O'Keefe's Places
Abiquiu (rhymes with barbecue), about two hours' drive north on Highway 84, is where artist Georgia O'Keefe spent summers from 1929 to 1945, and where she lived her final years. The Georgia O'Keefe Foundation offers
guided tours (advance reservations required). To complete an O'Keefe day, visit the Ghost Ranch and hike to the "White Place" from the
Dar Al-Islam Mosque.
Taos by the High Road
Driving north on Highway 68, exit at Highway 76 then onto Highway 518, you can get to Taos by the High Road. Along the way, you can visit
El Santuario de Chimayo, site of miracles that is sometimes called the American Lourdes; fifth-generation weavers at Ortega's Weaving Shop; Truchas, the charming hamlet where
The Milagro Beanfield War was filmed; and Ranchos de Taos, home of the church of
San Francisco de Asis, whose four-foot-thick walls have captivated many painters and photographers.
If you're driving to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, follow the Turquoise Trail. Take I-40 east from Albuquerque, then take Highway 14 north to Santa Fe. While this drive can take as little as an hour and a half, it can easily take all day as you take a side trip to the Sandia Crest, and stop to explore old mining towns such as Golden and
Madrid, where a "quick stop" never fails to turn into a pleasant ramble to visit art galleries, prowl around the
Old Coal Mine Museum and dawdle over a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone. You can also take the Turquoise Trail driving from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, but beware if you have a flight to catch, this drive seems to be designed to take more time than you think it will.
Ancient Ruins, Modern Technology
A day trip from Santa Fe takes you from the twelfth century to the twentieth century. West of Santa Fe,
Bandelier National Monument is one of the most important ruins sites in the Southwestern United States. While not as striking as the ruined cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, the ruins at Bandelier are easily accessible on a 1.5-mile walking trail, and a couple of the dwellings are open to anyone who ventures up a small ladder to peer inside. Continuing to
Los Alamos, you will find the atomic research laboratories spawned by the World War II effort to build an atomic bomb, and the Bradbury Science Museum, where you can learn about the history of the Manhattan Project, and modern uses for atomic energy.
