NM was great. We participated in the God As Us conference led by Richard Rohr (Franciscan who runs the Center for Contemplation & Action in Albuquerque) and Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault. (google if curious) Rohr's Falling Upwards: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life is an amazing book.
I love the SW. The quality of light was awesome, the mountains ever-changing, and the sparseness of the high desert magical. Arriving early, we took a train to Santa Fe and hung out there with an old friend. As a QB he once led Wittenberg U. to a Div. III national championship. Now he lives in a yurt around 8,000' in the mts. Not sure what he actually does now: takes photos, leads men's retreats, is an environmental activist (made more intense by the fact that he has uranium poisoning from his well), and is active in Native American spirituality. We also visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. She was an extraordinary artist and human being.