Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm - During my research for places to stay in New Mexico, I stumbled upon this Inn. I loved the idea of staying on a farm, especially a historic property set among acres of lavender fields. There are a few options for accommodations, the Meem Rooms & Suites which you will find in the historic & renovated hacienda, the Farm Suites which feature wood-burning fireplaces and the Field Rooms which is what I stayed in during my stay. The Field rooms offer views of the lavender fields and Sandia Mountains.
Los Poblanos is located in Rio Grande River Valley which is a 20-minute drive from Albuquerque airport. I was looking for something somewhat close to the airport since we were arriving on the late side. I honestly didn’t know what to expect but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. While it was fun to stay on a farm, wake up to fresh mountain air, sit on your patio, and soak up the morning sunrise while watching the hot air balloons in the distance - the food for me was the highlight. Even if you don’t stay at this property, you should definitely pay them a visit for breakfast or dinner - it’s worth it!
North Field Deluxe Room… they had me at “sliding BARN door”. Until I can install one in my home, this one in the North Field Deluxe room will have to do. The handcrafted lavender products found in all of the bathrooms are a nice touch.
If you book a room or suite in the Historic Hacienda, you get to take advantage of the lounge areas below. You feel like you walked back in time!
CAMPO Restaurant - Casual fine-dining offering farm-to-table, Breakfast or Dinner…. In November 2018, Los Poblanos/Campo made it onto the Food & Wine, “Best Breakfast In Every State” list for New Mexico and I understand why. I had the BEST Eggs Benedict ever here and trust me, I order them a lot. It was our first meal during our stay which got the trip off to a great start and definitely not our last meal here. Since we were so impressed with breakfast, we made a point to come back for dinner (at the bar) two other evenings, even though we had moved on to a another hotel. That says a lot because we usually like to venture out and find local spots for meals when traveling but this was definitely an exception to that rule.
They serve the full menu at the bar which is first come first serve but, if you want to eat in the restaurant, be sure to make reservations in advance. They book up quickly but you can get in. Of course, you can’t eat at a lavender farm and not have their specialty lavender cocktail - it was delicious! They also offer outdoor seating which provides some great views.
Always make time to SHOP…. as you can see throughout my site, a big part of my design and fashion inspiration comes from my travels. I research thrift stores and flea/artisan markets everywhere I visit. Now, in all honesty, most of the shops I visited in New Mexico did not live up to my expectations but as with all thrift & market shopping, you have to hang in there because you never know.
I scored a cool rustic sconce at the Buffalo Thunder Flea market. I also found a vintage belt with a solid brass Adezy buckle in a little town called Madrid, which we visited during our drive through the Turquoise Trail. My last find was a pair of vintage Levi’s at a thrift shop in Santa Fe.
Of course, you have the very popular turquoise jewelry that New Mexico is known for which you can find in almost every town you visit. They are beautiful pieces and an investment.
Take in the VIEW’s…. one of the best things about road trips is pulling over to take in the views. Also, after hours of driving, a good hike is a great way to get the blood flowing and heart pumping. Live in the moment, if the opportunity arises, an impromptu hike shouldn’t be out of the question. My hiking outfit below represents one of those moments.:-)
After our stay at Los Poblanos, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort for a couple of days which was a 15-20 minute drive from Los Poblanos. These two properties are basically in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, which was the final destination on our road trip. It worked out perfectly and kept us closer to our next stop, White Sands National Monument.
Until next time…. Be sure to to keep an eye out for Part II & III of my NEW MEXICO adventure….. aka “The Land of Enchantment”!