Our plans are coming together for a trip to New Mexico October 7 to October 17, 2009. We will be staying at the Ramada Limited for the first three nights to be close to the Balloon Fiesta, then will be staying in Santa Fe for the remaining week.
Could you give me suggestions on how to spend our time in Albuquerque and Santa Fe?
I would like to see as much as we can in and around the area including a couple of pueblos and the national monuments. We will probably take an overnight trip midweek to Carlsbad Caverns as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Help with Itinerary Oct. 7 - Oct. 17, 2009Hopefully, Mother Nature will be kind during your visit to the AIBF, and allow you to see many events. Since the majority of the activities begin at dawn, or evening, this leaves you from approximately 10am to 5pm to ';see the sites'; here in Albuquerque.
In order of importance (IMHO):
1. Old Town - Our lovely, earliest church, and plaza, are surrounded by adobe buildings which were once homes for Albuquerque%26#39;s Spanish and Mexican elite. Today they have been converted into numerous specialty shops, and restaurants.
2. Our museums (adjacent to Old Town, or ';in'; Old Town). Albuquerque Museum, (I always recommend visitors to Old Town stop in here first, as an hour tour will provide an excellent look back through the history of Albuquerque, and Northern New Mexico... dating back to our ancient Anasazi Culture.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History %26amp; Science is (last I heard) the newest Natural History museum in the U.S., and provides interesting exhibits including dinosaurs, a ';walk through'; volcano, IMAX theater, and planeterium.
There are also other museums in the immediate area including one for Turquoise, Rattelsnakes(!), Expo Science for kids (hands on stuff), and the Atomic Museum, on the history of atomic energy.)
3. The Sandia Peak Tramway. Ride to the top of Sandia Peak on the world%26#39;s longest tramway. Great 75 mile views, restaurants at top and bottom (but the County Line BBQ at Tramway Blvd./Tramway Road is the best).
4. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, a museum, permanent exhibit, restaurant, and shops specializing in ';authentic'; jewelry, pottery, rugs, etc. Also a book store. Colorful dances are usually held on weekend afternoons (12 noon and 2pm I believe), but during the balloon fiesta, they may occur every day. The IPCC is owned and operated by the nineteen remaining ';Pueblo'; villages in NM, and this is a rare place where visitors may photograph their ceremonial dances.
I don%26#39;t know the ages of your party, but our Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Aquarium are also possible sites of interest. From Albuquerque, also try to visit the ';Sky City,'; Acoma Pueblo, about an hour west off I-40. It is arguably the oldest continuously inhabited town in the U.S., sitting atop it%26#39;s formidable mesa.
Enroute to or from Santa Fe, take the ';Turquoise Trail'; NM-14. It is far more leisurely, and scenic than I-25. Old mining towns like Madrid (recently featured in Tim Allen%26#39;s movie, ';Wild Hogs.';) I will leave Santa Fe%26#39;s top ';must see%26#39;s and do%26#39;s) to the SF-Experts (or other informed contributors!) :-)
Lastly, do not pass up Taos, and Taos Pueblo, only 1 1/2 hour drive from Santa Fe. The latter impressed Coronado%26#39;s men in 1540, and it will do the same for you! Have a great trip, and enjoy our spectacular balloon fiesta!
Help with Itinerary Oct. 7 - Oct. 17, 2009Day 1 Oct 7 - arrive Abq. Stay ABQ
Day 2 Oct 8 - Abq - museums in Old Town, Petroglyph Nat Mon.
Day 3 Oct 9 - Abq - Acoma Pueblo Tour, Sandia Tram??
Day 4 Oct 10 - See Mass Ascension then on to Santa Fe
Day 5 Oct 11 - Santa Fe - see museums as they are closed on Mondays.
Day 6 Oct 12 - Santa Fe - Bandalier Nat Mon or Pecos Nat Mon.
Day 7 Oct 13 - Drive to Taos. See Taos Pueblo. Stay in Taos, or back to SF.
Day 8 Oct 14 - Drive to Carlsbad.
Day 9 Oct 15 - See Carlsbad Caverns, then on to Alamogordo for the night. See White Sands Nat Mon.
Day 10 Oct 16 - To ABQ for the night.
Day 11 Oct 17 - Depart ABQ
What sights should we see in Santa Fe? What museums are must see? Thanks
The Santa Fe Plaza, Palace of the Governors museum, Indian Art and Culture Museum, are tops on my list. Also Georgia OKeefe, Art Museum, and Int%26#39;l Folk Art Museum.
Also a visit to Loretto Chapel to see the special staircase, shopping along Canyon Road, a drive up toward the ski basin and dining at one of our wonderful restaurants.
Bandelier Nat Mon and Pecos Nat Mon are nearby and many people include a visit to Chimayo from Santa Fe.
Visit www.santafe.org for more ideas and info.
We are considering dropping the trip to Carlsbad Caverns and make that a separate trip in the future to see Southern NM. Do you think we can find enough to keep us busy for 1 week in Santa Fe and surrounding areas? Thanks for all your ideas.
There is plenty to do in the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area for a week. 3 nights in Abq, 3 nights in Santa Fe and 1 night in Taos.
I would look around these sites and pick out some things you will be interested in doing.
www.santafe.org www.itsatrip.org
Plenty of hiking and outdoor activities as well as cultural/museum activities. There are also many studio tours in the area in October.
Actually we will have three nights in Albuquerque and then 7 nights in Santa Fe (at a timeshare) for a total of 10 nights in New Mexico. I was including Carlsbad Caverns as an option for an overnight trip to see the caverns and then return the following day. I know that is cutting it short so thought maybe we should focus on Northern NM instead.
That is even better to have 10 days, sorry I missed that!
There are plenty of other places to explore. Salinas Pueblos Nat Mon, Jemez Pueblo State Monument, Coronado State Mon, plus there are numerous spas in Santa Fe.
You could also take a drive out to Las Vegas NM, see the Natl Wildlife Refuge there, then up to Fort Union Nat Mon.
Also spend some time relaxing. Things move much slower here than in MA!!
That sounds great, I will check into them and add them to my itinerary. Do you know anything about the Santa Fe Cooking school? It sounds like another fun adventure in food. Rest? nah we never do that on vacation - too much to see. Actually I think we will need to rest when we first get to Albuquerque due to the altitude.
The Ghost Ranch area of Abiquiu is only a little over an hour from Santa Fe. The multi-hued rock formations are stunning and you can make advance reservations to visit Georgia O%26#39;Keeffe%26#39;s home/studio if you wish. Have lunch at the charming Abiquiu Inn along the way. Also, if you enjoy wine, there are many tasting rooms and wineries to visit. See www.nmwine.com for more info. La Chiripada Winery%26#39;s Rio Embudo Red is a great value. Believe me, you will NOT run out of interesting things to see and do even if you had 3 wks to spend in the Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos areas!
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