Points of Interest

There is no way we can create an all-inclusive list of things to do given the varied nature of the guests attending. We can list a few that we have either tried or think would be fun to try however.

Family & Kid Fun

Genoveava Chavez Community Center

3221 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe · (505) 955-4000

The Chavez Center is on Rodeo Road just south of the Santa Fe Suites. It contains a swimming pool for kids (adults, too!), indoor ice rink, fitness center and other sports. There is an indoor baby sitting/playroom area for parents who wish to workout while leaving their child in a safe environment.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

334 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe · (505) 471-2261

El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum located just south of Santa Fe. It is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico. Original colonial buildings on the site date from the early 18th century. Villagers clothed in the styles of the times show how life was lived in early New Mexico, giving visitors an in-depth look into the celebrations, music, dance and many other aspects of life in the period when this part of the United States was ruled by Spain and Mexico.

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe · (505) 989-8359

The Santa Fe Children's Museum features many hands-on exhibits and kid's activities promoting history, botany and science. It is a well known and supported museum.

Horseback riding

There are several beautiful locations for horseback riding, from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the old mining towns southeast of the city or do the La Bajada overlook along the I-25 corridor. Here are some suggested outfits to contact:

Hot Air Balloon Rides

Albuquerque is a world-famous location among hot air balloon pilots and enthusiasts. There is a reason some 750+ balloons make the trek there every year for the International Balloon Fiesta in October — the box located along the Rio Grande Valley that allows pilots to launch, fly around, and then land in the same spot.

There are ride operators running all-year offering a unique view of the Rio Grande Valley and side-views of the Sandia Mountains. Below are a few of the operators. For first-time riders there is a champagne celebration that follows your landing. Be sure to ask if a "champagne flight" is available when you call. Note: nearly all balloon flights launch at dawn so you must be a morning person.
Advance reservations are required for nearly all balloon operators

  • Rainbow Ryders, Inc.

    • Albuquerque, NM · (505) 823-1111 · (800) 725-2477(AIRR)

    Rainbow Ryders, Inc. is the official ride operator for the Balloon Fiesta and is one of the more popular tourist ride outfits.

  • Above It All

    • Albuquerque, NM · (505) 861-3386 · (800) 955-3715

  • World Balloon

    • Albuquerque, NM · (505) 293-6800 · (800) 351-9588

  • Skyspan Adventures

    • Albuquerque, NM · (505) 250-2300 · (877) SKYSPAN

    These last two are located in Taos and offer fantastic views of the high mountain peaks and Rio Grande Gorge

  • Pueblo Balloon Company

    • Taos Pueblo, Taos · (505) 751-9877

  • Eske's Paradise Balloons

    • Taos, NM · (505) 751-6098

Historic Santa Fe Plaza

Known locally as the Plaza, this historic area is marked by a central park lined with huge shade trees, benches and a music band stand on the north end. Many of the buildings surrounding the park stand just as they did during colonial Spanish times. Aside from the numerous shops, hotels and restaurants, you will also see a number of famous landmarks. Be sure to visit The Palace of the Governors, St. Francis Cathedral and Loretto Chapel. The Plaza also marks the end of the Santa Fe Trail that started from Independence, Missouri.

The Palace of the Governors

105 West Palace Ave., Santa Fe · (505) 476-5100

Originally constructed in the early 17th century as Spain's seat of government for what is today the American Southwest, the Palace of the Governors chronicles the history of Santa Fe, as well as New Mexico and the region. This adobe structure, now the state's history museum, was designated a Registered National Historic Landmark in 1960 and an American Treasure in 1999.

The sidewalk along the front facing the plaza serves as a retail spot for Native Americans plying their arts and crafts just as they have for over 400 years. Jewelry, pottery, kachinas and more are spread out on blankets for you to admire and purchase. Avoid a lot of the souvenir crap sold in stores around the Plaza as well as many of the discount jewelry stores. Buying from the Natives is one way to insure you are getting a genuine piece of southwest art.

Cathedral Church of San Francis of Assisi

131 Cathedral Pl., Santa Fe · (505) 982-5619

Archbishop Lamy commissioned this cathedral in 1869, and it took more than 15 years to complete. The architecture is French Romanesque style. Today it is still maintained by the archdiocese of Santa Fe. The Cathedral houses many religious relics including the chalice used by Lamy and the oldest Madonna in the United States. The exquisite stained glass windows were created in France, traveling to Santa Fe via ship and then overland on a covered wagon.

