MY TEN FAVORITE PLACES TO VISIT IN SANTA FE

I want to share My Ten Favorite Places to visit in the Santa Fe area (and it was hard to get the list down to ten). I had to leave out some great ones. Another time.

1. Puye Cliffs because there is a great sense of history there. I love climbing the cliff and going into the caves and for me sitting on the mesa is transformational.

2. Bandelier National Monument Because the ride up there is really scenic- don’t miss the view at White Rock. Bandelier itself has a Visitor’s Center staffed by knowledgeable Rangers and lots of hiking trails. The loop trail goes past two cliff dwelling sites- the second features some petroglyphs. Then back to the Visitor’s Center. The adventurous can hike up the trail to The Alcove House, a ceremonial chamber accessible up 4 vertical ladders and some stone stairs. I have not been up there- I don’t do heights well. But I have it first-hand that it is worth the effort. You can spend an hour at Bandelier, the whole day or even camp out.

3. Tsankawi (actually part of Bandelier, but at a different location east of Bandelier on Rte 4). What I find really neat about Tsankawi is that it is not the least bit commercial and does not get crowded. When we went we saw a Ranger and one other hiker. There is a circular trail that takes you to the top of the mesa, past the ruins of an old Pueblo, down a ladder to the cliff dwellings and back to the starting point via a fairly narrow ledge.

4. Tent Rocks (Kasha Katuwe) is a great place for a hike for anyone- our grandson made it triumphantly to the top when he was aged six. These are geological formations caused by volcanic activity millions of years ago. They get their name from the conically shaped rocks. The walk through the slit canyon is magical. It is called a “slit canyon” because it is very narrow. So narrow in places that you can reach out and touch the both sides simultaneously and the 360° views at the top are not to be missed.

5. Taos Pueblo for the history. The Pueblo elders will not divulge their history due to religious constraints, but say the current-day buildings may date back a thousand years. Taos is considered by some to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States. The residents of the historic buildings live without modern conveniences such as electricity and running water. I was privileged to be invited to a meal in one of the historic Pueblo in 1973 when I spent two-weeks camped out there. I was virtually adopted by one of the families. I later discovered that this was a great honor. I had no idea at the time. I am humbled in retrospect.

6. Acoma Sky City is the other currently occupied, historically significant pueblo. Occupation here dates to circa 1150 AD and their web site states that they are the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Whether the honor goes to Taos or Acoma, they are both worth a visit. At Acoma, you must go with a tour-guide. You are taken in a van from the Visitor’s Center to the pueblo on top of the mesa. The tour lasts about 1¼. The Acoma people are world-renown for their wonderful painted pottery and visitors have an opportunity to purchase pots directly from the Pueblo artisans atop the mesa. For lunch, visit the Yaak’ Café (Yaak’ means "corn" in Keres, the traditional language of the Acoma). Here you can experience traditional Acoma dishes or for those with an unadventurous palate or for kids, there is American fare.

7. Fort Union was established in 1851 to watch over the Santa Fe Trail an important trade route from Missouri. During its forty-year history, it functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest. It was abandoned when the railroad made it obsolete. The site offers a 1.6-mile loop-trail around the ruins. There are standing adobe walls and foundations from many of the former structures and there are explanations and photos at each of the ghostly building remains. You get a feeling the people and the life they led. I loved it here. You develop sympathy for the military wives who were brought to this remote, dusty outpost and brought their possessions including hard-to-transport pianos. Fort Union also has the largest accessible network of wheel-ruts from the Santa Fe Trail.

8. Pecos National Historic Park contains the ruins of the Pecos Pueblo, inhabited into the 19th Century. Habitation in the area dates back thousands of years. The site has a circular trail that goes past kivas from the Pueblo and the ruins of a Spanish Colonial church. The Visitor’s Center offers interpretative walks spring through fall. While in Pecos, check out the Pecos Wilderness .
9. El Rancho de los Golondrinas a living history village close to Santa Fe offers visitors a journey into New Mexico’s past. “The Ranch of the Swallows" now a living history museum, dates from the early 1700s and was an important paraje or stopping point along the famous Camino Real, (the Royal Road) from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Open from June to October (from April by appointment) the best time to go is weekends when there are docents demonstrating the life-skill of the times and when there is apt to be a festival

10. Ghost Ranch and Echo Amphitheater are located just north of Abiquiu. Made famous by artist Georgia O’Keeffe, it is also known by geologists and paleontologists as a place of rich fossil and dinosaur bone finds and rocks here date from about 228 million years. According to the University of New Mexico web site rocks have been found in New Mexico that date back 1.5 billion years. While up in that area, check out Echo Amphitheater a bit farther up the road. This National Forest Service facility includes a short hiking trail, a picnic area and a campsite. The sandstone walls, hollowed out by ages of erosion resonate. You call out “Hello,” and you hear “Hello, hello, hello, hello” echoed back to you. What can I say; I am a kid at heart. I love it here.

I hope that this list will inspire you to visit Santa Fe. Besides the treasures mentioned above, we have great hotels, restaurants, museums, galleries, shopping, outdoor activities and more. To figure out the places that work for you, contact me at concierge@thesanatfetraveler.com or visit our web site at www.thesantafetraveler.com .