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AUGUST 19, 2011
• travel •
WWW.JUSTOUT.COM
S o u th w e s t S o jo u rn
Exploring Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos
BY ANDREW COLLINS
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A couple of weeks ago, I received the latest
version of the Fodor's New Mexico— I wrote
and updated half of the chapters o f this guide
book arid edited all of the others. Its one of
my favorite freelance gigs, as I began working
on these books back when I lived in Santa Fe
(and later Albuquerque) for seven years begin
ning in 2000. Now that I live in Oregon, writ
ing about this land of expansive high deserts
and soaring mountain peaks gives me plenty
of opportunities to make return visits— and to
satisfy my lust for singularly delicious and
spicy New Mexico green chiles (never to be
spelled “chili” in this part of the world).
In fact, North Central New Mexico makes
for an enchanting vacation from Oregon—
there are direct flights daily on Southwest Air
lines from Portland to Albuquerque, and the
other big carriers can get you there with a sim
ple connection. The Albuquerque-Santa Fe-
Taos corridor is highly popular with LGBT
travelers and contains a remarkable variety of
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Above: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in
historic Santa Fe
Below: The picturesque Santuario de
Chimayo. a favorite stop on the High
Road between Santa Fe and Taos
first-rate art museums and galleries, dramatic
scenery for outdoor recreation, sophisticated
inns and B&Bs and a stellar culinary scene.
You can find plenty o f travel advice on the
region’s key attractions and activities in typi
cal guidebooks and by checking out the web
sites o f the three main tourism offices in Al
buquerque (itsatrip.org), Santa Fe (santafe.
org) and Taos (taoschamber.com). But here’s
my quick-and-dirty insider’s take on what
you absolutely must see when visiting North
Central New Mexico, including a few rela
tively hidden gems and local favorites:
Georgia O’Keeffe’s former home and
studio. I t’s about a 50-mile drive northwest
o f Santa Fe to reach the rambling Spanish
Colonial compound the legendary artist in
habited for more than 40 years until shortly
before she passed away in 1986 at age 98.
Relatively few visitors take the thorough
tours given o f this home (okeeffemuseum.
org), as they’re ex-
% pensive (S30-S40 per
g person, depending on
S the time o f year) and
necessitate
advance
reservations o f at least a
few weeks.
But these tours are
fascinating— her home
and studio retain the
furnishings and design
of when she lived here
throughout the late 20th
century, and you come
away with an incredibly
rich sense of the strong
personality and vision behind O ’Keeffe’s
thousands o f creations. Back in Santa Fe, you
can view an impressive collection o f her work
at the Georgia O ’Keeffe Museum, which ad
ministers the studio tours.
Nob Hill in Albuquerque. W hether you
spend a few days or just a few hours in New
Mexico’s largest city, don’t miss its coolest dis
trict (rt66central.com), which is also home to
more gay-owned and -frequented businesses
than anywhere else in the state. Head for the
main commercial corridor, Central Avenue
(aka “Historic Route 66”), which lies just west
o f the University of New Mexico and is lined
with retro boutiques, hip cafes, nifty design
stores and fun bars and lounges. Restaurants
like Zinc, Nob Hill Bar and Grill and El Patio
(for delicious though fiery hot New Mexican
fare) are well worth seeking out.
Rouge Cat and Effex. Despite being
home to the 32nd largest city in the country
and such popular gay vacation destinations
as Santa Fe and Taos, N orth Central New
Mexico lacks significantly when it comes to
gay nightlife. However, in 2010, the region
saw the opening o f two lively LG B T estab
lishments. The largest, Effex, is in downtown
Albuquerque, just off Route 66, and it’s a
great spot for dancing, with a high-quality
sound system, talented deejays and— my
favorite feature— a large roof deck. I t’s the
most notable o f Albuquerque’s few gay bars.
Up in Santa Fe, the lesbian-owned Rouge
C at is just a block from the historic Plaza in
downtown Santa Fe and cultivates a cozy,
sophisticated vibe in the main floor lounge.
Head downstairs to the basement and you’ll
find a small, pulsing dance floor th at’s packed
on weekends. The crowd is extremely eclectic,
generally fairly mixed gay-straight.
Arroyo Seco. A tiny, 180-year-old village
situated at a bend in the scenic road that
eventually winds its way to Taos Ski Valley,
quirky Arroyo Seco (visitseco.com) provides
a distinctive, less-crowded alternative to the
touristy flavor o f Taos Plaza and its predict
able souvenir shops. I t’s a 15-minute drive
north to reach this community o f genuinely
unique galleries, the retro-cool Arroyo Seco
Mercantile (an old-school dry goods store
with a curious inventory o f pottery, cookware
and gifts), and the best ice cream shop in the
state, Taos Cow, which is renowned for such
inventive flavors as pinon caramel and cin
namon-chocolate chunk (it’s also a worthy
source o f sandwiches, soups and breakfast
burritos).
The scenic drives. Even Interstate 25, the
quickest route from Albuquerque to Santa Fe,
offers plenty o f magnificent panoramas. But
to soak up the best o f the region’s spectacular
scenery— from the snow-capped 12,000-foot
Sangre de Cristo Mountains to seemingly
endless sagebrush-studded mesas— take your
time and choose the more beautiful two-lane
scenic roads that crisscross North Central
New Mexico.
The best alternative to Interstate 25 is N.M.
14, known more poetically as the Turquoise
Trail (turquoisetrail.org). This 70-mile route
winds up around the city’s Sandia Mountains
and through the former mining villages of M a
drid (here its pronounced with the emphasis
on the first syllable) and Cerrillos. In Madrid,
the LGBT-owned Mine Shaft Tavern serves
exceptionally tasty green-chile cheeseburgers.
The other “must” when it comes to memo
rable drives is the “High Road” between Taos
and Santa Fe (highroadnewmexico.com). The
drive is prettiest when it’s experienced in a
southerly direction, from Taos down to Santa
Fe, so when driving north toward Taos, take