Destination:
New Mexico

Sandia Peak Tramway

The perfect awe-inspiring overview of Albuquerque can be had from nearly one mile (2km) above the city on top of Sandia Crest, the windy mountaintop where the view is said to extend for over 1,000 miles (1,609km). Simply follow Tramway Boulevard for a few miles north of the city to board the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, the world's longest continuous jigback passenger tramway, which makes the ascent from the desert foothills to the summit in about 20 minutes. In winter skiers make use of the more than 30 trails descending from the mountain crest, while in summer hikers and mountain bikers take the tramway up and enjoy nature on their way down. Pleasure seekers simply ride to the top to enjoy the view, which is particularly spectacular at sunset, and enjoy a meal at the High Finance Restaurant with its picture windows.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is designed to give an introduction to New Mexico's rich Native American cultural heritage and the 19 individual pueblo communities of the State. The centre is situated on 12th Street, about a mile northeast of the Old Town in Albuquerque, and is a recreation of Pueblo Bonito, a ruined Indian village in the Chaco Culture National Historic Park dating from the 9th century. The centre also features a museum displaying early photographs, artefacts and artworks. A restaurant serves traditional fare and traditional dances are performed by different tribal groups. Those interested in seeing the real thing can make an excursion to Pueblo Acoma, 60 miles (96km) west of Albuquerque, the oldest inhabited village in the United States, situated on a 367-foot (112m) high sandstone rock.

Petroglyph National Monument

One of Albuquerque's most enjoyable recreational attractions is the 17-mile-long (27km) stretch of escarpment of the West Mesa, entered from Unser Boulevard, that is a treasure-trove of more than 25,000 prehistoric and historic rock carvings or petroglyphs, some dating as far back as 2,000 years. Maps and information regarding the geology and history of the area are available from the Las Imágenes Visitor Center. Hikers can follow various trails to explore the Boca Negra Canyon, or join rangers on scheduled walks during the summer months. Picnic areas, drinking water and restroom facilities are provided.

American International Rattlesnake Museum

Albuquerque's Rattlesnake Museum is an exciting and educational experience. Billed as an animal conservation museum the establishment is dedicated to displaying how rattlesnakes influence our lives. Exhibits include artefacts, memorabilia and the largest collection of live rattlesnakes in the world. The snakes, gathered from North, Central and South America, are kept in specially recreated habitats.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

The exciting Museum of Natural History takes visitors on a time trip through 12 billion years, from the formation of the universe up to the present day. From the earth's beginnings exhibits, displays and recreated scenes take you through an erupting volcano, an ice-age cave, an aquarium, the dinosaur age and a fossil centre, giant-screen theatre, planetarium and a naturalist centre, to name just a few of the educational entertainments offered.

Albuquerque Museum

The Albuquerque Museum, on the edge of the city's Old Town, explores New Mexico's past using the largest collection of Spanish colonial artefacts in the United States. Exhibits like Spanish armour and swords mingle with a recreated 18th-century adobe house compound. The museum also pays homage to the Vaqueros, the original cowboys who rode the range in New Mexico in the 16th century. There are also hands-on experiences to try like spinning wool, and a theatre where films about the city are shown regularly. The museum provides a walking tour of the Old Town area departing at 11am each day except Monday during spring, summer and fall.

Turquoise Trail

Travellers who abandon the highway and opt for the scenic byways will be rewarded with The Turquoise Trail state-designated scenic and historic route, which runs from Albuquerque to Sante Fe through the majestic Sandia Mountains, passing through the revived 'ghost' towns of New Mexico's mining belt. The route begins on NM14 about 16 miles (26km) east of central Albuquerque, covering about 61 miles (98km) before reaching Sante Fe. En route is the Cibola National Forest, mining towns of Madrid, Golden and Cerrillos filled with art and craft practitioners, the Tinkertown Museum, Museum of Archaeology, Old Coal Mine Museum and the Turquoise Mining Museum.

Roswell

The town of Roswell in south-east New Mexico has become the focus of UFO and alien hunters from all over the world every since the 'Roswell Incident' in 1947, when an alien craft purportedly crashed near the town leaving surviving extra-terrestrials. Conspiracy theorists believe government authorities deliberately covered up the crash. The incident, as well as a large collection of UFO-related material, is highlighted at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Main Street, Roswell. The museum also features a worldwide UFO sighting map and a comprehensive library. Roswell itself is just as UFO-crazy, and you can eat at UFO-themed cafes, and buy just about anything you can think of with an alien on it.

