Rio Rancho, NM Outdoor Activities

Each GolfTec swing evaluation places client skills under the analytical eyes of a certified pro and high-tech monitors, conspiring to pinpoint bad habits and help pupils develop sound technique. From the comfort of one of the Uptown studio's climate-controlled hitting bays, players showcase their current swings while discussing on-course goals and grievances with their coach, who listens with the care of a gardener whose tomato tree is finally talking back. Additionally, each beautiful power draw or homely snap-hook gets broken down by GolfTec's patented golf-lesson technology, which mobilizes a futuristic vanguard of motion sensors, launch monitors, and high-definition digital video to provide precise swing data and inform a tailored lesson plan. Club-wielders depart their sessions with hard-won wisdom on how to improve ball-striking fundamentals, lower scores, and domesticate golf carts.

When Eric Rose and Sam Hitman took over the Rosemarie Shellaberger Tennis Center in 2011, they acquired a 55,000-square-foot space spanning eight acres of land. Since the center's inception three decades ago, it has evolved into six indoor and seven outdoor Rebound Ace tennis courts, which push back on players' sneakers and stilettoes with a cushiony surface. Among the outdoor courts, a stadium court steals the spotlight with seating for up to 1,000 spectators, and four of the peripheral courts sport lighting for nighttime matches.

For adult programs, the center's staff of tennis pros captain private lessons and get hearts thumping during cardio tennis classes. They craft junior programs with youthful muscles in mind, honing hand-eye coordination at Pee-Wee Tennis and fostering competition as healthy as a brussels sprout with a therapist at the Elite Junior Tennis Program. After class, athletes can unwind in the lounge or atrium and peruse equipment from brands such as Babolat and Wilson at the pro shop.

The Santa Fe Southern Railway revels in a rich history, one that commenced in the 1800s and was heralded in the Academy Award–winning Judy Garland song "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe". Connecting Santa Fe to the rest of the country, the train line helped to build the southwestern city's reputation as a great arts destination as it transported visitors and wanderlust-filled paintbrushes to the picturesque terrain. During regular expeditions to nearby Lamy, the railway continues to dazzle riders with sweeping vistas just outside the windows of vintage 1920s train cars, which each sport their own snack and drink bar.