1

What are your interests? I love the hiking in the area and visiting the nerdy sights at Los Alamos. Some people prefer shopping at the touristy shops in Santa Fe. Then there is the wonderful New-Mex cuisine.

2

By the end of September the aspen trees should be turning golden in the Santa Fe mountains outside of Santa Fe and it's quite a sight to see. Santa Fe has a lively Saturday market downtown with all sorts of crafts and regional foods and entertainment. there is also an Indian market on the sidewalk outside of th ecity hall building which itself has an intersting history. Then there is th e"oldest house in America" next to one of the oldest churches in America, the Iglesia San Miguel. Of course, being Santa Fe, there's a wide selection of upscale art galleries and restaurants.

3

Have a look at Santafe.org ... A more interesting drive from Durango, might be... 550 South through the Navajo reservation to the scenic 96 west to Georga O'keffe country...Then South on the 84 through the Chama Valley to Espanola & up the hill to Santa Fe... carracar

4

Sorry, the 96 goes East, off the 550, A few miles North of Cuba, NM ... carracar

5

There are also a number of interesting museums, but not knowing your interests, I'll leave it at that. You might be able to visit some pueblos, but again it depends on your interests.

6

Been awhile, but things I liked (besides eating, gosh is the food good, be sure and try sopapillas):
Bandelier Park
Driving up to Taos and stopping in Chimayo
West of Albuquerque, visit Acoma Pueblo and be sure and try some Indian fry bread, so good!
Shopping, got a nice Navajo rug (2 Grey Hills pattern) by one of the Becay family members for $300.

7

If you have any interest in the opera I would strongly suggest that you think about the opera in Santa Fe. It only runs during the summer and the reason for this is that it is an outdoor theatre. It is a gorgeous setting and much is made of the pre-opera tailgating. Yes, tailgating. Some folks bring their own tables and chairs and make an elaborate set up in the parking lot. I was visiting and so pre-ordered a meal via a local caterer that comes and sets up in the parking lot. I then found a picnic table with my friend and we brought a bottle of wine and had a wonderful meal.

There are also some good hiking options nearby in Santa Fe and of course lots of art galleries in the town square.

8

I would recommend checking out the following website run by a husband and wife who know Santa Fe inside out. E mail them specific questions and I'm sure they will help. Here it is. http://www.thesantafetraveler.com/

9

There are 300 art galleries and a dozen museums in Santa Fe. There is a free shuttlebus to take visitors to each of the major downtown sites for browsing -- the Plaza -- Canyon Road -- Railyard (which has the Saturday Market and also Flea Market plus antique dealers, etc.) The Railyard has the historic Santa Fe Depot, which is the terminus of the commuter train, RailRunner, which goes roundtrip to Albuquerque (60 miles away) and beyond. There is the Sandia Airport Shuttlebus, which picks up passengers at their hotel/hostel and takes them to the Sunport International Airport in Albuquerque. The historic La Fonda Hotel, across the street from the Cathedral, has a list of nearby Tewa Indian Pueblo Villages that welcome visitors to observe their festivals and shop at their arts and crafts markets. There are three major art markets in downtown Santa Fe during the summer -- International Folk Art Market with crafts from Afghanistan, Africa, Peru Amazon, etc. Colonial Spanish Market with newly-crafted tin art and paintings and jewelry designed similar to Colonial Spanish historic arts and crafts. Indian Market, in August, with representatives from Indian tribes throughout North America, including Canada and Alaska. Each market draws thousands of visitors from worldwide, and many art collectors attend opening night art auctions, sometimes spending $50,000 for a unique ceramic pot crafted by an Ildefonso Pueblo Tewa Indian woman.

However, New Mexico's temperatures can reach the 100s F degrees during the summer months, but it is a dry heat, not humid. The last week of September, the High Road to Taos has annual Open Houses of all of the artists en route. The narrow mountain road is lined with golden chamisas and the mountains with golden aspen. Santuario de Chimayo is at the beginning of the route -- it is a site for annual pilgrimages during Holy Week to the "miraculous" mineral spring that some claim cured their illnesses. The nearby Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant is world-renowned for excellent New Mexico cuisine.

Ghost Ranch in Abiqu, which carracar wrote of, was Georgia O'keeffe's home where she did most of her beautiful paintings. It is open to the public. Her museum is downtown Santa Fe, where there is currently an exhibit of photographs by another renowned woman artist, whom it is rumored may be moving to Santa Fe from NYC.

10

Annie Leibovitz is touring with her traveling exhibit Pilgrimage organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is comprised of 64 digital photo images printed on watercolor paper. The exhibit opened this week at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and Leibovitz gave a lecture on her works at the Lensic Theater, on San Francisco Street, near the Plaza. She then took visitors on a private tour of her exhibit. Leibovitz called Alfred Stieglitz' shots of O'Keeffe "unparalleled" and referred to them as the "strongest portraits of all photographic time." ... "The problem with coming to Santa Fe is that you never want to leave." Leibovitz said.

( from Santa Fe Reporter , February 20-26, 2013 )

11

If you would like to splurge on accommodations, I recommend Bishop's Lodge, which is about 3 miles west of the downtown Santa Fe Plaza. They have tennis courts, a swimming pool (maybe too chilly for April), spa, and horseback riding in the mountains.

Also written up in the Santa Fe Reporter is the Dale Ball Trail System throughout the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Santa Fe. From Hyde Park Road, just blocks from the Plaza and off of Bishop's Lodge Road, drive maybe only one mile and you will be in the forest and find many access points to the network of 23 miles of trails deliberately built at a lower elevation for winter hiking and ski touring. You can also access the trails, plus Audubon trails, from the top of Canyon Road, next to the Randall Davey Audubon Center. The Dale Ball Trails are also good for mountain biking. There are also paved trails the length of Santa Fe, alongside two of the arroyos, for walking and cycling.