Ah, The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It’s quite a wonder to watch hundreds of balloons suspended quietly, gently above the chaos of the city. Unfortunately, this astonishing sight is matched by equally astonishing traffic, crowds and noise. Without question, The Balloon Fiesta is absolutely worth that minor inconvenience. Still, if you’re tired of the city and need a momentary respite, consider a day trip to one of New Mexico’s quaint rural towns. One particularly lovely locale is Jemez Springs, which is just an hour’s drive north of Albuquerque. From the moment you leave Bernalillo, the road opens up and you immediately feel lighter, breathe deeper and become inexplicably at ease.
Jemez Springs has got everything you could want in a day trip destination. it’s close enough that you won’t spend the whole day driving, but far enough to feel like a getaway. There’s plenty to do, but it’s manageably small. You won’t be bored, but you also won’t get overwhelmed trying to squeeze too much in.
It radiates small-town New Mexico, with hospitable locals ready to chat about topics of local concern, grey-muzzled dogs dozing about, twangy guitar in the background, and Mom and Pop shops galore. People here help each other out and are eager to help guests, too. Visitors are welcomed with such open arms, it’s easy to immediately feel at home.
Soak Up the Atmosphere
Image by Melyssa Holik
One of the best ways to settle into Jemez Springs’ rustic tranquility is with a visit to one of the many hot springs that give the town its name. Facilities range from bare-bones to upscale, but all make use of the naturally occurring springs and their beneficial minerals.
One of the more austere choices is the Jemez Springs Bath House, which is owned by the village and operates as a nonprofit. The Bath House has four massage rooms and eight private cement bathtubs full of naturally occurring mineral water containing acid carbonate, aluminum, calcium, chloride, iron, magnesium, potassium, silicate, sodium and sulfate.
Image by Melyssa Holik
Just up the road is Jemez Hot Springs (formerly, and still usually, called Giggling Springs) known for its spectacular views and variety of pools with a high mineral content. In fact, the pool edges look like something out of Yellowstone—in a good way. Jemez Hot Springs epitomizes “good vibes” with its funky decor, good-natured owners and floating chairs for complete relaxation.
A little further from the center of town, there’s the gorgeous Cañon del Rio spa and retreat, which opens its pools to the public daily from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and has a full menu of spa treatments available.
Or if all these options seem too manmade for you, you can hit one of the area’s natural hot springs in the Santa Fe National Forest. San Antonio Hot Springs is especially popular, though it does require a 0.6-mile hike to reach it. There are three pools of varying temperatures, all set into the side of the mountain. These are free in every sense of the word and will get you feeling at one with nature in no time.
Unplug and Unwind
All these hot springs are naturally warmed by geothermal activity in and around the Valle Caldera, a cluster of active volcanoes which together form a supervolcano. As you wind your way through the Jemez on Highway 4, you’ll eventually see a wide open space where the ground collapsed into a magma chamber after a series of volcanic eruptions about 1 million years ago. That’s the caldera. Geology buffs will find the area particularly interesting, but the rest of us can also enjoy the caldera’s excellent wildlife viewing (elk in particular) and numerous hiking, biking and fishing areas: Jemez Falls, Soda Dam, Fenton Lake and San Gregorio Lake, to name a few.
Explore History
Just as nature has left her mark on Jemez Springs, man too has had an impact here for centuries. Many of the crucial points in the valley’s history intersect at Jemez National Historic Landmark. The history of the Jemez, and indeed of New Mexico, is compressed along this 1,400-foot interpretive trail through the historic ruins.
You can see where ancestors of the Jémez Pueblo people, or Walatowa, constructed a large pueblo called Giusewa approximately 700 years ago, and where they lived peacefully for generations until the arrival of Franciscan missionaries and Spanish colonization. Right alongside the ruins of Giusewa, you’ll find the ruins of the massive stone San José de los Jémez Church, constructed by the Franciscans between 1621 and 1625, using Pueblo labor.
Not unusual for New Mexico, the Colonials’ mission to convert Native peoples to Christianity was often forced. The Franciscans banned Native rituals and destroyed many traditional Pueblo religious structures. The church was abandoned by 1640, likely as a result of forced labor and religious persecution by the Spanish. Giusewa Pueblo, however, was occupied until the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, when the Jémez people abandoned it in favor of more defensible sites nearby.
All of this history collides in the seven-acre Jemez National Historic Site, which takes visitors on a compelling journey through the past. Perhaps even more fascinating, it’s also the site of a current archaeological dig, with new discoveries unearthed all the time and preserved and displayed in the Visitor’s Center. With each new artifact, new insights reveal the astonishing complexity of New Mexico’s heritage.
Image by Melyssa Holik
Nourish Yourself
Jemez Springs is a historic town whose layers unfold slowly as you spend more time here. In addition to the ruins, many of the village’s dining establishments have their own stories to tell. Take the town’s main watering hole, Los Ojos Restaurant and Saloon, for example. Wander in here, and you may feel as if your great-grandfather’s hunting lodge somehow collided with a 1950s thrift shop. Every nook and cranny is filled with dust-covered treasures from yesteryear, and though it may sound odd, it’s actually amazing. And it’s absolutely appropriate for a saloon housed in a mercantile store from the late 1800s. Over the course of its 130 years, it has been a mercantile, warehouse, pool hall, dining hall and gambling hall, before becoming Los Ojos Bar & Grill in 1947. Today, you can sidle up to the bar and hear locals tell tales of Wild West gunfights evidenced by bullet holes in the tin tile ceiling.
Across the street, the Jemez Stage Stop cafe is a little newer, but not by much; it’s a repurposed mercantile store built in 1931. It’s been a trading post, delicatessen, cafe and gas station before it became the restaurant it is today. It still has the original wood floors, door and windows from 1931, though the goats and chickens that live there are considerably newer.
The bright and friendly Highway 4 Coffee is less historic but will tempt visitors with its decadent pastries, sumptuous breakfasts, sandwiches and more. The service is also impeccable—enough to stand out in a town where everyone is kind and congenial.
Finally, the very newest addition to town, Second Alarm Brewhouse is set to open this fall in the old Jemez Springs fire station. They’ll have their own line of microbrews plus guest taps from other local breweries, pub fare and traditional New Mexican food.
Cherish the Memory
Like the firehouse, Jemez Springs’ Post Office has also gotten a bit of a remix and now houses the Jemez Artisans Co-op Gallery. Jemez Artisans Co-op and Jemez Fine Art Gallery are both artist-owned cooperative galleries owned and maintained by the artists who show their work there. They take turns tending shop and answering questions about the artwork. Since they show work from more than a dozen artists each, both galleries have a huge variety of artwork. As the names suggest, Jemez Fine Art has paintings, sculpture and other fine-art genres, while Jemez Artisans Co-op has more crafts: ceramic knitting bowls, hand-sewn garments, bowls made from vintage 45s and so on. There are many artists in Jemez Springs, and you can scoop up some of their work at reasonable prices at any of the half-dozen galleries that pepper the town.
There’s also a great many gift shops for anyone who wants to take a keepsake of their journey home with them. One such offbeat variety shop is Weekends, where the sheer miscellany makes it worth checking out. Where else can you find a Muppets tea set, goat milk soap, new shoes, flannel shirts, jewelry and a cheeky fridge magnet all in one place? It’s a fun spot to get good deals, and there’s definitely no telling what treasures you’ll find.
Shopping, eating, hiking or soaking—no matter how you choose to pass your time in Jemez Springs, you’re sure to encounter sincere friendliness, small-town charisma and unhurried relaxation. Settle down, breathe deep and take it in. Albuquerque will still be there when you get back.