Seeing Northern New Mexico on Your Philmont New Mexico Tour
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What to See and Do
Albuquerque
Northern NM
Santa Fe Trail
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Planning and Logistics
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Managing the Trip
Sample Itinerary
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After our time in Albuquerque, we followed the Rio Grande Valley north to see Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Taos. Much of our trip was along the route of the old El Camino Real, "The Royal Road", traversed by the Spanish explorers and colonizers coming up from Mexico City through El Paso to the capital at Santa Fe and Spain's northernmost colonial outpost at Taos.
To reach Cimarron from Taos we crossed the mountains, generally following the route of early trappers and traders who brought goods into Taos this way prior to the Santa Fe Trail to avoid attracting attention of the Spanish authorities in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe
We stopped for only a couple of hours in Santa Fe, though you could easily spend a day. We visited the Plaza -- the end of the Santa Fe Trail -- with its many shops, restaurants, museums, historic churches, and art galleries. On the north side of the Plaza, the Palace of the Governors, constructed in 1610-1612, is the oldest continuously used public building in the U.S. Formerly the Spanish seat of government and governor's residence, it now houses the history museum of the Museum of New Mexico. (See Museum of New Mexico.) Native American crafts including silver jewelry are sold from blankets laid out in front of the Palace.If you have an interest in Native American culture you might visit one of two Indian-oriented museums in Santa Fe. The Institute of American Indian Arts (See IAIA Museum) has the advantage of being located near the Plaza (one block east of the Plaza on Cathedral Street) with a bus loading area right if front. The emphasis here is on contemporary, not traditional, Indian art (lots of acrylic paintings and mixed media works). Exhibits are not limited to southwestern artists and include works of Native American artists coast to coast.. The IAIA's excellent 50 minute video might be a bit long for a restless Scout group.
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is on "Museum Hill" a distance from the Plaza but not far from I-25, so it could be a fairly convenient stop between Albuquerque and Philmont. Compared with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, Santa Fe's Museum of Indian Arts and Culture has more of a traditional museum feeling. It covers Navajo and Southwestern Plains Indians as well as the Pueblos. A good museum-style cafeteria is adjacent to the museum but it was not very speedy. (See MIAC).
Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Opera's season nearly coincides with Philmont's, running from late June through August. In the opera's open-air theater you can join Hollywood film industry personages on an evening out from their Santa Fe summer homes. You will see the brilliant stage come alive with extravagant scenery and costumes as the western sun sets behind the Santa Fe hills. I did this one without the Scouts, and maybe this is not the thing for most of your guys either, but it is worth considering for those interested in your Scout group or family. For 2003, ticket prices start at $20 and go up to $130. The Opera offers a modest group discount for reserved seats or half-price student tickets at the time of performance. Note: you will enjoy the show more if you get an English translation of the libretto to read in advance of your trip; the seat backs electronically display a translation as the show progresses, but this is really a condensed version that misses a lot. Go early and enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the place. See Santa Fe Opera.Camel Rock
Camel Rock is an interesting rock formation north of Santa Fe. It is worth noting in passing or if you are in need of a quick stop. It looks like a camel seen from the East, like ET (the extraterrestrial) when seen from the North.Los Alamos
We stopped at the Bradbury Science Museum (505-667-4444) with exhibits on science and history centered around Los Alamos and the building of the first atomic bomb. Includes a movie on Los Alamos, Oppenheimer, and the Manhattan Project. See the Bradbury Science Museum. While in the area were able to see the effect of the big forest fire that swept through the Los Alamos area in 2000.Bandelier National Monument
Although small compared with Mesa Verde National Park in southern Colorado, Bandelier National Monument (near Los Alamos) has enough cave and stone ruins to get a feel for the lives of the cliff dwelling Puebloan ancestors of the Pueblo Indians.
