This time we are going to visit two places – one I am very familiar with and the other I have never visited. First we will see the Malpais Lava Flow/Valley of Fires and second, Meow Wolf.
The Malpais (pronunciation) Lava Flow is right up next to the Valley of Fires. The lava flows one right into the next. It is a large, rough area of black lava. There is a day use area, a small camping area, and the highway runs right through the center of it. Once you get into it, it is beautiful and not at all barren. The pockets of lava hold water and dirt, which allows gorgeous plants to thrive in a fairly protected environment. The area is also home to many different animals and is a bird-lovers paradise. The trails through the malpais are lovely hikes. This beautiful area is located in the south-central part of the state, in the Tularosa Basin, near Carrizozo.
Malpais is a Spanish word for “badlands.” It is often used to describe lava flows and is actually given to more than one place in New Mexico. There is another site, El Malpais National Monument found about 130 miles northwest of Carrizozo, up in the Grants area.
We have stopped while driving through the malpais several time, allowing the girls to climb on the rocks. It is fun to see what they discover and to allow them to get their wiggles out on the trip from Albuquerque back to my parent’s home.
Now for Meow Wolf. This is located in Santa Fe and I really don’t know a ton about it. It is considered an art collective. It is an immersive arts experience and includes architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, video production, cross-reality (AR/VR/MR), music, audio engineering, narrative writing, costuming, performance, and more (from the Meow Wolf website). The experience will give interaction with fantastic realms of story and exploration. With secret passages and portals into alternate worlds, it will certainly be an experience.
I have looked into it a few times when we were planning to be in the area but have not yet gone. It looks to be an interesting experience, especially for those with older members of the family rather than fairly young ones. I have been told that youngsters enjoy the place, too, but not sure it was a good fit for my girls. A couple of them get pretty overwhelmed by light flashes and super loud sounds so we have bypassed it for now. However, a family member has now been and said that it looks pretty good for the girls. Of course, they are also older. So maybe our next trip to Santa Fa will include a stop at Meow Wolf.
Blessings,
Lori, At Home.
Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.
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Dawn @ Schoolin’ Swag
Wendy @ Life On Chickadee Lane
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Jennifer @ A Peace Of Mind
Kristen @ A Mom’s Quest To Teach
Kirsten @ DoodleMom Homeschool
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Tagged: ABC blogging, field trips, New Mexico, travel/trips
At Home 
The Lava Flow sounds really cool. I love natural places like that (and historical places, too). I am not sure that the Meow Wolf is for me. I like my art to be a little less daring and innovative.
Very good way to say what I have thought about Meow Wolf! It looks unique, for sure.
The lava flow looks really neat! I was able to see lava years ago when our family went to Hawaii to visit my dad’s aunt. However, my children have never seen any in real life.
I have traveled through these often in my life and I still find them enjoyable and interesting.
meow wolfe sounds interesting. It would be fascinating to see the life that happens around a lava flow.
Interesting is a good word. I will have to make my way there sometime to really see what it is like. The lava flows are amazing! You would love taking a nature walk there.
[…] Fe itself has some wonderful places to visit. Check out the posts on Palace of the Governors, Meow Wolf, and Loretto Chapel. There are several others that use Santa Fe as a jumping off point. You can […]
[…] Nun, Kennecott’s Copper Mine L – Lincoln (Billy The Kid), Loretto Chapel M – Malpais/Valley of Fire, Meow Wolf N – Nambe, New Mexico Museum of Space History O – Oso Grill, Ojo Caliente P – Pie […]