Frommer's EasyGuide to Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque PDF
Preview Frommer's EasyGuide to Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque
FROM THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN TRAVEL: easyguide to S A N TA F E TA OS , e Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque come alive—quickly, enjoyably and a affordably—with an EasyGuide from the most trusted name in travel. s A L B U Q U E R Q U E y g That’s because…. u & i d Arthur Frommer’s EasyGuides get to the point without drowning you in e superfluous information. They tell you—in pithy and opinionated pages— how to plan, what to see, where to stay, where to eat, and how to best enjoy t o the destination and take away lessons from it. And in the tradition of the Frommer’s guides, they are practical to a fault, cost-conscious in all price ranges, written by experts, and fun to read—in addition to being blessedly short and low in price. S A N And Note: You can supplement this valuable guidebook with updates, deals, T news and readers comments found on our website: FROMMERS.COM A F E heRe’s What the cRitics say aBout FRoMMeR’s: , T A “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete” O —Booklist S & “Detailed, accurate and easy-to-read information for all price ranges” —Glamour Magazine A • Quick to Read L “Frommer’s guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place” B • Light to caRRy U —Knight-Ridder Newspapers Q • expeRt advice U Cover design by David Riedy $14.95 E • aLL pRice Ranges Cover images: (front) Large adobe building decorated with lumi- R naria for the holidays, © Nagel Photography/Shutterstock; (back) Q Hot air balloon mass ascension, © Steve Bower/Shutterstock U E AN ARTHUR FROMMER PUBLICATION FROM FROMMER MEDIA LLC DISTRIBUTED BY PUBLISHERS GROUP WEST TO Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque By Don and Barbara Laine Easy Guides are Quick To Read Light To Carry For Expert Advice In All Price Ranges Published by FrOmmer mediA LLC Copyright © 2016 by Frommer Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to [email protected]. Frommer’s is a registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Frommer Media LLC is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 978-1-62887-244-6 (paper), 978-1-62887-245-3 (e-book) Editorial Director: Pauline Frommer Development Editor: Holly Hughes Production Editor: Lynn Northrup Cartographer: Roberta Stockwell Indexer: Maro Riofrancos For information on our other products or services, see www.frommers.com. Frommer Media LLC also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 FrOmmer'S STAr rATingS SySTem Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listed in this guide has been ranked for quality and value. Here’s what the stars mean: Recommended Highly Recommended A must! Don't miss! An imPOrTAnT nOTe The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and buses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about these hotels, restaurants, museums and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-to-date, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liabil- ity for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suf- fered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide. C O n T e n T S 1 The BeST OF nOrThern 7 exPLOring TAOS 143 new mexiCO 1 What to See & Do in Taos 143 2 nOrThern new Sports & Recreation 150 mexiCO in dePTh 10 Taos Shopping 159 New Mexico Today 11 Taos After Dark 163 New Mexico Through Time 17 Excursions from Taos 165 Art & Architecture 21 8 ALBuquerque Anthropology 101: Beliefs & eSSenTiALS 174 Rituals 26 Orientation 174 Books, Films & Music 28 Getting Around 177 Eating & Drinking in Northern Fast Facts: Albuquerque 177 New Mexico 29 Where to Stay in 3 SuggeSTed nOrThern Albuquerque 178 new mexiCO Where to Eat in iTinerArieS 32 Albuquerque 185 4 SAnTA Fe eSSenTiALS 42 9 exPLOring Orientation 42 ALBuquerque 194 Getting Around 46 What to See & Do in Albuquerque 194 Fast Facts: Santa Fe 47 Sports & Recreation 208 Where to Stay in Santa Fe 48 Spectator Sports 212 Where to Eat in Santa Fe 59 Albuquerque Shopping 213 5 exPLOring SAnTA Fe 72 Albuquerque After Dark 216 What to See & Do in Excursions from Santa Fe 72 Albuquerque 218 A Santa Fe Stroll 86 1 0 PLAnning yOur TriP Sports & Recreation 90 TO nOrThern new Santa Fe Shopping 94 mexiCO 229 The Performing Arts in When to Go 230 Santa Fe 100 Northern New Mexico Santa Fe Nightlife 102 Calendar of Events 230 Excursions from Santa Fe 104 Getting There & Around 232 6 TAOS eSSenTiALS 119 Special-Interest & Escorted Trips 234 Orientation 120 Fast Facts: Northern New Getting Around 123 Mexico 236 Fast Facts: Taos 123 Where to Stay in Taos 124 index 240 Where to Eat in Taos 134 ABOuT The AuThOrS Residents of northern New Mexico for more than 40 years, don and Barbara Laine have traveled extensively throughout New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southwest, exploring the mountains, deserts, cities, and towns in search of unique outdoor adventures, hidden historic gems, and the perfect green chile cheeseburger. The Laines have authored or contributed to a number of Frommer’s travel guides, including Frommer’s EasyGuide to National Parks of the American West, and have also written Little-Known Southwest, New Mexico & Arizona State Parks, and Best Short Hikes in Arizona for The Mountaineers Books. ABOuT The FrOmmer’S TrAVeL guideS For most of the past 50 years, Frommer’s has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why. Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history, and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel. We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, critical—both pro and con—in their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of count- less prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called “practically worthless” (it unsuc- cessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs we’ve condemned. And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com. I have high hopes for the future of Frommer’s. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace. Arthur Frommer The BesT of 1 NorTherN New Mexico Northern New Mexico is a land of contrasts and contra- dictions, and extremes in climate and cultures. One day you’re hiking among prickly pear cactus and sagebrush, hoping you brought enough drinking water to get you back to the trail head. Next day you’re speeding down a mountainside on skis as the falling snow fills the tracks you leave behind. Here you’ll find American Indians living much like their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, practically alongside the nuclear scientists who design the weapons of tomorrow and try to find solutions for the prob- lems of today. There are refined chamber music concerts, wild Texas two-steppin’ bars, and practically everything in between. As you explore northern New Mexico, you’ll see the magical beauty in both land and spirit that has captured the hearts of so many artists, writers, and thinkers. And we hope you’ll also experi- ence some of that magic yourself, and take a little bit of it back home when you leave. best The NorTherN New Mexico experieNces Taos Pueblo, Veterans Highway, Taos Pueblo (www.taospueblo. com; 575/758-1028): If you see only one American Indian site in your northern New Mexico visit, this should be it. This awe- inspiring structure, where 200 residents still live much as their ancestors did more than 700 years ago, is bold and imposing, with mud-built rooms poetically stacked to echo the shape of Taos Mountain behind them. You can visit resident artists’ stu- dios, munch on bread baked in a horno (a beehive-shaped oven), 1 Northern New Mexico COLORADO s e Airport NEW MEXICO c Costilla xico Experien Ski areLa8o4s Ojos1C7ham aRio Brazos NCFAAOTRRIOSENOSANTL 285 Rio Grande 522 w Me JJIICCAARRIILLLLRAAHeseerrovnoir TAimerararilla 64 TPTPrriieeeessddrraass Lama Questa38 Best Northern Ne AIAINNPPDDAACC.. RRRHHiEEoEE SSG..allinaEL Ral kiVoea Ndoutrias 84 lREito VaLllaeR ciMoi Vtaaolldseceitors a Tusas R iver GGooRRrriiggooee GG BBCrrrraa6riiinndd4sddggtoeeeeSbaanlTaNoCFAsAOTRRIO1SEA5NOSr0ArNToLyTPToaaVu oSoeassebll cleSooyki e 64 Th Abiquiu EEll RRiittoo OOjjoo CCaalliieennttee 68 R daen Tcahooss o Dam Abiquiu554 285 rReiv Rinconada PPiuceubrilso 518 exic 96 Rio Chama 84 Caliente EmbLuadso Tram75pas 518 M w SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST OOhwkinagyeh 76 El Valle e Santa Truchas N Española Cruz Cordova N SANTA CLARA Chimayo r INDIAN RESERVATION Santa Clara Pueblo SANTA FE of NorThe La C4ueJSveapmrinegzPNsCraeaVtsliadoelenrlevraaesl MBoANanlanautdmmiLeooelnionesasrt l 4 IldPeufWRoeSonhbcasilktnooeTeP5suu0eq2buloePojoNaqTaeumsebu4eq7u5e Pecos River NFAOTRIOENSATL T The Bes IINNJJDDEEMM.. RREEEEZZSS.. Jemez Pueblo SPCiuoleechbiltoi CLSaaonkcethai t iFe River 2S5anta HFiNsePtaoetriciocon sPa al rkCow Creek ZIA INDIAN RESERVATION Santo Domingo 84 550 San Felipe Pueblo Lamy Pueblo SanHPtiasuCB teAooebnrrrloinaocn aSaliidltloeo Rio Gra8nd5e 2P5lacitas Mad14rid Cerrillos 41Galis2t8e5o Sandia Pueblo Rio Rancho Corrales Golden 165 NEW 47 Ldoes A Rlbaunqcuheorsque MEXICO Albuquerque 40 0 15 mi CIBOLA NATIONAL Moriarty 0 15 km FOREST 2 and wander past the fascinating ruins of the old church and cemetery. See 1 p. 146. High Road to Taos: This spectacular 80-mile route into the mountains T between Santa Fe and Taos takes you through red-painted deserts, villages h e bordered by apple and peach orchards, and the foothills of 13,000-foot B e peaks. You can stop in Cordova, known for its woodcarvers, or Chimayo, s T known for its weavers—even rub some “healing dust” between your fingers o f at the fabled Santuario de Chimayo. See p. 117. N