We took a guided tour of the
ruins. Our park ranger tour guide happened to be a native American from the Picuris Pueblo. She was able to
explain, and show with examples, how the natural resources of the area were used by the Puebloans to meet their
needs. The tour involves
a 1.4 mile loop trail and climbing ladders into some of the cliff dwellings. Frijoles Canyon
is a good place for a longer hike if it fits in your schedule. After dark you might try a tour to see
the cave dwelling bats come out or sit in on a ranger-led campfire with slide show and talk on the
archeology or nature of the locale. Call 505-672-3861 ext. 517 for the visitor center and tour
arrangements. See: Bandelier.
Taos
Taos makes a good stopping point with its pueblo, plaza, museums, shops and art galleries. By the time we got to Taos we had seen the Albuquerque and Santa Fe plazas so we skipped the Taos plaza and visited the Taos Pueblo -- you have probably seen pictures. We had a short guided tour and walked through the 1000-year-old pueblo village with adobe buildings. We bought a loaf of bread just baked in a horno (a beehive-shaped outdoor adobe oven) and broke off pieces to eat on-site. Get youth rates for admission and pick one or two persons to carry a camera as they charge a fee for each camera. Admission worked out to about $5 per person plus a tip for the guide. I know it seems a bit much for a short stop but it provides good memories and a place to say "I've been there" when you see Taos Pueblo pictures. Phone:505-758-1028. For more information see Taos Pueblo web site or Pueblo info or More Taos Info.You might also want to see the Kit Carson Home and Museum, with various artifacts in Kit's old adobe house. See: Kit Carson Home and Museum (Phone 505-758-4741). We missed this one as, with our schedule, it opened too late for us to see comfortably and still get to Philmont for lunch.
Taos is also a noted center for southwestern art. There are many galleries and museums. As as in Santa Fe, the more pretentious up-scale art galleries are probably better options for adults or those with a serious interest than for typical groups of Scouts. See Collector's Guide for information on art galleries and museums.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
If you can spare an extra half hour in the Taos area, consider driving out to the Rio Grande Gorge bridge a few miles northwest of Taos on US Route 64. We stopped and walked out on the bridge and looked down to the Rio Grande River 600 feet below. The Scouts enjoyed this stop. A little scary but very cool.Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Built in the 1880's for logging and mining, this rail line between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO now provides a scenic ride on a narrow gauge steam train 64 miles through the San Juan Mountains. I have made this trip with my kids but not a Scout group. A full-day train trip is nice for a family, but I would guess a half-day trip may be enough time on the train for an energetic Scout group. We saw a couple distant bears from the train on our trip. Phone 505-756-2151. See Cumbres & Toltec.My most memorable place: Santa Fe
Zach, Troop 81
"The Santa Fe Opera, with its striking amphitheater and popular summer performances, has given Santa Fe, N.M., a reputation for leadership in the arts."
J.B. Albright
New York Times, April 2001
"Bandelier was great.. good archeology, hiking, and camping. The terrain was more Southwest than Rocky Mountain.
Joe
Scouter Troop 51
"One day in August, 1888, in the teeth of a particular New Mexico sand-storm that whipped pebbles the size of a bean straight into your face, a ruddy, bronzed, middle-aged man, dusty but unweary with his sixty-mile tramp from Zuni, walked into my camp at Los Alamitos. Within the afternoon I knew that here was the most extraordinary mind I had met. There and then began the uncommon friendship which lasted till his death a quarter of a century later."
Charles Lummis
on archaeologist Adolph Bandelier
"Sooner or later every man in the mountains came to Taos. They came to it from as far north as the Red and as far south as the Gila. They came to it like buffalo to a salt lick across thousands of miles. Taos whiskey and Taos women were known and talked about on every stream in the Rockies. More than any other place, Taos was the heart of the mountains."
Harvey Fergusson, quoted in Weber's Taos Trappers
"In April we had all safely arrived at Taos. The amount due us was paid, and each of us having several hundred dollars, we passed the time gloriously, spending our money freely never thinking that our lives were risked in gaining it."
Kit Carson, 1831
"Wheat, a cold weather grain introduced by the Spaniards, adapted well to the high Taos and Penasco valleys where the short growing season prevented corn from reaching maturity." Marc Simmons
"The train ride was awesome...except when I got soot in my eyes."
Cara, age 13