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New Mexico is one of the only places on the planet where
you can ski in the morning and play golf in the afternoon!
Skiing
Enjoy spectacular skiing on nearby
peaks from Thanksgiving into spring. Experience the
excitement the Santa Fe ski basin in breathtaking beauty
of Santa Fe. Complimentary shuttle to the nearby Santa
Fe Ski Area.
For more information
on nearby skiing click here.
Golf
Here's a fact golfers will love—in New Mexico's high
altitude and thinner than sea level air, golf balls
travel up to 10 percent farther. So pack your clubs
and try one of these excellent courses. You will also
enjoy scenery that may distract you from the game.
For
more information on nearby golf click here.
Tent Rocks
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a remarkable
outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe,
study, and experience the geologic processes that shape
natural landscapes, as well as other cultural and biological
objects of interest. The area is rich in pumice, ash,
and tuff deposits, the light-colored, cone-shaped tent
rock formations that are the products of explosive volcanic
eruptions that occurred between 6 and 7 million years
ago. Small canyons lead inward from cliff faces, and
over time, wind and water have scooped openings of all
shapes and sizes in the rocks and have contoured the
ends of the ravines and canyons into smooth semicircles.
In these canyons, erosion-resistant caprocks protect
the softer tents below. While the formations are uniform
in shape, they vary in height from a few feet to 90
feet, and the layering of volcanic material intersperses
bands of grey with beige-colored rock.
Directions: Cochiti exit 264 off 1-25, Go right on NM
16, continue for 8 miles, turn right when road T’s,
turn right on 22, then at the base of Cochiti Dam in
2.7 miles turn left on NM 22, go 1.7 miles turn right
on Tribal Rd.92/Forest Service Rd 266. Pass through
a gate and continue for 5 miles to the parking area
on the right. Hours are from dawn to dusk. Admission
is free.
Bandelier National Monument
Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the
ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier
also includes over 23,000 acres of designated Wilderness.
It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist.
Proclaimed on February 11, 1916. Acreage: 32,737, all
federal. Wilderness area: 23,267 acres. There are many
special programs, exhibits scheduled throughout the
year.
Summer: Visitor Center, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Winter:
Visitor Center, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Spring/Fall:
Visitor Center, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Frijoles Canyon
and Tsankawi: dawn to dusk.
Closed December 25, January 1. Directions: traveling
North-South on I-25 take St Francis/84/285 exit for
Santa Fe, go straight through city, then follow signs
to Bandelier at each major junction. Beautiful alternative
route for those going north on I25: at Bernalillo, take
exit for 550 (formerly 44). At San Ysidro take exit
to NM 4; continue over the mountains to park entrance.
Paid admission.
Saint Francis of Asisi Church
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church, c. 1772,
is one of the best-known and most photographed churches
in New Mexico. The Spanish Colonial adobe building has
twin bell towers and an arched portal entrance that
overlooks an enclosed courtyard. The interior has a
large carved reredos (altar screen) divided into painted
panels; a ceiling of vigas (beams) that rest on elaborately
carved double brackets and a traditional choir loft.
San Francisco de Asís Mission is an active parish.
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church, a National
Historic Landmark, is in the Ranchos de Taos plaza four
miles southwest of Taos, New Mexico, on NM 68. Open
from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
High Road to Taos
This scenic mountain route wanders through old Spanish
villages high in the foothills of the Sangre de Christo
Mountains. From Santa Fe go north to Pojoaque, and then
northeast on route 503 through Nambe, and on up state
routes 76 and 75, and finally up 68 to Taos.
Driving north from Nambe, pass through an area of affluent
homes and then up onto dry, rocky hills dotted with
juniper and piñon pine. A few miles further,
you reach Chimayo ( Santuario de Chimayo), a small village
(pop. 1,400) shaded by large cottonwoods. An old settlement,
founded by the Spanish in 1598, Chimayo has long been
known for its weavers. In the early 1800s, residents
of Santa Fe asked Spain to send over skilled weavers
to teach the craft to the frontier settlers. Two skilled
weavers, the Ortega brothers, made the journey and settled
in Chimayo where they have taught their craft for the
ensuing eight generations. Chimayo has since been known
for weaving and Ortega is one of the best known names
in the field. Irvin Trujillo is a 7th generation Cintinela
Weaver.
