Things To Do and See While Visiting Santa Fe and Nearby Albuquerque, New Mexico
Balloon Field | Pecos National Historical Park | Bandelier National Monument | San Ildefonso Church | Tent Rocks | Lake Katherine | Eaves Movie Ranch | Cerrillos | Ski In New Mexico | Ski Map | Canyon Road Art Galleries
Balloon Siesta - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Plenty of help, and plenty of hot air, give rise to what is arguably New Mexico's best-known pastime. More than 750 hot air balloons and more than 100,000 spectators can crowd Balloon Fiesta Park for any of the event's nine mornings. Unique atmospheric conditions frequently create the Albuquerque Box, allowing the balloons to fly opposing directions at different altitudes. This can result in the deep blue sky directly above the launch field being filled with the floating balls of color.
The Balloon Fiesta Park is located between Alemeda and Tramway N.E. on the north side of Albuquerque in central New Mexico.
The Annual festival is scheduled for Oct. 6 - 14, 2007.
http://www.balloonfiesta.com/
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Dan Monaghan
Pecos National Historical Park - East of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos (pictured with two Pecos pots,) two Spanish Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch, and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass. It covers about 6700 acres in central New Mexico, east of Santa Fe.
Pecos Natl Hist Park - Twenty-five miles east of Santa Fe, NM off of Interstate 25. Visitors travelling north on I-25, take exit 299 to Pecos village and south two miles on HWY 63. Those travelling south take exit 307, five miles north to the park on HWY 63.
http://www.nps.gov/peco/
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism
Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument covers more than 23,000 acres outside of Los Alamos. The ruins of pre-Columbian settlements abound throughout Bandelier. Ancestors of modern-day Pueblo residents lived in the Bandelier area over a span of about 500 years, roughly from 1100 a.d. to 1600 a.d. Visitors to the National Monument can explore trails through Frijoles Canyon, to see ruins and some reconstructed sites as well as climb ladders into several of the cliff caves the Bandelier people used as part of their homes.
Bandelier Nat Mon - Visitors traveling on I-25 (ie From Santa Fe)
Take Interstate-25 exit 282B (St Francis/ US HWY 84/285) for Santa Fe. Travel north on HWY 285 for 19 miles; you will go straight through the city. Exit onto State HWY 502 near the Cities of Gold Casino in Pojoaque. Travel west 11.5 miles, follow the signs to Bandelier and merge onto HWY 4. Travel west on HWY 4 for 11.5 miles, through the town of White Rock. The Bandelier Monument entrance is on the left side of the road.
http://www.nps.gov/band/
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Dan Monaghan
San Ildefonso Church - North of Santa Fe, New Mexico
The ancestors of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso abandoned their original villages of Mesa Verde and Bandelier due to drastic changes in the environment. It was at Black Mesa that San Ildefonso along with other Pueblo people successfully held off Spanish soldiers during their re-conquest of New Mexico in 1694. San Ildefonso is best known to be the home of the late Maria Martinez who along with her husband, Julian, developed black-on-black pottery. Maria's work can be seen at the Pueblo museum located near the church. San Ildefonso is 23 miles north of Santa Fe.
San Ildefonso Church - Directions:
Go north from Santa Fe on US 84/285 to Pojoaque, then west on NM 502 to the pueblo.
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Mark Nohl
Tent Rocks - Located In Central New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe
Long known simply as "Tent Rocks," a presidential order in January of 2001 created Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the traditional language of nearby Cochiti Pueblo. The combined forces of volcanoes, erosion, and time formed these unique natural monuments. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is in central New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Tent Rocks - Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
From Santa Fe, take the Cochiti Pueblo Exit 264 off I-25 onto NM 16. Turn right off NM 16 onto NM 22, and follow the signs to Cochiti Pueblo and the national monument.
http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/albuquerque/kasha_katuwe.htm
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism
Lake Katherine - Close to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lake Katherine is a popular hiking destination outside Santa Fe in the Pecos Wilderness. The crystal clear water lies about 3000 feet above the base of the hiking trail.
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Jim Orr
Eaves Movie Ranch - South of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Hollywood's Gene Kelly had this town built in 1969 for the filming of a movie he was producing, "Cheyenne Social Club" starring Jimmy Stuart and Henry Fonda. In the years since it has hosted the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, and Johnny Cash. When it isn't serving as a Wild West backdrop for cameras, it is open to the public for tours. The J. W. Eaves Movie Ranch is about 10 miles south of Santa Fe.
http://www.eavesmovieranch.com/
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Mark Nohl
Cerrillos - South of Santa Fe, New Mexico
At its peak in the 1880's, Cerrillos had more than 20 saloons and hotels. They served the miners who populated the area during the boom years. Now Cerrillos is home to artists and fans of what the real "Old West" was about. Cerrillos is south of Santa Fe on the famed Turquoise Trail.
Cerrillos - Cerrillos (little hills) is a charming, tree-shaded town located 27 miles south of Santa Fe.
http://www.newmexico.org/place/loc/cities/page/DB-place/place/1190.html
Courtesy of the New Mexico Division of Tourism, Photography by Dan Monaghan
Ski in New Mexico
Santa Fe is located very close to many of the major ski areas in New Mexico. Ski Santa Fe, is located just 20 minutes from Santa Fe with a 12,000-plus-foot peak, 45 broad intermediate alpine skier/snowboarder runs, and narrow expert trails flanking the Pecos Wilderness in the Santa Fe National Forest. The 660 acres have a vertical drop of 1,703 feet and get an average annual snowfall of 225 inches. Other ski areas include the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area with carve turns at the only alpine skiing/snowboarding area in the Jemez Mountains. Its 1,410 vertical feet offer challenging ungroomed mogul runs and its 280-foot acreage . Sandia Peak Ski Area is located close to Albuquerque’s, and you can make a quick getaway to the Sandia Mountains and the 30 groomed trails at this intimate, 200-acre ski area. For more information on the ski areas in the area, visit the New Mexico Division of Tourism at www.nmtourism.com.
Ski Map