Loretto Chapel

207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe · (505) 982-0092

The Loretto Chapel is the site of the miraculous spiral staircase. Read the site link for the full story and a history of the Chapel. Whether you are a believer or not a visit to the Chapel is worth it for the shear beauty of the construction of the staircase.

Mission San Miguel

401 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe · (505) 983-3974

This Spanish Colonial building is most likely the oldest church in North America. It was completed in 1625 and then nearly destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. In 1710 the Spanish once again took control of Santa Fe and rebuilt the church. Mass is still held in the church every Sunday at 5p. The religious artwork dates back to 16th century Spain, and the bell dates to the early 1300s. There is an audio recording describing the history of the church that is played continuously.

Institute of American Indian Arts Museum

108 Cathedral Place, Santa Fe · (505) 983-8900

The IAIA Museum is dedicated to showcasing contemporary Native American Fine Art and to training the next generation of Native Museum professionals.

Its interpretive approach is to design programs based on the Museum’s exhibitions and collections. The viewer can be exposed to the multiple environments in which Indian artists live and create. With this view, the Museum hopes to cut through the conventional discourse of “Contemporary vs. Traditional” or the “Two Worlds” concepts which tend to sterilize and oversimplify studies in Native American fine art. The IAIA Museum strives to offer the public, instead, a more complex view of contemporary Native art that reflects its diverse cross-cultural influences and explores its complicated historical development through its educational programming.

Scenic Drives

Many of the best scenic drives in the country are located in New Mexico and a fair share of those surround Santa Fe. Listed below are all drives that we have taken with the exception of the Enchanted Circle Drive.

High Road to Taos

2–3 hours between Santa Fe and Taos

This is by far one of our favorite trips seeing as how we make the first 1/3 of this trip on our daily commute. The High Road drive was the first attraction that brought David to this region back in 1989 (the other was Baja Tacos - on the restaurant page). The geographical changes, breathtaking views and historic towns encountered along this drive mark it as one of the best in the area. [more]

Jemez Mountain Trail

4-6 hours round trip from either Albuquerque or Santa Fe

This drive takes you along the west side of the Jemez Mountains, through the Jemez Indian Pueblo and ruins and into the splendid Valle Caldera and Bandelier National Monument. Along the way you pass through Jemez Springs, home to many natuarl hot springs (fee-based). Los Alamos and the National Laboratory are located in the north end of this drive so stop in to the Bradbury Science Museum if you have any time left. Additionally, Bandelier National Monument could easily take a whole day to explore or just a few hours to see some of its main ruins. [more]

Turquoise Trail

2-3 hours between Albuquerque and Santa Fe

The Turquoise Trail (NM 14) takes you along the eastern edge of the Sandia Moutains and through the Galisteo basin area of southeast Santa Fe. An excellent side-detour is a drive up to the Sandia crest for fantastic overlooks of Albuquerque and around. The towns along the route include the ghost mining towns of Los Cerrillos and Madrid, numerous art galleries and antique stores. The geography includes the rocky terrain familiar to the Santa Fe region to the alpine, forested areas of Sandia. [more]

Enchanted Circle

85 mile circular route around Wheeler Peak near Taos, NM.  2–3 hours.

The Enchanted Circle drive is a magnificient but long drive around Wheeler Peak in northern New Mexico. The drive begins and ends in Taos, NM so either head up there from Santa Fe via the High Road to Taos route or the faster, direct route up along US 84/285 to SR 68 in Española. Elevations along this drive range from 7,000 ft. up to 9,800 ft., the highest of any of the scenic drives listed here. [more]

Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway

16 mile drive from Santa Fe to the Santa Fe ski area.  ~1 hr.

This drive is the shortest one on the list and provides some of the most gorgeous scenic views. You will actually be taking half of this route when you attend the wedding reception. The Santa Fe Forest Scenic Byway begins along Artist Road as you leave Santa Fe and head towards the ski area along SR 475. It winds through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for 16 miles before you reach the end. Hyde Memorial Park, where the Lodge and reception are located, sits half way along the route. Further up the road are a few picnic areas and two national forest campsites and plenty of parking and scenic overlook sites. The ski lifts are open in the summer months to take visitors to the peaks for great views of Santa Fe.

And more

For a complete list of New Mexico scenic drives click here.

New Mexican Wineries

New Mexico precedes California in being one of the first regions in North America to develop cultivated vineyards and wine production. There are quite a few delicious wines still produced here and several are close to Santa Fe. The drive up US 84/285 and up to SR 68 through Española will take you past some of these.

For the complete list of New Mexico wineries click here.

The Big Day has already passed...whew!