http://simplycaitlinelizabeth.com/

simplycaitlinelizabeth, Santa Fe, NM (2026)

12/22/2025

The Food Depot’s 30th annual Souper Bowl event is coming up on Saturday, January 31, and now is the time to grab your tickets, because the price goes up on January 1! This is one of my favorite winter events in Santa Fe, New Mexico, because you get to enjoy soup season while helping the local community.

Every ticket purchased directly supports the hunger-relief programming does across nine northern New Mexican counties.

Two dozen local chefs come together to create soups across four categories: Cream, Savory, Seafood, and Vegetarian, plus an overall Best Soup vote. Spend the afternoon warm inside sampling all the soup and voting for your favorites.

General admission tickets right now are $35, tickets for kids are $20, and it always sells out early!

If you have been thinking about going, get your tickets soon. The link is in ’s bio (not , that link is old) Good soup for a good purpose!

12/10/2025

I finally checked out Time Traveler’s Gastropub and I am genuinely mad at myself for waiting this long. has been on my list for months and one visit was all it took to understand why people are obsessed.

We went during happy hour with our baby and had the best time. The snack bar platter was such a good deal and that curry sauce was unreal. I’m not kidding when I say I almost ordered a second just for the sauce. The fish and chips were some of the best I have ever had. The lamb tenderloin was rich, tender and so decadent.

My Lavender Lemon Drop martini and Cupid’s French 75 were both perfect. They also offer a “choose your own adventure” cocktail menu which is such a fun twist. You pick your spirit, one of their house made syrups and how you want your drink prepared.

Happy hour is every day from 3 to 5 and honestly if you haven’t been yet, this is one of those spots you will wish you tried sooner. Cozy vibe. Incredible food. Creative drinks. We will absolutely be back.

Save this if you have been wanting a new favorite spot in Santa Fe, New Mexico!

Influencer

12/04/2025

I recently enjoyed some incredible food on a influencer trip for and

Save this post to reference next time you’re planning a trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico!

The Elote Ribs appetizer from Bosque Brewing Company’s () Public House. My new favorite way to eat elotes. This dish is part of Bosque’s new Craft Kitchen Menu, now available at select locations throughout New Mexico.

This ceviche from Si Señor () wasn’t even on the menu, but it should be, and they’ll happily make it by request. The sauce was incredible and paired perfectly with their Rosa Bonita gin cocktail.

Everything at FARMesilla ()! On my recent trip to , our influencer group enjoyed a fabulous lunch from Chef Becky’s () catering menu, and it was one of the best meals I’ve had lately. The Habanero Pickled Shrimp and the Rioja Braised Beef Short Ribs were so delicious. I also learned FARMesilla was recently purchased by Icebox Brewing Company. Still, the plan is to keep it the same beloved farm-to-table restaurant we know while expanding it further.

The Açaí Bowl from Grounded Coffee (.lounge). They have five different varieties, and the Alma is my favorite. Grounded is a retro coffee bar, wood-fired pizza, and wine lounge with many plant-based and gluten-free options, which makes me so happy.

I’ve got a few more trips to southern New Mexico coming up, so I’ll have even more to share soon! Give a follow for more things to do in New Mexico! Where should I go next?

11/29/2025

I first rode Sky Railway’s Pablo’s Holiday Express back in 2021 and remember thinking how magical it would be to bring my future kiddo one day. This year, that finally came true! We brought Potato for his very first train ride, and he was wide-eyed the entire time.

This experience departs from the Lamy Depot in Lamy, New Mexico. I recommend arriving at the depot 40 minutes early so you don’t miss story time with Mrs. Claus. She reads “Santa’s Dragon,” the sweetest New Mexico holiday story. With a seven-month-old, we didn’t quite make it in time this year and learned that once story time begins, they keep the doors closed to keep things cozy and distraction-free.

Once we boarded the train, we ordered our drinks and listened to play a mix of holiday and non-holiday songs. We tried the spiked hot cocoa which is great if you’re wanting something festive, and I ordered my usual Dragon Margarita, which is my go-to whenever I ride Sky Railway.

The one-hour ride took us into the Eldorado area and back to the Lamy Depot, with the prettiest winter light streaming through the windows. When we returned, we got to take photos with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Pablo before heading home!

Tickets are $34 for children ages 3 to 12, $64 for adults, and lap children ages two and under are free. If you’re a local New Mexican, discounted tickets are available at $29 for children and $59 for adults.

If you are looking for something fun and easy with little ones this season, this is such a great experience. Trains run at various times from November 28 to 30, December 6 to 7, December 13 to 14, and December 18 to 24.

Save this if you are planning holiday activities around Santa Fe, New Mexico!

11/24/2025

I planned my latest visit to Riverbend Hot Springs perfectly!

On my recent drive from Santa Fe to Las Cruces, I scheduled a sunset soak at , and it was the most peaceful break. I arrived with enough daylight to take in the views, then stayed as the sky got dark and the lightning bugs started to appear.

Riverbend is the only hot springs on the banks of the Rio Grande in New Mexico and one of the most popular spots in the city of Truth or Consequences for a reason. If you want to visit, I highly recommend making your reservation as soon as you think you want to go because popular times book up quickly. Soaks start at the top of every hour, unless you are staying on property, in which case you can come and go as you please during pool hours. I reserved a 50-minute property pass with access to the common/social pools but they also have private pools you can reserve.

