On the road in New Mexico

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

This early 19th-century church, Santuario de Chimayo, is between Santa Fe and Taos. Photos by Jerry Mayfield

Santa Fe's Canyon Road, with its hundreds of art galleries, is also home to elegant traditional adobe architecture.

I lucked out. My husband was born and reared in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, a place I have come to love, and love to visit. Its unique light, pink mountains and impossibly huge expanse of sky draw me. And the sunsets — well, we have an ongoing family battle as to whether Mesilla Valley's beat out the North Shore's.

New Mexico's geology is never boring, as it's located where the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains and range and basin lands meet.

It has hot springs and artesian wells, caves, extinct volcanoes, old and recent lava flows, ancient coast and sea beds, the fifth-largest river in the United States and the Continental Divide. Elevations range from 2,800 to more than 13,000 feet. Ten million acres are national forest land, and another 13 million acres are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Twenty-two Native American pueblos and reservations occupy less acreage, yet are a significant part of the landscape and culture.

Last fall, we decided to take a road trip through New Mexico to visit parts of the state we had never seen. We put nearly 3,000 miles on our rental car and big smiles on our faces.

There are benefits, both financial and soulful, to traveling off-season in New Mexico. Yes, the weather can be iffy and you have to pack for sleet or snow as well as sun, but the price breaks on rooms and absence of crowds make up for it.

The sights

New Mexico has an interesting cultural mix, with a large population of Spanish-speaking people as well as Native Americans from many tribes. Some towns have a plaza where Native Americans come to sell their wares.

New Mexican pueblos are often accessible and always interesting. Taos Pueblo, just north of Taos, is a must-see. A classic adobe structure, it epitomizes what our imagination says a pueblo should look like. You can taste the bread baked in the adobe ovens and peek into windows and doorways.

The area between Santa Fe and Taos is gorgeous along state Highway 76, through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Take time to stop along the way at Santuario de Chimayo, an early 19th-century adobe structure that attracts people who believe the dirt in its anteroom has healing properties. Don't miss lunch or dinner at Rancho de Chimayo, featuring fabulous New Mexico cuisine, housed in a building owned by the Jaramillo family since 1695.

Driving to Taos along Highway 68 offers close views of the Rio Grande. In fact, there are accessible stopping places where rafting companies take out their rafts, and you can get your toes in the river. River-rafting is usually available only in spring and summer.

A must-see stop along this road is the San Francisco de Asis church in Rancho de Taos. The simple, clean lines of this structure have been immortalized by Georgia O'Keefe and nearly every other artist visiting the area.

Although Albuquerque is not a place we like to visit, we finally made the effort to ride the Sandia Peak Tram, the world's longest aerial tramway, which is really worthwhile. From the base to the top of 10,378-foot Sandia Peak, the terrain changes from desert to canyons to lush forests to a mountaintop — 2.7 miles of sky-view travel. Be sure to dress warmly; it was 20 degrees at the top.

White Sands Missile Range is where our space program began, and where research continues. The museum of space research is fascinating for the science lover. The stark white gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park provide a startling backdrop for long walks.

Fort Selden, in Mesilla Valley, was established to protect settlers from Apaches and highway robbers. It was operational only for about 50 years in the 19th century. The ruins and museum offer a glimpse of life in the military in those times.

La Mesilla, near the southern city of Las Cruces, is the site of the signing of the Gadsden Purchase, which brought the Southwest into the United States. It was settled by the Spanish in the 1400s and still maintains much of that heritage. The valley is now home to the nation's largest irrigated pecan orchards, as well as cotton, dairy and vegetable (including the best chile in the country) farms.

It's easy to see why Carlsbad Caverns has inspired countless movies. Though the drive there is long and punctuated by little of great beauty, the caverns themselves are a natural wonder. Allow at least three hours to walk through the natural entrance, down 750 feet and into the Big Room, a cavern the size of 14 football fields.

Stalactites and stalagmites have formed amazing shapes that allow imaginations to run wild. You can see a caveman, doll's house, and rock formations looking like every animal in the zoo.

The pathways are easy to navigate and the lighting, designed by a Broadway theatrical lighting expert, is spectacular. It's another world down there, and will leave you with visual memories to last a lifetime.

As for the art

Santa Fe's Canyon Road is among the top art shopping destinations in the country. Collectors and interior designers flock to the two-mile strip from both coasts to check out galleries numbering in the hundreds.