Santa Fe Opera: One of the finest opera companies in the United States o r has called Santa Fe home for more than a half-century. Performances are T h held during the summer months in a hilltop, open-air (but mostly under- e r roof) amphitheater. See p. 101. N N Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: The desert skies fill with e w color as the world’s largest balloon rally assembles some 600 hot-air bal- M loons. Highlights are the mass ascension at sunrise and the special shapes e x rodeo, in which balloons in all sorts of whimsical forms, from liquor bottles ic to cows, rise into the sky. See p. 209. o Northern New Mexican Enchiladas: There are few things more New Mexican than the enchilada. Order red or green chiles, or “Christmas” Th e chiles (half red, half green), covered with rich sauces seasoned with garlic B e and oregano. New Mexican cuisine doesn’t overdo on the cheese and sour s cream, so the flavors of the chiles, corn, and meats can be savored. See t M u p. 30. se u m s best The MuseuMs Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: Renowned modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe fell in love with the deserts of the Southwest in the 1930s and moved to the isolated northern New Mexico community of Abiquiu in 1949, which inspired her best-known works—striking paintings of flowers, animal skulls, and stark landscapes. See p. 72. Museum of International Folk Art: Santa Fe’s perpetually expanding col- lection of folk art is the largest in the world, with thousands of objects from more than 100 countries. You’ll find an amazing array of imaginative works, ranging from Hispanic folk art santos (carved saints) to Indonesian textiles and African sculptures. See p. 76. Harwood Museum of Art: If you’re going to see just one art museum in northern New Mexico, make it this small but stunning showcase for the art that made Taos famous. See p. 143. Millicent Rogers Museum: This Taos museum features among the best collections anywhere of turquoise and silver American Indian jewelry, Navajo rugs, Pueblo pottery, and other southwestern arts and crafts, born 3 out of the personal collection of Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers. See 1 p. 145. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science: Here you’ll stroll s el through 12 billion years of natural history, from the very beginnings to the ot H age of dinosaurs and beyond, with interactive exhibits, a planetarium, and ge a huge-screen theater. This Albuquerque science museum is actually fun, plur and (we’ll say this quietly so the kids don’t hear) educational. See p. 205. st S Unser Racing Museum: You don’t have to be a fan of auto racing to appre- e ciate this Albuquerque museum dedicated to the Unsers, New Mexico’s first B e family of auto racing. There are the racecars that won the Indy 500, some h T fascinating cars and motorcycles from the early days of motorized racing, and a fun simulator that conveys what it’s like to race in an Indianapolis o c 500. See p. 199. xi e M best w The splurge hoTels e N Inn of the Five Graces: Just a few blocks from Santa Fe Plaza, this Relais N & Chateaux inn spoils guests unmercifully with elaborately decorated r he suites with kilim rugs and ornately carved beds and floral-decked court- rT yards. The name comes from the Eastern concept of the five senses: sight, o N sound, touch, smell, and taste, all of which are stimulated here. See p. 52. f Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi: Just steps from the Santa Fe Plaza, this o T posh sandstone hotel offers a taste of ancestral Puebloan architecture, with s e all the historic charm but none of the hardships these ancient peoples B e endured, thanks to excellent amenities and stellar service. See p. 53. h T El Monte Sagrado: With guest rooms, suites, and casitas set around a grassy “Sacred Circle,” this eco-resort in Taos is the quintessence of luxury. Every detail, from the waterfalls and chemical-free pool and hot tubs to the authentic theme decor in the rooms, has been created with conscious care. See p. 124. La Fonda: Settle into old Santa Fe at this historic hotel that combines all the modern conveniences you expect in a splurge hotel with enough historic ambience to knock your socks off. Head to the Bell Tower Bar for a drink with a spectacular sunset view. See p. 52. best The MoDerATelY priceD hoTels El Rey Inn: For historic charm and relatively reasonable rates (for Santa Fe), head to El Rey Inn. Built in the 1930s and added on to and upgraded over the years, the inn offers a variety of room types, all different but nicely appointed, with a Route 66 ambience and nicely landscaped grounds. See p. 54. Santa Fe Motel and Inn: Rooms at this inn, located six blocks from the Santa Fe Plaza, smartly combine the ambience of the Southwest—bold 4
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