Offbeat Travel Tips for Santa Fe?
 

Off to Santa Fe - January 24-27 for a nice long weekend escape! Looking for hidden treasures or other offbeat ideas of things to see and do while in town. Suggestions? Sleeping at the Inn of Anasazi close the downtown square.

I don't know if you are a race fan, but there is a small Unser museum (and rec center) just outside of town. His house is pretty wild to, it is huge and has an incredible (racecar) gate with wheels in all the panels of the fence. You did say off beat! There is a great bookstore and place to eat out there as well. It really is only 5 minutes outside of town on the main drag. If you do a MapQuest to Casa Chamisa (you will see the route).

The folk art museum is a real treasure and a lot of fun, too!

the whole town is a treasure and offbeat (meaning wonderful). everything is right near where you are staying. there are lots of brochures at the inn and the visitor's center. <BR><BR>take money for the jewelry and art and food and museums.

Georgia O'Keeffe museum.

Go to Taos &amp; visit the Pueblo (first thing in the morning before the tour buses). The residents will tell you stories all day &amp; you may gain a new appreciation for life in the desert.

<BR><BR>Three things jump to mind:<BR>1) Bandelier Natil Monument- Great Indian cliff dwellings. And it's a great drive out there (near Los Alamos).<BR>2) The drive up/down the Turquoise Trail, with a stop in Madrid. Great little craft shops, and good eats at the Lost Mine Tavern. (Kind of a rough place. But fun.)<BR>3) Trip over to Abiquiu. Simply divine scenery. (Georgia O'Keefe's adobe house is there and open to the public. )(This is also the road to Ghost Ranch.)<BR><BR>Have fun!!!

Try the Shidoni Foundry a few miles from the plaza.<BR><BR>They pour bronze for all sizes of sculpture and have some great pices in their garden.<BR>http://www.shidoni.com/<BR><BR><BR>

Just returned from Santa Fe on January 4th. My third time there and just as wonderful each time. All the suggestions above are good ones. If you do drive to Taos (which I highly recommend) take the &quot;high road&quot; there. Ask the locals or concierge how to go, they'll know what you're talking about. On the way, stop for a visit at the Sanctuario de Chimayo in Chimayo. It's an old, tiny, rustic chapel built over the site of a miracle that allegedly occurred in the 1800's. Spiritually, culturally and historically, this is a special place for anyone regardless of religion. You can also take some of the &quot;holy dirt&quot; they keep in a small antechamber off the main chapel. Also, when you get to Taos, take Rt. 64 to the west of town and visit the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. An awesome sight! The whole drive is spectacular, plan for the whole day. Stop for breakfast at the Tesuque Village Market, 10 mins. outside of town in Tesuque on Bishop's Lodge Road. You can head out that way to get to the highway for the drive to Taos after breakfast. That's my two cents.