By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate

Bandelier National Park protects over 33,000 acres of ruggedly beautiful country. It is known for its cavates — dwellings like this one — carved into the soft rock cliffs, whose existence pays tribute to the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE. Photo courtesy Santa Fe Tourism.

As if The City of Santa Fe isn’t fully wondrous enough on its own, it further serves as a springboard for multiple exciting northern New Mexico day trips. I suggest visiting Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiú, Ghost Ranch, Los Alamos, Bandelier National Monument, Nambe Falls, and — for a bit more action — signing on for a rafting excursion or two on the Rio Grande.

Sixty miles north of Santa Fe in the scenic Chama River (Rio Chama) Valley is culturally rich Abiquiú (pronounced “a buh kyoo,” the word means “wild chokeberry place” in the Tewa language), where America’s best-loved female artist Georgia O’Keeffe found home from 1949 until 1984. You can arrange a tour of her renovated Spanish hacienda at the Visitor’s Center adjacent to the Abiquiú Inn. In her light-filled studio she painted the inspiration around her: cliffs, bones, the Rio Chama, Cerro Pedernal, even the patio door series in her courtyard. Here too, she gardened and freely wandered the hills in the company of her beloved chow dogs. A short shuttle bus ride will get you there and back.

Ghost Ranch is known for its towering red rock cliffs, colorful mesas and expansive desert vistas. Also for inspiring countless artists, most famously Georgia O’Keeffe. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou.

The Abiquiú Inn itself with its lovely king and double queen casitas is a charming place to overnight, dine-in, and shop their excellent selection of books, jewelry, apparel, etc. It allows for easy access to sunset rides and proximity to Ghost Ranch.

Grab a $10 box lunch from the Inn and plan a picnic at Ghost Ranch. To get there, head northwest on Highway 84’s staggeringly beautiful 13-mile drive through the varicolored sandstone cliffs. Miss O’Keeffe first visited here in 1934 and six years later purchased a home. Her images of the landscape that set her imagination free are priceless today. The magnificent and often stark natural beauty of Ghost Ranch and surrounds has inspired numerous film makers for decades. City Slickers, Red Dawn, All the Pretty Horses, Cowboys & Aliens, and many more were filmed there, including, most recently, the 1940 Los Alamos village set of Oppenheimer and shots of the actor riding on the ranch.

Fuller Lodge at Los Alamos, served as the dining hall for the Los Alamos Ranch School and, after it was purchased in 1942 by the Manhattan Project and became a community center, it provided meals and rooms for visiting scientists, as well as space for dances, plays and other events. Photo courtesy New Mexico True, New Mexico Tourism Dept.

Long before the film Oppenheimer won an academy award, Los Alamos was declared a national park. One of three secret cities, Los Alamos was home to numerous scientific luminaries spearheaded by J. Robert Oppenheimer, who worked feverishly to develop the atomic bomb before Hitler did. This secret city is alive and well today and home to scientists working at Los Alamos National Laboratory on ways to provide a better world. Drop by the visitor center to start your Manhattan Project National Historical Park experience in Los Alamos. Speak with park rangers, who will stamp your passport book.

Nearby is Bandelier National Park, the largest of nine pueblos in the region. The park was closed during World War II as the lodge was used to house scientists working on the Manhattan Project. The main Pueblo Loop Trail is a well maintained, easy 1.4-mile stroll through archeological sites. Most visitors spend about an hour on this trail. Ladders along the trail allow visitors access to cavates, the rooms carved out and used by the Ancestral Pueblo people for living, weaving, and storage. The Main Pueblo Loop Trail takes you past Big Kiva, Tyuonyi, Talus House, and Long House. Bandelier National Monument protects part of what is the ancestral and traditional lands of at least 23 Tribal Nations.

If you are short on time and longing for a close-up historical experience, consider the Ancestral Pueblo village of Tsankawi (san-KAH-wee), just 30 minutes from Santa Fe. While it is a part of the Bandelier National Monument, it is not contiguous but is accessible from a gravel parking area off State Road 4. The 1.5-mile trail takes you along centuries-old paths of the Ancestral Pueblo people. In many areas, the trails have been worn into the soft volcanic rock 8-24 inches deep as they traveled from the mesa tops to their farms in the canyons below. The trails also connect to other villages in the surrounding area. This area is isolated. Do not hike here alone, and check with the main visitor center at Bandelier National Park for trail closures.

The Pueblo of Nambe, home to one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the southwest, is located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountain –Photo courtesy Santa Fe Tourism

Nambe Falls Recreation Area is a refreshing escape into the stunning but arid landscapes of northern New Mexico. The sound of rushing water and serene atmosphere invites exploration. The hike to the falls, which is about a mile long, takes you through lush vegetation and along a scenic trail that winds through canyons and under the shade of towering trees. You will have a few ankle-to-calf-deep water crossings to navigate, so wear appropriate shoes and use a walking stick to prevent falling on slippery rocks.

The best route to Nambe Falls from Santa Fe is quite straightforward. Start by heading north on NM-84/NM-285 for about 15 miles. Then take the exit for NM-503 toward Nambe and follow it for approximately 6 miles until you reach the Nambe Falls Recreation Area. The total distance from Santa Fe to Nambe Falls is roughly 21 scenic miles. Getting there is half the fun.

River rafting on the Rio Grande. Photo courtesy New Mexico River Adventures.

When I return to sweet Santa Fe, I will raft the Rio Grande with New Mexico River Adventures. They offer several different rafting adventures from a half day to 3-day outings during the spring and summer months. Their most popular trip is The Racecourse, an adrenaline filled half day trip. Their headquarters are located about an hour north of Santa Fe. Go to their website for detailed directions and book a rafting adventure for a nominal fee.

There are lots of hiking opportunities in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, so you don’t have to go far for outdoor adventure. Go to SantaFe.org for a calendar of events in the region and more day trip suggestions.

Linda Ballou Freelance Writer

Linda's mission is to experience as many beautiful places on our planet as she can before they are no more. Travel tales relating her experiences while kayaking, horseback riding, sailing, birding and hiking about the globe have appeared in numerous national magazines. She had great fun collecting travel stories, and profiles of people she met in “naturally high places” for her book, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. Her latest book Lost Angel Unleashed is the third book in her Lost Angel Trilogy

Go to LostAngelAdventures.com for more adventures.

For more about Linda’s novels and media offerings go to. www.LindaBallouAuthor.com