The city, with a population of 60,000, is equally rich in museums. The Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a pueblo-revival-style building, showcases Southwestern artists. The Folk Art and Indian Arts museums, a few miles south of the plaza, offer astute glimpses at the way "real folks" live.

Taos is also a mecca for art and artists. Galleries abound, as do studios, which are often open so you can watch the artists at work.

The home and studio of Georgia O'Keefe in Abiquiu, population 250, are worth the lovely country drive, about 1 1/2 hours from Taos or Santa Fe. It's necessary to book in advance (in season, three months, but we managed to get in by calling the week before). The historic adobe home, built around a courtyard, offers a tranquil oasis in which to contemplate great art.

The food

If you're a foodie, especially one who enjoys spicy foods, New Mexico is a great place to vacation. Chili from Chimayo or Hatch is considered the best in the nation. You'll find chile in everything. Some classic dishes are green chili stew, posole, sopaipillas(the southwest version of malassadas) and chile relleno.

We spent one trip in pursuit of the best New Mexicanistyle red chile enchiladas in the state. These are not the rolled-up variety with chicken or beef inside, but stacked flat, layered with a red chile sauce, onions and cheese, and always served with sopaipillas and honey.

If you want to sound like a local, when the server asks if you want red or green chili, ask for "Christmas," meaning a little of each.

One disadvantage of traveling off season: the infamous chocolate shop Xoacatle, in Taos, was closed. They are reputed to have a recipe that rivals the chile-laced chocolate in the movie "Chocolat."

This trip, my husband took classes at the Santa Fe School of cooking and learned how to make a three-course breakfast, lighter versions of New Mexican classics and ono green chile stew. Chefs from around Santa Fe give the three-hour classes, at which participants eat the results. For schedules, call (800) 982-4688 or www.santafeschoolofcooking.com.

To search for fabulous foods to bring home, you can't beat the Tesuque Flea Market near the Santa Fe Opera. Vendors also sell an astonishing collection of clothing, carpets, accessories, household goods, beads and jewelry from hundreds of stalls.

The Santa Fe Farmers Market, which runs from April through October, is an education in the produce that goes into New Mexican cooking. It feels a bit foreign, like being from Cincinnati and visiting O'ahu Market. There's also a lavender farmer offering a full range of glorious potpourri, fragrance and bath goods.

If you go ...

Our New Mexico road trip was from Santa Fe to Carlsbad and back.

GETTING THERE: We took United's direct flight to Denver and spent a night in Boulder and a night in Durango before heading south by rental car.

Colorado driving can be treacherous if the weather turns. We ran into snow on Red Mountain pass and had to stay a night in Montrose, not the most scenic spot. We had no weather-related problems in New Mexico, though it did snow for a day in Santa Fe and a day in Taos, leaving the towns looking gorgeous.

DINING

Here are a few restaurants we recommend:

• Rancho de Chimayo, Chimayo.
• El Farolito, El Rito (really funky, with seven picnic tables, but home of the "Four-Time New Mexico Green Chile Champion.") Easy to reach from Georgia O'Keefe's home.
• Tesuque Market (buy a loaf of the green chili cheese bread), Tesuque.
• Zen Ranch, Taos.
• Lambert's, Taos.
• The Compound, Santa Fe.
• The Shed, Santa Fe.
• Geronimo's, Santa Fe.
• Rebecca's, Cloudcroft.
• Double Eagle, Old Mesilla.

SHOPPING

In addition to all the galleries, shopping is plentiful in both Santa Fe and Taos. Of course, silver and turquoise abound. You can also find lovely Mexican clothing, so trendy thanks to the movie "Frida." Here are just a few of my favorite shops:

• Santa Fe Weaving Gallery, off the Plaza in Santa Fe: Art to wear and accessories for women from the nation's top wearable artists.
• Karen Melfi, Santa Fe: Locally made one-of-a-kind women's clothing and accessories by Santa Fe designers.
• Weaving Southwest, Taos: Hand-dyed and -woven carpets, hangings and garments by local weavers and dyers.
• Kokopelli, Taos: Native American jewelry and accessories. Be sure to bargain; the brothers who own the shop expect it.
• B at the Ranch (formerly Blue Fish), Taos: One of only two shops in the country offering women's wear that's printed to your specifications.
• Twining Weavers & Contemporary Arts: Table linens, kitchen things, quilts and the best collection of stuffed animals I've ever seen.
• Trujillo's Weaving Shop, Chimayo: Eight generations of the Trujillo family have been weavers, and their blankets, rugs, vests, purses and pillows attest to the quality. Working looms are scattered throughout the shop.
• Old Mesilla, shops around the Plaza: Silver and turquoise jewelry, clothing, household things on a New Mexico theme.

