Weekend Getaways in New Mexico
Just an hour from the Albuquerque airport, Santa Fe lends itself perfectly to a romantic weekend. Settle in at one of the many remarkable hotels and make reservations at a couple of the city’s best restaurants (those mentioned here are just a few possibilities). With planning, you could also spend an evening at the Santa Fe Opera in the summer. Isolated, countercultural Taos is worth the extra 90-minute drive if you’re really looking to get off the map and off the grid, while Albuquerque offers a fun and funky city break, along with great outdoor activities.
Santa Fe
Day 1
Fly into Albuquerque. Head to Santa Fe via the scenic Turquoise Trail and check in to your hotel: La Fonda for a touch of history or Inn of the Governors. If it’s summertime, head to Canyon Road for the gallery crawl, which gets started around 5pm. In winter, have a cocktail at Secreto Lounge, then walk over to dinner at Joseph’s.
Day 2
Grab breakfast in a booth at the Plaza Café. Traditionalists can spend the morning at the New Mexico Museum of Art and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Quirkier tastes? Head for the House of Eternal Return and Museum of International Folk Art. In the afternoon, soak in a private hot tub at Ten Thousand Waves, followed by a massage, then dinner at the spa’s restaurant, Izanami. Hit the late-night movie at Violet Crown.
Day 3
Take an early morning stroll around the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve. Treat yourself to brunch at Harry’s Roadhouse or Café Fina, a little south of town, for high-end diner-style goodies and one last great view, then drive back down I-25 to catch your flight out.
Taos
Day 1
Fly into Albuquerque. Head to Taos via I-25 and the low road. Pick a prime plaza-view room at Hotel La Fonda de Taos or luxuriate in a suite at Palacio de Marquesa. Stroll the plaza and visit the E. L. Blumenschein Home and the galleries on Ledoux Street. Have a gourmet burger for dinner at The Burger Stand, then check out The Alley Cantina.
Day 2
Visit Taos Pueblo in the morning. In the afternoon, tour the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House and the Millicent Rogers Museum. If you’d rather hike, head for Williams Lake in the Taos Ski Valley—it’s a steep hike, but fairly short. Be dazzled by dinner at Medley in Arroyo Seco.
Day 3
Drop by San Francisco de Asis Church in the morning, then prepare for the drive back south with breakfast at Ranchos Plaza Grill. Head out along the high road to Santa Fe and then I-25 to the airport, which takes about four hours without much dawdling; a straight shot back down the low road will shave about 40 minutes off the trip.
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Albuquerque
Day 1
Arrive at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and transfer to your hotel: Try Los Poblanos Historic Inn for rural quiet, or the Hotel Andaluz downtown if you want to be in the middle of the action. Stroll around downtown and peek in the KiMo Theatre, then have sunset drinks at the Apothecary Lounge, followed by dinner down the street at Farina Pizzeria.
Day 2
Stroll around Old Town and take the ABQ Trolley Co. tour. Have lunch at Duran Central Pharmacy, then check out the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Spend the evening in Nob Hill with dinner at Frenchish.
Day 3
Get up early (again) for a hot-air balloon ride, overlooking the city from the Rio Grande to the mountains. Head to The Grove for a late breakfast, then cruise Route 66 and up to the East Mountains to see the Tinkertown Museum and Madrid. Optional: Cut west on dirt roads to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and get a last dose of chile at the Pueblo Restaurant.
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