Day Trip: Santa Fe to Taos

After being in Santa Fe for a few days, we needed to get out of the city and see some scenery. And what better scenery is there than in Taos, NM?

After a bit of research, I decided to take the High Road to Taos and the Low Road on our return trip. This would give us the chance to see a great deal of country and some varied scenery. From Santa Fe, we journeyed north on US 285 to the small town of Pojoaque. This is where the High Road and Low Road split. The High Road is the longer of the two routes, both in distance and in time.

The High Road to the right, Low Road to the left

The High Road is aptly named. It winds its way through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a sub range of the Rocky Mountains reaching elevations of 13,000 feet. The road also passes near or through a number of small pueblo Indian villages and Spanish Land Grant villages. Galleries and other related businesses dot the landscape, especially just outside of Pojoaque (Point E on map above). The High Road is detailed in Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Road_to_Taos,_New_Mexico.

The Badlands of the High Road

Tree-covered mountain of the high country

Lovely little mountain meadow

High country view

The village of Taos is no longer a quiet, remote village. It is now a bustling center of the hordes of tourists who flood northern New Mexico, and it even has a Walmart and other chain businesses. Having said that, though, the historic city center is still quaint, with narrow, winding roads weaving along adobe businesses and dwellings. Art galleries, jewelry outlets, and related businesses dominate the downtown area, along with a scattering of food/beverage establishments and lodging options.

Downtown Taos street scene along the Plaza

The Taos area figures prominently in New Mexico history, and it is filled with names familiar to history buffs, names such as Kit Carson and Charles Bent.  During the past year, I read Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West, so I was particularly interested in matters dealing with this historic figure. Most people think of Kit Carson as simply a “mountain man”, but he was so much more, and he played such a prominent role in the history of this area.

Kit Carson Museum and home in Taos

Charles Bent was the elder of the two Bent brothers who played such an influential role in the settling of this area. Along with his younger brother William, they established trading posts along the Santa Fe Trail. Charles was the first governor of the New Mexico Territory. He was killed during the Taos Revolt in early 1847.

Governor Bent Museum in Taos

We intended to visit Taos Pueblo on our trip, but when we arrived at the pueblo a few miles north of Taos, we were directed to turn around since the Pueblo was closed.  

We took the Low Road for our return trip to Santa Fe. The highlight of this route is the Rio Grande River. When first spotted from the highway, the river is in a gorge slicing down from the north towards the road. The highway then parallels the river for a number of miles, with various river outfitting businesses along the way. There are numerous spots along the highway to pull off and admire the river or watch rafters floating downstream. Eventually, the highway veers away from the river, though still roughly paralleling it from a distance.

The Rio Grande cuts a gorge through the high desert near Taos

Donna, with the Rio Grande in the background

This was a great day trip, and it allowed us to see some of the traditional New Mexico. Surprisingly, gas prices were cheaper in Taos than in Sante Fe. While prices in Santa were about $3.50, they were about a dime lower in Taos.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is an exciting city. History is around every corner, beautiful scenery extends in every direction, dining opportunities abound. And then there is the art community. Everyone needs to visit this city at least once in their lives.

We spent a week in the city, and we enjoyed ourselves. We especially love the adobe architecture of this part of the country. But Santa Fe is an expensive city for tourists. Quaint, unique shops beckon to tourists, and restaurants are a bit more expensive than what we are accustomed to. Since we are not shoppers – remember, we just had a garage sale to get rid of our junk, so we certainly don’t need any more – the shops  of Santa Fe don’t really appeal to us. And although I enjoy art, I’m not an art connoisseur, and there is a very large art colony in the area. So after a week, we were ready to move on to our next destination.

We did get out and see a lot. Our first outing was to the downtown area of old Santa Fe. Because of my love of history, I wanted to visit the Palace of the Governors, a place we had visited about 25 years ago. We purchased a day pass to the Palace and the neighboring New Mexico History Museum for $9 per person. History in New Mexico, and Santa Fe in particular, goes way back when compared to Texas, so there is much to see.

Palace of the Governors, with Native American vendors along the front selling jewelry and other goods.

After our museum tour, we walked the streets around the plaza. The area teems with dining options and shops selling art, clothes, and locally-made jewelry and trinkets. But these things don’t appeal to us, and dining out can get expensive, so avoided these places. We did purchase fajita burritos from a vendor in the plaza. We love street food, which is usually cheap and tasty, so we enjoyed this.

Plaza, in historic downtown Santa Fe

Typical street scene around the Plaza

After our stroll downtown, we visited a couple of nearby churches.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Parking in Santa Fe is a problem, and it can be costly. In fact, it seems that everything costs something in the city. The downtown streets are narrow, with many running one way. We parked one day in a downtown parking lot. It cost us $6 for about 3 hours or so, and the spaces were barely big enough to accommodate our Tundra. To live in Santa Fe, you need a small vehicle, which I would gladly have if I did not need to pull our trailer.

On another day, we got out early to visit the local Farmers’ Market. Remember, we live in our trailer, so we still have to do laundry, clean the trailer, and cook food. I loved this market. It is located right next to the railroad tracks, and we saw passenger trains pull through while there. The produce was beautiful, and the variety was excellent, though a bit pricey for a farmers’ market.  We especially enjoyed the roasted peppers we bought there, though other items were all good.

Farmers' Market at the Railyard on a cool morning in Santa Fe

Vendor roasting peppers at the market

Lots of quality produce at each stall

We love the climate of Santa Fe. Daily temps ranged from lows in upper 50s or lower 60s to daily highs in the mid 80s. We did not have any rain during our stay, but clouds did blow in a time or two.

We also enjoy the traditional architecture of the area. On one day, we drove up Canyon Drive, a narrow lane that winds among art galleries and tree shaded adobe structures. It's a very picturesque city street.  

Along with such storied cities as San Antonio, New Orleans, and San Francisco, everyone should make at least one visit to Santa Fe sometime in their lives. It's an exciting city with much to do and see.