Once you turn onto 76 start looking for Truchas and
Las Trampas with their lovely mission churches. Nuestra
Señora del Sagrado Rosario Mission Church in
Truchas, New Mexico was built about 1805. Nuestra Señora
del Sagrado Rosario is dedicated to Our Lady of the
Rosary, and contains a treasure of Santos, Bultos and
other artifacts collected by generations of worshipers.
Truchas is a strikingly beautiful little village (pop
1,000) that sits on the edge of a canyon high up in
the Sangre de Christo Mountains at 8,400 feet. Settled
in 1754, the community prospered almost immediately.
It is home today to many artists, weavers and wood carvers.
San Jose de Gracia Mission
Church
Located in Las Trampas, New Mexico the church
was completed about 1776. San Jose de Gracia has been
called "the most perfectly preserved church in
the United States." First settled in 1751 by 12
Spanish families from Santa Fe, Las Trampas flourished
despite Comanche and Apache raids. The village, a Spanish-American
agricultural community, preserves significant elements
of its 18th-century heritage in appearance and culture.
The Las Trampas area is a National Historic Landmark.
Keep following the signs for Taos and you will finally
arrive in Rancho de Taos with its world famous mission
church. The interior of the church is only open Friday
and Saturday; suggested donation.
Santuario de Chimayo
Somewhere around 1810, a Chimayo friar was
performing penances when he saw a light bursting from
a hillside. Digging, he found a crucifix, quickly dubbed
the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas. A
local priest brought the crucifix to Santa Cruz, but
three times it disappeared and was later found back
in its hole. By the third time, everyone understood
that El Senor de Esquipulas wanted to remain in Chimayo,
and so a small chapel was built on the site. Then the
miraculous healings began. These grew so numerous that
the chapel had to be replaced by the larger, current
Chimayo Shrine -- an adobe mission -- in 1816.
El Santuario de Chimayo is now known (at least locally)
as the "Lourdes of America." The crucifix
still resides on the chapel alter, but for some reason
its curative powers have been overshadowed by El Posito,
the "sacred sand pit" from which it sprang,
which gapes unheavenly behind the main altar. Over 300,000
people visit the Santuario every year. Directions: From
Santa Fe, North to Pojoaque, and then Northeast on route
503 through Nambe. Follow signs for 76. The Santuario
is located at the Intersection of Hwys. 76 & 520,
then south for one mile. The Sanctuary is always open
9am until 4pm. Mass is held at 11am Monday through Friday,
and Noon on Sundays. Admission is free, but a donation
is suggested.
Rio Grande Gorge
The state's premier whitewater run is 17 miles
through the Rio Grande Gorge, a black basalt chasm that
offers no easy exit from beginning to end. Stunning
cliffs and plentiful bird life are often missed because
the fast-moving water that tumbles over a number of
steep drops demands boaters' near-constant attention.
This section, known as the Taos Box, boasts rapids with
names such as Dead Car, Pinball and Sunset. Eleven commercial
outfitters offer day trips. While driving to Taos there
are many scenic places to stop for photographs. When
visiting Taos you should not miss the overlook just
outside of town. Ask our Concierge to give you good
directions.
Fly Fishing
Our part of New Mexico provides a great variety
of fishing opportunities. At different times of the
year, you may fish the Rio Grande among prickly pear
cacti at 6000 feet elevation or among ponderosa pines
at 11,000 feet in mountain lakes of the Pecos Wilderness.
From June to early September, elevations above 8000
feet are delightful places. Daily summer rains keep
the higher mountain streams cool, but the same rain
murk’s rivers at lower elevations. When the weather
begins to cool and summer monsoons end, fishing gradually
shifts to lower elevations. By Halloween, elevations
above 8000 feet are beginning to receive snow and fishing
the larger, lower streams begins in earnest. Spring
run off can begin as early as March, but is more typical
in April and May, depending on the particular stream.
Near Santa Fe, fishing is slowest during January and
February.
Current state fishing regulations may be obtained from
the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Non-resident
short-term licenses for one day are $14 or five days
for $22. Fishing on Tribal lands is done by permit from
individual tribes. For Equipment or Guided trips contact
High Desert Angler at 505-988-7688.
Motorcycle Rentals
Founded in 1992, EagleRider is the world's
largest motorcycle rental company specializing in Harley-Davidson
rentals and guided tours. They can offer you the opportunity
to rent the "American Dream" and experience
the ultimate motorcycle adventure from locations throughout
the World.
Whether for a weekend escape or longer, EagleRider provides
the means to release the pent up outlaw that yearns
for the open road. To make arrangements please call
877-444-8044.