Bring a swimsuit, flip flops, a towel, and a robe if you want one. They do offer towel and robe rentals. If you are a spontaneous solo soaker, check out their Singles Last Minute Off Peak half-off special. Call 20 to 60 minutes ahead, Monday through Thursday, between 8 and 4, to see if a time is available.

Save this for your next trip to T or C!

11/10/2025

My husband planned the cutest scavenger hunt for us around Santa Fe a few weeks ago! Save this post for inspiration when planning your own local adventure.

Our first task was to go to a bar we’d never been to, so we stopped at The Travel Bug ()!I had heard The Travel Bug started offering beer and wine awhile back, and have been meaning to check it out myself. We each tried one of their beers, the Travel Bug Blonde Ale and the La Cumbre Azulito Mexican Lager.

Next was to each try a food we’d never had before. From The Travel Bug we walked across the back parking lot to Tulsi (), where I ordered the crunchy spinach mango salad (SO good, and would absolutely get again) and James tried the Madras Mulligatawny soup, which was light and refreshing. I’d been wanting to take James to Tulsi for months now, so we ended up ordering a few more dishes that were all hits!

We kept the scavenger hunt going on the Santa Fe Plaza for our next challenge: find the most unique thing you can buy for $5. At the Five and Dime, I picked out a sticker of a mouth with a tongue sticking out (the tongue was a green chile, obviously) and James went for stick-on fake mustaches. I forgot to get a photo or video of the mustaches but they were the clear winner.

After that, we stopped to grab a margarita from one of my favorite sports on the Santa Fe Margarita Trail, Low & Slow () We wrapped up the hunt by searching for a piece of art worth over $100,000, which was actually harder than we thought! We ended up checking off this last task at the Owings Gallery. Here we’re standing in front of “The Song at Sunset” by Logan Maxwell Hagege.

Such a fun idea and the perfect way to spend a day together in Santa Fe. Would you try a scavenger hunt like this?

11/04/2025

Before my wedding, Santa Fe Thrive was my go-to spot to get in shape—and now that I’m getting back into workout classes after having my baby, it feels so good to be back in the saddle again!

Thrive offers heated and unheated yoga, indoor cycling, mat Pilates, and fitness classes in a clean, welcoming space located right here in Santa Fe, in the Solana Shopping Center. It’s a local, in-person studio that focuses on intelligent movement, genuine connection, and creating a supportive experience for every body. They even offer private showers, free towel service, and passes that never expire, which I especially appreciate as a new mom with an often hectic schedule.

Come take classes with me at Thrive!

10/11/2025

It’s my favorite time of year in New Mexico! I’ve been attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta () since 2013—the year I first visited and decided to move to New Mexico the following month. I truly don’t know how to explain the feeling of standing on the field surrounded by hot air balloons as they take off around you. It’s magical in a way that photos and videos can never quite capture.

The 2025 theme is “Painted Horizons” and over the course of this nine day event more than 550 hot air balloons from around the world will take you the sky!

Here is my typical schedule coming from Santa Fe:
🎈 Set my alarm for 3:00 am
🎈 Out the door at 4:15 am
🎈 In line for exit 234 at 4:45 am (75 min)
🎈 Parked at 5:57 am
🎈 Dawn Patrol at 6:00 am
🎈 On the field at 6:15 am
🎈 Mass Ascension 7:00 am

Do you need to be on the field before dawn? Not necessarily, but it cuts down the time you’re sitting in traffic, and the lines for coffee, donuts, breakfast burritos, merch, restrooms, etc. are much shorter. I highly recommend aiming to be on the field between dawn and sunrise — 6:30-7:00 am — or earlier. Also parking is $20 cash!

If you’ve never been, you really should plan a trip for next year’s event—it’s something everyone should experience at least once!

10/09/2025

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to finally experience the Grand Tasting at the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta ()! For the last ten years I was always photographing weddings this weekend, so this was my very first time going — and it was worth the wait.

I went with my husband and my in-laws and we had the best time. The Grand Tasting takes place on the scenic lawn at Magers Field on the last Saturday of September and is all about sipping wines from around the world, and sampling bites from Santa Fe’s top chefs!

It rained this year, but that honestly made it even more fun. We hopped from tent to tent trying wine and food, listened to live music, and even picked up some great merch. Now that we’ve finally been, we’ll 100% be back again next year. Save the dates for September 23-27, 2026!

Influencer

07/20/2025

If you’re a fan of musicals (or Shakespeare parodies) like I am, I really think you’ll love the musical comedy, SOMETHING ROTTEN!

This was my first time seeing this musical and I absolutely loved Santa Fe Playhouse’s production. It had everything I enjoy in a musical: big dance numbers, clever lyrics, memorable characters, and it was really funny!

Set in the 1590s, SOMETHING ROTTON is about a pair of playwright brothers who try to outshine Shakespeare by inventing the very first musical. The subtle nods to other famous musicals made my theater nerd so so happy!

The show runs through August 2 at the Alhambra Theater inside the Scottish Rite Temple right here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tickets are available through the link in ’s Instagram bio. Don’t miss it!

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