ABIQUIU & POINTS NORTH

About 60 miles north of Santa Fe, Abiquiu and surrounding communities of El Rito, Gallina, Ojo Caliente and Chama to the north are some of the most beautiful landscapes New Mexico has to offer. Celebrated artist Georgia O’Keeffe lived at nearby Ghost Ranch for many years and also bought a house in Abiquiu in 1945, using it variously as an art subject, residence and studio for several years.

Nearby is the Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert. This beautiful old Roman Catholic monastery is reached by a rough dirt road, accessible in dry weather only.

Ojo Caliente is a small community northeast of Abiquiu. Generations continue to make the pilgrimage to Ojo Caliente to enjoy the unique combination of mineral waters: Lithia, Iron, Soda and Arsenic. Ojo Caliente is a legendary oasis healing body, mind, and spirit naturally for countless centuries.

El Rito is a village northwest of Ojo Caliente and was one of the first Spanish settlements in northern New Mexico and boasts the oldest church in New Mexico, restored in the 1980s. It is the home of the Carson National Forest Service – El Rito Ranger District, the El Rito Public Library, the Las Clinicas del Norte, and a campus of Northern New Mexico College. Originally named El Rito Colorado, the red creek, it took its name from the creek that passes through the village. Tewas call the El Rito region “pink below place” for the El Rito Mountains, known to them as the pink mountains. El Rito is surrounded by the Carson National Forest. El Rito also has an annual Artist Studio Tour.

Chama Village is located in the beautiful Northern New Mexico Rocky Mountains and is the western terminus of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, a steam-driven, narrow gauge heritage railway which carries visitors to and from Osier, Colorado, and Antonito, Colorado, during the summer months.

TAOS & TAOS SKI VALLEY

Taos is a town in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and incorporated in 1934. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, and Arroyo Seco. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name.

Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos; six formed the Taos Society of Artists in 1915. In time, the Taos art colony developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of Taos Pueblo and activities there, as the artists often modeled Native Americans from the pueblo in their paintings. Some of the artists’ studios have been preserved and may be viewed by visitors to Taos. These include the Ernest L. Blumenschein House, the Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios, and the Nicolai Fechin house, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Influential later 20th-century Taos artists include R. C. Gorman and Agnes Martin.

The Taos valley, Rio Grande and Taos mountains provide many opportunities for recreation, such as fly fishing, horseback riding, golfing, hot air ballooning, llama trekking, rafting, mountain biking and more. In the winter many people come to Taos to ski. Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet, is the highest peak in New Mexico. The Taos area has four ski areas – Taos Ski Valley, Red River ski area, Sipapu (ski area) and Angel Fire ski area. Other winter activities include hot air ballooning, horseback riding, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Winter sports at Taos Ski Valley are made possible through a unique public-private partnership with the United States Forest Service which manages portions of the federal land utilized for these activities.

GLORIETA, PECOS & ROWE

These small communities are located in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains along Interstate 25 on the east side of Glorieta Pass (elevation 7500 ft.). With many homes backing up to National Forest land, these areas are ideal for those wanting peaceful seclusion within commuting distance of Santa Fe.

Glorieta was the site of two important battles in New Mexico history, the Battle of Santa Fe and the Battle of Glorieta Pass.

Pecos is built along the Pecos River which flows from the north out of the Santa Fe National Forest. Notable locations nearby include Pecos National Historical Park, Glorieta Pass, Pecos Benedictine Monastery, and Lisboa Springs Trout Hatchery. It is also an entry point for hunting, fishing, hiking and camping in the Pecos Wilderness. Pecos Independent Schools serves the Village of Pecos as well as rural areas in western San Miguel County.

Rowe is located along Interstate 25 near the Pecos National Historical Park, at an elevation of 6,821 feet.
Rowe was established to provide labor for the Santa Fe Railroad in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The majority of the population came from Las Ruedas two miles away on the Pecos River. A pipeline to provide water for steam engines was laid between Rowe and the then village of Las Ruedas. Las Ruedas ceased to exist and by the time of the 1880 U.S. Federal Census most of the former residents of Las Ruedas were resettled in Rowe.

Pojoaque, Nambé and Española

Pojoaque, Nambé and Española offer affordable homes with a rural feel and an easy commute to Los Alamos and Santa Fe.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is the largest employer in Española; it accounts for over 12% employment of residents. The education sector is the second largest employer, the Española Public Schools is the 16th largest school district in New Mexico. Recently, Northern New Mexico College has expanded its degree programs and made massive improvements to its campus, adding a new library and a new School of Education. Larger local businesses include Akal Securities Inc, a security company that employees over 500 people.

In 2021, Tesla opened a 7,000 sq ft (650 m2) service center on Nambé land to service Tesla vehicles, after signing an agreement with Nambé Pueblo leaders. By November 2022, Tesla had followed this model of leasing native American land for a service and delivery center at a second New Mexico city – Santa Ana -which is 60 mi (97 km) closer to the large city of Albuquerque. The store is expected to open in May 2023 and will be five times larger than the first New Mexico facility in Nambe.

THE HIGH ROAD TO TAOS

The ‘High Road’ is a scenic, winding road through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that runs between Santa Fe and Taos. Among the quaint villages that line the High Road to Taos are: Nambé, Chimayo, Truchas, Las Trampas, Chamisal, Picurís, Peñasco, Vadito, Sipapu, Talpa and Ranchos de Taos. Many of these tiny villages perched high in the mountains have a church or Santaurio of significance.

In Chimayo you will find the famous Santuario de Chimayo and in Las Trampas, the stately San José de Gracia Church, completed in 1776. At the end of the trail in Rancho de Taos is the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, the subject of several paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, and photographs by Ansel Adams, Paul Strand and Ned Scott. Georgia O’Keeffe described it as, “one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards.” Many of these villages are home to a flourishing artistic community of weavers, potters and traditional woodcarvers.

LOS ALAMOS & JEMEZ SPRINGS

Los Alamos (The cottonwoods in Spanish) is a town built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The townsite or “the hill” is one part of town while White Rock is also part of the town. Home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos was founded to undertake the Manhattan Project. Top-ranked among New Mexico public schools, Los Alamos High School’s academic achievements have been recognized by a number of national publications.

Creativity abounds in Los Alamos and White Rock and plays a major role in community life. The same intellectual curiosity that drives scientific discovery and creativity has also produced a deep appreciation and involvement in cultural pursuits. Art, music, dance, theater, and lecture activities are accessible every day of the year. Art fairs, concerts, lectures, demonstrations, plays, recitals, parades, festivals, etc. are frequent.

The Village of Jemez Springs is located a bit south of Los Alamos, the site of Jemez State Monument and the headquarters of the Jemez Ranger District. The village and nearby locations in the Jemez Valley are the site of hot springs and several religious retreats.