How does this sound for a trip to New Mexico for our family (couple plus boys 12 and 16) around the end of June next year:

- Fly into Albuquerque, get a rental, and drive to Santa Fe.
- 3 nights at Bishop's Lodge, with hiking, trail biking, shopping, sightessing, and good eating on the list of priorities.
- 2 nights in Taos at Casa de las Chimineas, with whitewater rafting, hiking, Indian culture, shopping, and eating on the agenda.
- Back to Albuquerque for a night at La Posada. Sightseeing and eating. Fly out the next day.

Any thoughts on alternative lodging? Recommendations for eating? (Southwestern or Mexican would be great, from funky to ritzy) Good day-hikes? A rafting company in Taos?

Thanks!

Bill,

My wife & I made a very similar trip in early October several years ago. Your itinerary sounds very good. Here's a few specifics you may want to consider.

From Taos, drive Northwest to a great bridge over the Rio Grande gorge (I think it's an hour or less from Taos). You can park on the east side and walk to the center--the view of the gorge is tremendous.

Also in Taos--Roberto's mexican restaurant was awesome, very casual atmosphere and food is simple but best we had on our trip.

And finally in Taos, my wife & I loved the Taos Pueblo (still inhabited). I have heard it described as a tourist trap, but I definitely disagree. It felt like a special place to me.

Santa Fe? We just loved the whole town, so it's hard to remember one particular experience.

Do a search on this site, and you'll find a lot of information from previous posts.

Have a great time!

Sending my question to the top for one last try before it sinks into oblivion.

Thanks, Chuck, for your advice.

- Bill

Bill, sounds like a good plan, and I like your hotel choices. The only thing I might throw out that, depending on how outdoorsy your kids are, you might want three days in taos vs santa fe. To me, there's more hiking/rafting etc. to do at Taos than SF, where the thing to do is museums, gallery, shopping, etc. Also, if you do The Box rafting trip at Taos, that's a whole day right there.

I can never remember the name of anything in Taos, but there is a little bakery in town, kind of off the plaza area, where all the locals go, with great, cheap green chile breakfast dishes _it's next to this metaphysical bookstore and my favorite place in town. hopefully someone else will remember its name.

I agree with Texasgirl about most of Santa Fe's attractions being in-town and many of those in Taos being outdoorsy things. Rafting in Taos is cool, especially Taos Box (end of June should still be near-peak). Mountain biking is also excellent, with rental easily available.

For an in-town hotel in Santa Fe, you might want to try the Inn of the Governors. Not as quaint as some of the smaller places, but it has a swimming pool for your kids and it's fairly near the Plaza. In Taos, check out the Quail Ridge Resort. Close to town, but better for outdoors stuff.