Kristina

My fiance and I are going to New Mexico in mid-November for a week. We would like to focus on the Northern part of the state. Should we break up our stay into two places? I'm not sure about the driving time/distance between Bandelier,Alb.,Sante Fe, Taos, etc. If so, which two towns would you suggest? Thanks!

travellyn

You could probably have a good trip making your bases Santa Fe and Albuquerque, but it depends on what other places besides Bandelier and Taos you want to visit. Chaco Canyon and Aztec Ruins might be better visited from a little place like Aztec or Cuba. The area around Los Alamos is beautiful. Do you want to head up to Mesa Verde, too? I've never been to Acoma Pueblo, but it's always been on my to do list. To give you an idea of scale and driving times, Santa Fe and Albuquerque are only about an hour apart. Although I often like staying in one place and doing day trips, this area is amenable to doing a big loop, staying in various places for a day or so each.

Kristina

Thanks for your response travellyn. I'll read up about Mesa Verde. We would really like to see as much as we can of the whole state(our first visit), but we are driving from L.A. and want the trip to be relaxing as possible. You seem very familiar,I suppose anything you could suggest to us while staying in the northern part of the state would be helpful. We would love to see White Sands and the caverns, but I don't think 5 days are enough. thanks again.

Cindy

I'd like to chime in and strongly recommend that you see Acoma Pueblo, if you can. It's a fascinating glimpse into history, in an astonishingly beautiful setting. They're very often closed for religious festivals, but if you can get up there, it's an amazing place.

J T Kirk

Personally, I could spend five days just in the Sante Fe area. I'd do Bandelier, Puye Cliff Dwelling, and Abiquiu in one (full) day.

Then, I'd take one day and head to Taos and check out the pueblo there as well as the town. This is a full day.

Then, I'd head down the Turquoise Trail and have lunch at the Lost Mine Tavern and check out the little shops in Madrid. This could be done in a day with time left over.

I'd spend whatever time is left over in Sante Fe, checking out the art galleries, shops and restaurants.

I love Chaco Canyon, but it's a drive to get there. It easily takes a full (long) day from Sante Fe.

Have fun.

travellyn

If you're driving from LA, come into NM on I-40. It will take you right past Acoma Pueblo as you approach Albuquerque. After Albuquerque, take the Turquoise Trail (through Madrid etc.) to Santa Fe. From there, you can: 1) head up to Taos via the high road, possibly on to Chama, or 2) drive to Cuba, for Chaco Canyon. It depends on your interests. The other posters have given more details of what activities are available in each place.

Two good resources that may be very helpful are Journey to the High Southwest (a book), and the California Automobile Associations's Indian Country map. Reading a few Tony Hillerman books should get you in the appropriate state of mind for the trip.

I wouldn't go to Mesa Verde on this trip unless you want to focus solely on Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) sites. I'd also save Carlsbad Caverns for another trip.