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Turn Left at the Sleeping Dog: Scripting the Santa Fe Legend 1920–1955, John Pen LaFarge

Literary Pilgrims: The Santa Fe & Taos Writers’ Colonies 1917-1950, Lynn Cline

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.santafewritersconference.com

www.unm.edu/~taosconf/

LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

8 In Search of Georgia O’Keeffe

37 48 Hours in Santa Fe

47 Take the High Road…and the Low Road

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Hiking the Jemez

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WHY GO Hike through mountain streams and meadows of thick grass and wildflowers, pink volcanic rock valleys covered with piñon and juniper, chamisa and blooming cactus, ancient dwellings and the butterscotch smell of Ponderosa pine, then soak those dusty bones in the healing waters of the Jemez’s natural hot springs.

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TIME

2 – 3 days

DISTANCE

80 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

May – Oct

START

Albuquerque, NM

END

Los Alamos, NM

ALSO GOOD FOR

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Speeding along I-25 from Albuquerque, the Jemez Mountains register as little more than a massive protrusion of green to the west, a backdrop to the light shows of the summer monsoons. But to those who take the time to wind through them, these remnants of a rich and violent volcanic history offer the essence of New Mexico, its desert and mountains, its dust and streams, its quirky spirit and expansive landscape.

From I-25, head west at exit 242 towards Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque. At the Walgreens, turn left and drive about a mile to the Range Café for a hikers’ breakfast of heuvos rancheros or organic oats and fruit. Afterwards, continue on Hwy 505 through the desert expanse of Zia Pueblo to San Ysidro, the beginning of the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway. Head north on Hwy 4, and within miles the brown desert transforms into brilliant red-sandstone valleys, capped in most places by pink volcanic tuff formed by volcanic ash erupted two million years ago from the Jemez volcanoes. Pass Jemez Pueblo, stopping for beans and Navajo tacos at a roadside stand at Red Rocks, a small expanse of desert shrub surrounded by vertical red-sandstone cliffs, and to pick up hiking maps, check on current conditions and peruse the small museum in the Walatowa Visitor Center across the street.

From here, the road follows the stream-like Jemez River, squeezed between cottonwoods and willows on the left, and the canyon wall on the right, past several fishing pullouts, to Jemez Springs. Stretched along Hwy 4 and without a centralized downtown, this tiny mountain town offers several galleries, a coffee shop, a few restaurants and a handful of B&Bs, including the lovely Canon del Rio. A family-style breakfast is served in a massive great room, with tiled floors and plenty of sun. Enjoy the view of red cliffs towering over the river from the inn’s lovely pool and zen gardens.

An even quieter alternative lies down the road at Casa Blanca Guest House and Garden Cottage. Two private casitas hidden in the terraced gardens of roses, grass, willows and wildflowers make a perfect base for area hiking. Relax in the hammock on the riverbank, and help yourself to fruit from the orchard or veggies from the garden. Across the street, Laughing Lizard Inn Café offers organic salads, veggie-laden pizza and patio dining. For a cold Fat Tire and a game of pool, head to Los Ojos Bar and Grill, a popular watering hole with tree-stump bar stools and a jukebox.

The area’s geology offers a different style of watering hole. Molten magma miles below the surface warms the area’s waters, creating natural hot springs rich in what some claim are healing and therapeutic minerals. Avoid the bathhouses in the town of Jemez Springs, and head instead to the low-key and friendly Giggling Springs nearby. Forget about those deadlines and headlines, and lose yourself for a day soaking in the hot springs and cooling off in the creek. The tiny shop sells bathing suits and bathrobes as well as herbal tea and smoothies.

Just north of