WHERE TO STAY

We generally prefer staying in charming little bed-and-breakfasts. However, we found that nearly every Best Western, Ramada and Holiday Inn Express now has a pool and workout room — nice when the weather is inclement.

One benefit of traveling off-season is that room rates are often discounted. The best deal we found was in Denver, at the Summerfield Suites by Wyndham, where for $58 we had a comfortable two-room suite with a full kitchen, two televisions, a workout room and free hot or cold breakfast buffet.

Here are some favorites in New Mexico:

Casa Europa, Taos. This charming bed-and-breakfast, listed as one of the nation's most romantic, has become a second home. Owners Marcia and Rudy Zwicker exude genuine warmth. They ran a restaurant in Boulder for 20 years before moving to Taos, and Rudy keeps up his culinary skills by offering incredible breakfasts. Also, every day between 3 and 4 p.m., he serves wine or tea with a home-baked pastry that rivals that from any bakery in Europe. They always seek the best of everything; their coffee is flown in by a friend from Costa Rica. The 17th-century pueblo-style adobe has six guest rooms, each with a different theme. The architecture is picture-perfect and each room has its own fireplace and southwestern furnishings. We've stayed in three different rooms and could not pick a favorite. Located 1.6 miles from Taos Plaza, it has a quiet country feel. Marcia keeps her horses in a field across the street.

• Address: 840 Upper Ranchitos Road, Taos, NM 87571.
• Phone: (888) 758-9798.
• Web site: travelbase.com/destinations/taos/casa-europa

The Madeleine Inn, Santa Fe. This eight-room bed and breakfast is located at the end of a quiet dead-end street, a short walk from the busy Plaza. The atmosphere is cozy Victorian, and several rooms have window seats, chandeliers and angled ceilings. Rooms with shared bath are at bargain rates. Breakfasts are generous and original, with freshly baked goods usually available on the dining table in the afternoons.

• Address: 106 Faithway St., Santa Fe, NM 87501.
• Phone: (505) 982-3465 or (888)-877-7622.
• E-mail: madeleineinn@aol.com.
• Web site: www.madeleineinn.com.

The Lodge at Cloudcroft, Cloudcroft. In the Sacramento Mountains, a couple of hours from Carlsbad Caverns, this 1899 alpine resort offers golf in the summer and skiing in the winter. The architecture is a cross between Bavarian lodge and turn-of-the-century wild west. The hospitality and friendliness are unparalleled, rooms are old-fashioned and comfy and the atmosphere romantic. The cherrywood bar was once owned by Al Capone, hidden away in a speakeasy.

An hour away is another mountain retreat with several resorts, Ruidoso, a traditional haven for Texans tired of the heat.

• Address: 1 Corona Place. P.O. Box 497, Cloudcroft, NM 88317.
• Phone: (505) 682-2566 or (800) 395-6343.
• E-mail: info@TheLodgeResort.com.

CLOTHING AND SKIN CARE

As is typical of autumn in the Southwest, we ran into weather that varied from 75 degrees and sunny to 18 degrees and snowing. Be prepared to layer. Long silk or microfiber underwear and a single cashmere turtleneck met all our needs. A pair of warm, quick-drying socks helped. My husband still has his old down ski jacket, circa 1955, and I have a 12-year-old Patagonia fleece jacket that kept us warm enough.

Skin care is a challenge. Conditions in New Mexico are often dry and cold. Lips, cuticles, feet and face can be cracked and bleeding within days. Ask your dermatologist or skincare consultant to recommend a heavy-duty facial moisturizer. Hand and cuticle cream are also recommended. Use plenty of lip balm. This also works for cuticles and rough spots anywhere.

I take a bottle of rose-water spritzer to mist my face just before I put on moisturizer. Phytomer (Sephora) and Sisley (Neiman-Marcus) make effective ones.