There are many options for day trips from Santa Fe. Art, wine, rafting, culture await the adventurer, and the roads are nice and easy, and traffic is light. Here are a few destinations to consider when planning your outing.
Head to Taos via the “low road” aka route 68 that winds along the Rio Grande. Just after you pass Dixon, you’ll find New Mexico River Adventures headquarters. Enjoy an exhilarating half day rafting adventure. They have a lot of activity options to choose from, including kayaking, rafting, paddle-boarding, even rock climbing. Mention Santa Fe Selection for a friendly discount.
Just a short ride further up route 68, you’ll enter Taos, and you can enjoy lunch,
Then head into the Pueblo, (check it is open, sometimes they close without notice if there is a funeral). You can check their calendar, here. But I recommend always calling prior to leaving, just in case. Call them at: (575)???
Then head over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. An exhilarating experience, especially if heights are something that make you hang on a little tighter to the railings! It’s an amazing view of the Gorge.
Back in town you can stroll the shops around the plaza, and into the John Dunn Shopping Center. There’s free parking off the main street. …???
Coming back along route 68, you’ll go through Velarde, and you may have noticed Black Mesa Winery on your way up, but now you can stop in and have a taste of their wonderful boutique wines and ciders. Mention Santa Fe Selection and say “hi” from me!
Another option is to take the High Road to Taos up in the morning, and visit Chimayo, with its wonderful “miraculous” santuario.
Then take route 76, and wind your way through the artist communities, and historic villages of Truchas, Trampas, and Peñasco. At Peñasco, you could stop for lunch if you spot an open cafe. If not, maybe it’s a good idea to take a packed lunch, and if you make a left on route 75 and head to Dixon, at the junction of route 68, take a right, and you’ll still hit the New Mexico River Adventures headquarters, perhaps for an afternoon ride, instead of a morning one.
From there