After spending 10 years traveling to real estate conventions — and the last three with H — I decided I’d had enough of them. I had always used the conventions as an excuse to take a full vacation, but this time H and I floated a different idea: what if we skipped the convention part but still took the trip?
Looking back, I can’t believe I never considered traveling just for the sake of it. But here I was, given the challenge: a shoestring budget, a deep dislike for airline travel — but a challenge, nonetheless. I asked H where she thought we should go. Her answer? “Surprise me.” She never thought it would actually happen. Maybe I didn’t either.
But here’s the thing: when you take a dream and turn it into a goal — and you focus on that goal — the universe will show you the way. You just have to make sure you’re paying attention when it does.
I chose New Mexico as our destination, mostly because I knew absolutely nothing about it. It was a faraway place I had no reason to visit. But as I researched and planned, I found more and more ideas and places that sparked my curiosity.
Don’t like flying? Then fly first class. Can’t afford first class? Use airline miles. Little by little, things fell into place. Before I knew it, H and I were on our way to Albuquerque, NM, settled into our wide front-row airplane seats, being served hot towels and drinks in real glasses.
That trip set the stage for the next. And the next. And the next after that.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a landscape of otherworldly beauty, where nature’s artistry is on full display. Located in northern New Mexico, this unique area features cone-shaped rock formations — tent-like spires carved by ancient volcanic eruptions and centuries of wind and water erosion. The hike through the narrow slot canyon feels almost magical, with towering walls twisting and narrowing around you before opening up to panoramic views from the top. The soft light, sculpted rock, and quiet stillness give the place a timeless, almost sacred feeling. It’s one of those rare spots where geology, serenity, and wonder all come together.
When H and I visited Tent Rocks, we had no idea what it even was. We arrived right as the gates opened — a good thing, since it can get very busy later in the day. Neither of us had ever hiked before, but we showed up with sturdy hiking boots, plenty of water, and a healthy dose of curiosity about what lay ahead.
We were absolutely floored by what we found. Neither of us had ever seen anything even remotely like it. As we climbed higher through the slot canyon, we marveled at how the landscape transformed with every step. The photos below capture our ascent and how our perspective changed along the way.
I can honestly say that our one-day visit to Tent Rocks changed our lives for the better.
Bandelier National Monument is a window into the ancient past, nestled in the canyons and mesas of northern New Mexico. The landscape is a striking mix of rugged cliffs, quiet piñon forests, and soft volcanic tuff shaped by centuries of wind and water. Carved into the canyon walls are the ancestral homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people—cave dwellings, kivas, and stone structures that whisper stories from over 700 years ago. As you hike through Frijoles Canyon, climbing wooden ladders into cliffside alcoves, there’s a quiet reverence in the air. Bandelier isn’t just a beautiful place—it's a sacred one, where history and nature are inseparable and deeply humbling. Bandelier was our first stop from Santa Fe. Our first National Monument (that we knew about). I'm sure we missed a lot, but what a cool place to visit.
It was a cold, windy day in March when we arrived at White Sands—a truly surreal place. The roads looked as if they'd been cleared with snowplows, but instead of snow, it was fine white gypsum that looks like sand. As a New Englander, I found that both familiar and oddly fascinating. We had fun watching people sled down the bright dunes on plastic sleds—though these two old birds decided to enjoy the view from solid ground.
White Sands National Park is completely surrounded by White Sands Missile Range. The park covers 145,762 acres in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is like stepping into another world—an underground cathedral carved by time. Hidden beneath the rugged desert landscape of southern New Mexico lies a vast labyrinth of limestone chambers, towering stalagmites, delicate stalactites, and shimmering mineral formations. The main cavern, the Big Room, is awe-inspiring in scale—one of the largest underground chambers in North America. As you descend into the earth, the temperature cools, the light dims, and the silence deepens, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. It's a place that leaves you humbled by nature’s quiet power. My advice is to take the elevator!! This was our final stop on our first destination road trip. I had been to a couple of caves before, but nothing compared to this one. The entrance was surreal a literal hole in the ground.
The Rio Grande Gorge near Taos is a dramatic and unexpected sight—an immense chasm carved into the high desert by the slow, steady force of the Rio Grande. Spanning this vast canyon is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest in the U.S., offering breathtaking views of the river winding through the rugged terrain far below. The contrast between the flat, open plateau and the sudden drop of the gorge is striking, almost surreal. Standing on the bridge, with the wind in your face and the sheer depth beneath you, it feels like the land has opened up to reveal something ancient and powerful. It’s a place that stirs both awe and reflection.
IN THE END
Our adventure to New Mexico changed us in ways we never expected. We discovered a love of travel we didn’t even know was possible. More than that, we realized how much we enjoy exploring nature and learning about the history woven into the landscapes around us.
That trip also helped us decide to focus our travels — at least for now — on the United States and Canada. There’s just so much to see right here at home. Why rush off to explore the rest of the world before we've had the chance to appreciate everything our own countries have to offer?
We’re still working on that adventure — and loving every minute of it.
Sharon@SharonRonkin.com / Cell 781-307-1293
Ronkin Realty Inc 148 Olive Ave Ext, Malden, MA 02148
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