It’s still winter, despite what the budding blooms on the trees may tell you! (I say, bah humbug—haha. I’m a fall and winter girly.) Although early spring gives me the same kind of feeling as the “Sunday scaries,” it’s still an amazing time to travel. So I’ve been enjoying one last hurrah around my corner of the Southwest while trying not to think about the impending summer heat.

When I first moved to New Mexico, I landed in an Airbnb in Albuquerque, the state’s most populous city. During that time, I was once again reminded that I am not a big-city person. However, a local gave me a tip: if I liked hot springs (I very much do!), I should check out a little spa/lake town in the desert called Truth or Consequences.

So, I took a quick overnight trip to see what it was all about. After soaking at Riverbend Hot Springs (which also came highly recommended) and walking back to my truck around dusk, I remember noticing white lion statues thick with countless layers of paint, brightly painted shacks adorned with Buddhist prayer flags, and—more than anything—the quiet. It was the quietest place I’d ever been. There was only the sound of the desert wind rustling through the river reeds. 

I thought to myself, This is the weirdest place I’ve ever been. That was immediately followed by, I wonder if there are any places for rent.

There were.

I found a little blue house about three blocks from the river and the springs. And I stayed there longer than I usually do—about three years. My friends were surprised by my longevity in one spot since I am, after all, a self-proclaimed “digital slowmad.” But once I mentioned the hot springs and a few ridiculously good mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants, they instantly understood. Three years sounded just about right.

Last spring, I decided to get up off the desert floor before summer. (Truth or Consequences may sit at around 4,500 feet above sea level, but it still gets hot.) I moved up into a little mountain town where I currently reside. But whenever the mood strikes and I’m able, I like to return to that weird, wonderful place and soak in the best hot springs I’ve still ever experienced.

On a recent quick trip, I returned to T or C, as the locals call it, where I took a soak at my favorite place, strolled the town, grabbed a bite at a charming café, and boogied back up into the mountains—all within 24 hours.

Naturally, I headed straight to Riverbend Hot Springs for a sunset soak, though I stayed at a nearby motel that wasn’t quite as glamorous. Riverbend has a two-night minimum, and I wanted to keep this trip quick and thrifty. But what a lovely two-night trip it would have been if I’d been feeling a little more on the bougie side. I look forward to treating myself to a longer stay again before the wind blows me like a tumbleweed down the road to my next destination.

I took a moment to commune with the Rio Grande at my favorite spot, Rotary Park. My plan was to do some plein air painting, but the wind had other ideas. So instead, I relaxed, snapped a few photos, and learned an important lesson: I much prefer painting in the studio with reference photos.

Wandering my old route through downtown, I grabbed more of the said reference photos, retracing the same steps I’d taken countless times over the years. I’m practicing for a big, art-focused trip to Europe next month—which I cannot wait to tell you about, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise just yet.

Before heading out, I stopped for brunch at Giddy Up Cafe, a spot I somehow never got around to trying while I lived there. And wow, do I regret that. Their ube French toast was divine. I enjoyed it on the patio, eavesdropping on a conversation at the next table—movie industry folks scouting locations for a Wild West production. New Mexico has always been a film destination. It’s as classic and iconic as the Wild West gets.

Why is it called Truth or Consequences? 

This weird and wonderful town has an equally weird and wonderful name with an interesting history. As a millennial, I had never heard of the game show that inspired it. I had assumed the name was something vaguely threatening in a Wild West kind of way—like a grizzled cowboy growling, “Truth or consequences, partner—one or the other!” as he levels a pistol at some unfortunate outlaw.

But no. While that mental image does suit the town, that’s not the real story.

In 1950, game show host Ralph Edwards announced he would broadcast from the first town willing to rename itself Truth or Consequences. The then-named town of Hot Springs, NM, jumped at the opportunity and officially changed its name on March 31. The show aired from the newly renamed town the very next day. The change was essentially a publicity stunt designed to boost the economy and stand out from the many other “Hot Springs” across the U.S.

Edwards kept the connection alive, returning every year for 50 years to host the town’s Fiesta Parade.

Scrappy and sacred

While parts of Truth or Consequences are undeniably scrappy—I once described it to my family as “half-ghost town”—there’s another word that suits this place: sacred.

For centuries, the town’s hot springs have been revered as healing waters. The Mimbres and Apache peoples called the area the “Place to Pray,” considering it neutral ground even in times of conflict. Spanish settlers later saw the springs as miraculous, and the town developed into a health resort, earning titles like the “City of Health” and “Health Capital of the Southwest.”

By the 1930s and 40s, Hot Springs was a renowned healing center, with visitors flocking for the famed “21-day soak” regimen (sign me up for that, please). Bathhouses thrived, and a 1940 geological study identified 35 artesian wells.

Today, the town is still a soaking paradise, but Riverbend Hot Springs stands out for its riverfront setting. The crystal-clear, odorless mineral water will make you feel reborn, and watching fish glide below and birds soar above lulls you into deep relaxation. With crisp winter air and sweeping high-desert views, it feels, to me, like an Earthly version of heaven.

The town boasts many other soaking spots. Blackstone Hot Springs is another favorite, and I’ve heard great things about Hoosier Hot Springs. But for me, the magic of T or C is tied to the river—making Riverbend my ultimate retreat.

If you love weird and wonderful places, Truth or Consequences is worth a visit—whether for an overnight stay or perhaps a revival of that 21-day soak tradition? (I think we should make that a trend again.) 

I hope you can see past its scrappy exterior and experience the pristine beauty and tranquility it offers. That’s been my experience of New Mexico so far: scrappy on the outside, sacred and stunning once you take the time to know it.

Until next we travel!

<3 Skye