Palace of Governors

To begin sightseeing in Santa Fe, start where it all began on the city's historic central Plaza, which is dominated by the adobe structure known as the Palace of the Governors, the oldest public building in the United States. The palace was built in 1610 as Spain's seat of government for what is today the American Southwest. It still bears the scars of having survived Indian revolts and occupation, and Mexican Independence; it was later occupied by Confederate forces when they attempted to take New Mexico. Fittingly, in 1909, the building was converted into the Museum of New Mexico and is now the principal of Santa Fe's four museums, preserving 400 years of the state's history from the 16th century Spanish explorations through the frontier era to modern times. Exhibits range from a stagecoach and kitchen utensils to paintings on bison hide and a state seal made from spoons, quills and tacks.

New Mexico Museum of Art

Opposite the Governor's Palace on Santa Fe's historic Plaza stands a prime example of Pueblo Revival architecture, built in 1917, which houses the state's oldest art museum, home to more than 20,000 works of art. The distinguished collection spans the historic art colonies of Taos and Santa Fe of the past 100 years, right up to contemporary art, focussing on the southwest region. There is also a collection of photographs and two sculpture gardens housing traditional and abstract works.

Museum of International Folk Art

The most important and comprehensive collection of cross-cultural folk art in the world is housed in the Santa Fe Museum of International Folk Art, about two miles (3km) southeast of the city's central Plaza on the old Sante Fe Trail. Fascinating for tourists, and a treasure trove for researchers, scholars and contemporary artisans, the collection of the museum runs to about 125,000 pieces, divided into different categories. Of particular note are the Spanish Colonial collection, the south-western Hispanic Art collection of 20th century works, and collections of international textiles and costumes. There are examples of folk art from more than 100 different countries.

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

The museum dedicated to the work of artist Georgia O'Keefe opened in 1997, eleven years after the death of the artist who loved the state of New Mexico so much. Since then the museum has welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors, who come to enjoy the exhibition of the works of one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Georgia O'Keefe created imagery that expressed 'wideness and wonder', and was a leading member of one of the avant-garde art movements in New York in the 1920s. She featured the high deserts and dramatic cliffs of New Mexico frequently in her work. The Santa Fe museum's permanent collection contains more than 130 O'Keefe paintings, drawings and sculptures, the largest concentration of her work in the world and it is the only museum in the United States dedicated solely to one woman's work. The gallery itself is a former Baptist church with adobe walls.

Loretto Chapel

Although the Loretto Chapel on the Old Santa Fe Trail is no longer used for worship, it nevertheless remains a place of congregation, mainly for tourists who come to marvel at the chapel's 'miraculous' spiral staircase. The chapel, copied from Sainte-Chapelle Church in Paris, was built in 1873 to serve as chapel for the Sisters of Loretto's school for young women. The story goes that when the building was close to completion workers discovered the design had not left sufficient room for the proposed staircase to the choir loft. The only answer appeared to be a cumbersome ladder, which was not an attractive proposition for the Loretto sisters who decided to pray about the problem to St Joseph. Their prayers were answered in the form of a carpenter riding a donkey, who arrived and offered to build a spiral staircase. He accomplished this with only a saw, hammer and T-square, manufacturing a miraculous staircase, which is held aloft by no visible means of support.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

The 'Ranch of the Swallows' (El Rancho de las Golondrinas) is a living history site that was originally a real ranch, founded in the early 1700s, today offering an entertaining and educational attraction about 15 miles (24km) south-east of Santa Fe's central Plaza. The ranch was once the last stopping place on the thousand-mile (1,609km) El Camino Real (Royal Road) between Mexico City and Santa Fe. It has been fully restored as a living village with costumed villagers portraying life in early New Mexico. The first weekend in June brings the Spring Festival, and the first weekend in October is devoted to a Harvest Festival, which are highlights on the ranch calendar. Other special events include a Rennaissance Festival and Wine Festival. Every day, however, visitors can explore the hacienda, village store, schoolhouse, chapels, kitchens and other buildings on the ranch, pet farm animals and watch operations in the working molasses mill, blacksmith shop, shearing and weaving rooms, winery and so on.

Taos

The laid-back mountain resort town of Taos, about 70 miles (113km) north of Santa Fe, is in the centre of New Mexico's most sparsely populated region, serving as a popular ski resort in winter and artist's colony all year round. The main attraction at Taos is Taos Pueblo, the largest of northern New Mexico's Indian pueblos where life has changed little since ancient times. In the town, which sits between the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the deep Rio Grande Gorge, the old Spanish plaza is full of shops and museums and an unusual community who live in half-buried houses and reject materialism. The arts scene is particularly lively, and there are some excellent restaurants. Some of the diversions on offer include llama treks, hiking, biking and white-water rafting.