand 2-3 hours. Using water, moisten the rims of four margarita or cocktail glasses. Mix salt and sugar on a plate; hold each glass upside down and dip rim into salt mixture. Set aside. Discard remaining salt mixture on plate. Strain tequila into a small bowl, discarding jalapenos. Stir in grapefruit juice and simple syrup. Serve in prepared glasses over ice.