NEW MEXICO

Our 2014 trip to New Mexico was a true deep dive into the desert’s most iconic landscapes and its pop-culture legends. Traveling with a close friend and the whole family, we timed this adventure perfectly with my peak obsession for Breaking Bad. Back then, I couldn’t get enough of the show, so Albuquerque felt less like a city and more like a film set come to life.

The highlight for me was undoubtedly the Breaking Bad Tour. We spent the day retracing Walter White’s steps, visiting everything from the infamous White family home and Jesse’s house to the "meth superlab" and, of course, grabbing a bite at Twisters (the real-life Los Pollos Hermanos). Seeing those locations in person after watching the drama unfold on screen was an absolute thrill.

But the "Enchantment" of New Mexico didn't stop in Albuquerque. We ventured south to the otherworldly White Sands (then a National Monument), where the endless dunes of gypsum sand looked like a winter wonderland in the middle of the desert. We also explored the ancient history of Bandelier National Monument, climbing the wooden ladders into the ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings.

We rounded out the trip in Santa Fe, soaking up the vibrant culture at the Santa Fe Plaza. Between the adobe architecture, the turquoise jewelry markets, and the incredible food, it was the perfect way to balance our high-octane "Heisenberg" hunt with some classic Southwestern charm.