Albuquerque

Nestled beneath the stunning Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico. Visitors frequently pass through the city on their way to the more famous towns and monuments to the north and west. But Albuquerque is quite an interesting place itself, and serves as an excellent base for exploring the region.

Albuquerque has an easy, laid-back atmosphere. The area around the University of New Mexico, on the east side of town, is particularly enjoyable, with its many cafes, bars and restaurants. In the center of the city, Old Town offers a look at the original Spanish village of Albuquerque, complete with adobe buildings and a twin-towered church.

In the mountains to the north of Albuquerque lies Santa Fe, famous for its art galleries and beautiful scenery. A road called the Turquoise Trail connects the two towns, providing one stunning view of the mountains after another. Santa Fe has been famous as an artist's retreat for many years, and the annual art festival is one of the largest in the country. The great English writer D. H. Lawrence lived in the hills for a while, and the landscape plays an important role in Georgia O'Keefe's famous paintings.

North of Santa Fe, the mountains grow larger and the towns are few and far between. Chimayo is a charming village famous for its small Catholic church, which some people believe contains miraculous powers. Taos, gloriously situated under the snowy peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is a tiny town overflowing with artists, hippies and new age spiritual seekers. The air and water is remarkably clear and pure here, drawing thousands of visitors from all over the world.