New Mexico's Blue Skies
OLD WEST
Georgia O'Keeffe's images of the bright blue New Mexico sky
punctuated with fluffy cumulus clouds act as a window to the
state's haunting, uncommon beauty - which makes a trip to the
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum a must when you're visiting Santa Fe. An
hour north of the city (and also an hour southwest from Taos) are
the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, a peaceful setting where four
types of geothermal mineral waters converge. It's believed there's
been a community around these springs since ancient times, dating
to the ancestors of today's Tewa (Pueblo) tribes. Before you sink
into the healing bubbles to enjoy the blue (or star-filled) canopy
above, take the easy three- to four-hour hike with archaeologist
Martha Yates to Hupobi, an ancient pueblo on the Rio Ojo Caliente,
to see petroglyphs and kivas. And there's perhaps no more dramatic
setting for the Land of Enchantment's sky than above the pale,
shifting lines of White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo.
With this view, you can't help but tap into your inner Ansel Adams,
especially along the park's eight-mile Dunes Drive.
NEW WEST
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta combines history (the
city's first ballooning demonstration took place in 1907) and the
best of modern technology and design. Held every October, it's the
biggest ballooning event on the planet. Don't miss the Mass
Ascensions (October 7, 8, 11, 14, and 15 this year), when some 700
balloons take to the azure heavens at sunrise. During the Fiesta,
Rainbow Ryders offers the only authorized balloon rides from the
same place as the competition balloons depart. If you're headed to
Santa Fe, skip I-25 and take the Turquoise Trail, a slow and very
scenic road with a unique mix of old West and new West, from the
Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture in Cedar Crest and the
10,678-foot Sandia Crest, the literal high point of the trail, to
the art galleries of quirky Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) and the
Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum. And since perhaps nothing is
more modernly West than the harmonious combination of cultures,
don't miss the Ten Thousand Waves spa near Santa Fe and its
"Japanese-adobe aesthetic." At this haven of peace and relaxation
with a focus on water-based treatments, locals recommend booking
the Ichiban Tub, which lets you take in the stars or sky as you
enjoy the healing waters.
Natural Wonders | New Mexico
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, (505) 946-1000, www.okeeffemuseum.org, $8 admission
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, (800) 222-9162, www.ojocalientespa.com, from $99 for lodging, day
rate for the mineral and mud pools starts at $16
White Sands National Monument, (505) 679-2599, www.nps.gov/whsa, $3 entrance fee
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, (888) 422-7277,
www.aibf.org, $6 admission
Rainbow Ryders, Albuquerque, (505) 823-1111, www.rainbowryders.com, $295
Turquoise Trail, Albuquerque to Santa Fe, www.turquoisetrail.org
Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture, Cedar Crest, (505)
281-4745, www.museumarch.org, open May to
October, $3 admission
Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum, (505) 438-3008, $2 admission
Ten Thousand Waves, Santa Fe, (505) 992-5025, www.tenthousandwaves.com