Enchanted Spring:
Exploring New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico and surrounding areas
May 24- 31, 2009 (Sunday-Sunday)

"I didn't even think in advance about what knowledge or skills I hoped to gain - for me this was a vacation in a beautiful location with a group of women. I learned so much though about slowing down, confronting the unknown and I learned so much from every participant about continuing to move forward on the trail of life even when times are tough. It was such an energizing and fun trip."

Highlights:

New Mexico has long been known for its fascinating history, its stunning natural beauty, its vibrant arts and culture, and its great cuisine. We've picked a sample of the best that New Mexico has to offer in each, for an in depth introduction to one of our most beautiful states.

Itinerary

The following itinerary should be considered a general guideline, intended to give a sense of all the possibilities. We may follow it exactly, or we may vary it depending on the weather, the interests of the group, or changes in 2009 schedules.

Sunday: The trip begins at 5 p.m. in Albuquerque, where we meet as a group at our hotel. We'll have our first introductions, review the trip itinerary, and then have an early dinner. For those who are not too jet-lagged, this is a good time to stroll around Old Town, the original center of Albuquerque. (D)

Monday: After breakfast, we start our learning about the oldest citizens in New Mexico with a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The museum provides a good overview of the history and culture of each of the state’s 19 Pueblo Indian tribes. We then go even further back in time with a visit to Petroglyph National Monument, site of more petroglyphs than anyplace in New Mexico. And finally we'll visit Acoma Pueblo. Acoma is built on top of a sandstone mesa, rising over 350 feet from its base. Fifty to a hundred people still live on the mesa, making it one of the two oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the US. Our guided tour will give us insight into both the history and present of this beautiful place. After a very full day, we'll spend the night in Grants, NM. (B,L,D)

Tuesday: We get an early start this morning so that we can have a full day at Chaco Culture National Historic Park. Chaco Canyon, the focal point of the Anasazi culture, contains over a dozen major pueblo ruins. The isolation and vastness of the Canyon, combined with learning about the very advanced civilization that flourished there around 1000 AD, make this a particular highlight of the trip. We start at the very informative Visitors Center. From there we can visit some of the ruins, possibly including one that is a three mile hike. We spend that night in Cuba at the Circle A Ranch Hostel, an old hacienda that is possibly the most charming and definitely the most unique place we'll stay. (B,L,D)

Wednesday: In the morning we leave for Bandelier National Monument, home to the Anasazi people from the 12th to the 16th century. We'll start in Frijoles Canyon where there are some easily accessible ruins. If we decide to get away from the most visited part of the Monument, there are several trails of different lengths and level of difficulty to hike. After spending the day exploring the trails and ruins of Bandelier, we head for Santa Fe, a town that lives up to its reputation for being beautiful and fascinating. (B,L, D)

Thursday: A morning historical walking tour of Santa Fe will get us oriented to the city, inform us about New Mexican history, and introduce us to some of the famous sites. In the late morning we'll hike in the mountains behind Santa Fe, along the Chamisa Trail. This hike, a round trip distance of 4 miles, stopping for a picnic lunch at a beautiful spot along Tesuque Creek. When we return to town you have the rest of the afternoon and evening to yourself. This is the perfect time to pay a visit to Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese-style health spa with hot tubs situated on the side of a mountain. Have you ever had a hot stone massage? Maybe its time. (B, L)

Friday: There are three choices today: white water rafting, visiting Taos, or just taking the day to yourself in Santa Fe. The rafting takes place on the Rio Grande and combines a relaxing morning float trip through beautiful scenery with an afternoon trip through class 2 and 3 rapids on the Racecourse. A completely different option is a visit to Taos, including a visit to the Taos Pueblo and the Millicent Rogers museum with time in the afternoon for shopping at the Plaza or going to additional museums. We return to Santa Fe for dinner that night. (L, D)

Saturday: We'll spend our last morning in Santa Fe with breakfast at our favorite local restaurant and a visit to the Georgia O'Keefe museum. In the afternoon we'll follow the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe, stopping in Madrid to look at some of the unique shops that house the goods of local artists. We arrive back in Albuquerque sometime in the afternoon, and the rest of the afternoon is free to do any final shopping or to fit in any last “must do” thing. That night we share a final farewell dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Albuquerque. (B, L, D)

Sunday: You are free to leave anytime that morning.

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