Jeep Tours
Explore the many trails and adventures awaiting you
on your next jeep tour. From the "Alpine Safari"
to the canyons that inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's world
famous landscapes, a jeep tour is a great way to take
in the wonder of Santa Fe and the surrounding area.
The off road experience offers great photography opportunities.
To make arrangements please call 888-772-3274
The Santa Fe Plaza
The Plaza is the center of Santa Fe historically, culturally
and geographically. The Plaza has served as the end
of El Camino Real (The Spanish Royal Road from Mexico
City), The Santa Fe Trail and the Old Pecos Trail. Now
ringed by restaurants, shops and museums it is a gathering
place for locals and tourists alike. During fiestas,
art market weekends, parades, political rallies, and
nearly every event the Plaza is filled with people shopping,
eating, cheering or just watching each other.
Parking is always difficult near the Plaza, so we recommend
finding a spot in a city lot or just leave your car
at the hotel if you are staying nearby. The Plaza is
best experienced on foot, as businesses and vendors
are packed tightly in the blocks surrounding the square
itself.
The Santa Fe Flea Market
The Pueblo of Tesuque Flea Market (formerly Trader Jack's,
also called the Santa Fe Flea Market) is known as "The
best flea market in America". Located on 12 acres
of Tesuque Pueblo land, the flea market is right next
to the Santa Fe Opera. You can find bargain prices on
jewelry, animals, carvings, folk art, rugs, pottery
and vintage clothing at more than 500 vendor booths.
Hours: Open from 9am to 4pm Friday, and 8 am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday from (roughly) mid-March through
November. Admission is free.
Cross of the Martyrs
The white Cross of the Martyrs sits highly visible atop
Fort Marcy Park and is on every tourist map of Santa
Fe. There are three very good reasons to visit it. First,
when you reach it you are rewarded with a stunning view
of Santa Fe, the Jemez Mountains and the Sangre de Cristos
(Blood of Christ Mountains). Second, the gentle gradient
of this easy, winding path is an enjoyable and energizing
hike. Third, you learn from the plaques placed alongside
the path by the Historic Santa Fe Foundation that chronicle
a 400-year history of this city. It starts with the
Spanish building the City of Holy Faith (Santa Fe) in
1610, to how they colonized the surrounding areas, and
onto the progress present-day New Mexico State has made.
Canyon Road
The early Spaniards felt drawn to the Canyon Road area
by the Santa Fe River bottom, which offered irrigable
land for their crops and pasturage for their flocks;
by a centuries-old Pueblo Indian trail, which provided
a convenient passageway for mule trains and ox-drawn
carretas; and by the community’s nearby main plaza
and governmental offices, which offered protection from
Indian attacks.
Today, on Canyon Road, zoned strictly for "residential
arts and crafts," you will find Spanish colonial,
Spanish/Pueblo and American territorial architecture,
which has been burnished and mellowed by the passage
of the years. You will discover close to a hundred different
galleries with paintings, sculpture, Native American
crafts, traditional Spanish crafts, Santa Fe fashion,
mixed media, photography and antiques literally spilling
out of the doors and windows. You will find world-class
food and service laced with the rhythms of Spanish classical
guitar, flamenco, blues and jazz. You can find a quiet
bar enfolded by adobe walls with a warm fireplace on
a cold winter night and have a good heavy red Spanish
wine and a long conversation.
Shopping
Santa Fe style isn't limited to just adobe walls or
blue doors and windows! There is a uniquely Santa Fe
way to dress, decorate and shop. That might mean a simple
piece of pueblo pottery for the living room, but for
us there's so much more to it!
Whether you are shopping for cowboy boots or hiking
boots, blue jeans, a broom straw skirt or something
yarn-dyed and homespun there is a unique boutique just
for you. Being situated at the foot of the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains Santa Fe is a sports and outdoor lover's
paradise. Whether you like mountain biking, skiing,
fly-fishing or an invigorating hike there is a store
ready to outfit you. After a day of hiking and biking,
you may be ready for a relaxing soak or a full-body
pampering in one of Santa Fe's spas and salons.
Our home furnishings range from rustic pine antiques
to fine masterpieces in wood inlay and stone. Before
you leave be sure to visit some of Santa Fe's diverse
galleries to find that perfect painting, sculpture or
photograph to take home. Santa Fe is also known for
its jewelry. You can choose from silver and turquoise,
gold and diamonds, or something custom designed just
for you. If you're shopping for something unique and
local try the Flea Market or the Santa Fe Farmers Market
for hand-made and farm-raised specialties.
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