DAY 1
D included
After a late afternoon arrival at the Mile-High airport of Denver on a direct flight from London, we have a 45-minute transfer to our conveniently located small modern hotel.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
Fortified by our first breakfast burrito, we head south into the wide-open spaces of the Colorado plains with the Rocky Mountains rising to the west. A morning’s circular walk (2 hrs) takes us through Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir forest on a gently rising trail. We reach a viewpoint offering the first glimpses of some of Colorado’s fifty-four Fourteeners (14,000 feet peaks). After lunch, we continue into New Mexico where our destination is Taos, the artists’ colony established by a fortuitous accident. We dine in a restaurant known for its excellent New Mexican cooking with a twist and a cosy ochre-coloured dining room with local art on the walls.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
After waking in our adobe-built boutique bed and breakfast, we drive to the steel arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge where we walk (1 hr) along the West Rim. Next, we visit the oldest continually inhabited community in the USA, the Taos Pueblo, with multi-story buildings originating from the 13th century. These homes are repaired and recoated annually with mud by the Pueblo Indians, who live here year-round without electricity or running water. A short drive south brings us to Ranchos de Taos and the 18th century San Francisco de Asis Church, the subject of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings and Ansel Adams’ photographs. The rest of the afternoon is free for individual explorations. There are galleries and art museums as well as a museum dedicated to the legendary (notorious) scout Kit Carson.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
A fairly energetic and optional walk (3 hrs) on the forested slopes of New Mexico’s highest mountain, the Wheeler Peak, takes us 300 m/900 feet up to a remote lake at 11,000 feet where the clouds are beneath our feet. We return to Taos for lunch before driving cross country (1.5 hrs) to Abiquiu, our base for the next two nights and the home of Georgia O’Keeffe for over thirty years. We stay in the spacious and comfortable rooms of the village inn which also functions as the area’s visitor centre.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
In the morning, we follow the Rio Chama valley through striking scenery of countless shades of red to Ghost Ranch, the scene of many of Ms. O’Keeffe’s paintings. We walk for two hours in a picturesque river canyon as we anticipate the tour of her Abiquiu home. We see the studio, kitchen and living room, maintained as they were when she left for Santa Fe towards the end of her life. In the garden, we admire the fully functional acequia, the traditional Spanish irrigation system, built by Georgia in order to bring running water to her home and to her neighbours.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
The cliff and cave homes at Puye Cliffs were occupied by Native Americans until the early 17th century and we walk through the awe-inspiring area guided by a well-informed descendant of the cliffs’ inhabitants. We follow the local advice and take a short detour to Chimayo to enjoy a traditional New Mexican lunch (perhaps Chile Relleno, fried stuffed green chilli peppers, or Tamales with black beans and zucchini) at a famous country restaurant. Finally, we drive to the New Mexican state capital, Santa Fe, where we stay for 5 nights in a small hotel built in adobe style, situated on a tree lined street a brief walk from the Plaza, the heart and traditional gathering place of the city. We orientate ourselves on an introductory walk through the historic streets and alleyways of the oldest capital in North America led by our knowledgeable guide.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
We continue our exploration of Santa Fe’s heritage on Museum Hill where we have a choice of four museums covering American Indian, Spanish colonial and international folk art. After lunch in the Museum Café, we wander through the recently established botanical garden consisting of a fruit orchard bordered by a meadow garden and a dry garden and, optionally, follow the 2-mile leisure trail connecting Museum Hill with the city centre. The evening starts early with a preview dinner at the Santa Fe Opera, followed by our first performance: Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore.
DAY 8
B, D included
The morning sees us back at the opera house for a special backstage tour with our own guide, while preparations for tonight’s performance are in full swing. The rest of the day is free to pursue individual interests in this jewel of a city until we reconvene for an early dinner where the only decision we make is our choice of chile to accompany the dish – green, red or a combination of both, known as Christmas. The opera tonight is Verdi’s La Traviata.
DAY 9
B, L, D included
A morning’s walk in the Santa Fe National Forest (3 hrs) takes us along a mountain stream and we also follow a trail used by shepherds bringing sheep to Santa Fe market. We enjoy a simple picnic in a meadow before completing the 4-mile circle. Tonight, we attend the Apprentice Scenes which provide opportunities for young singers and theatre technicians to showcase their talents in a relaxed but public setting, following a three-month programme of coaching, rehearsals and master classes.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
An hour’s drive away from Santa Fe is Bandelier National Monument, an atmospheric ancient site set in 23,000 acres of wilderness. We take the Frey Trail (1.5 mile) to descend into the Frijoles Canyon where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived between 1150 and 1550 AD in houses carved from volcanic tuff. This evening we attend a concert of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. At dinner, we have a further opportunity to sort out the difference between tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchilladas, chimichangas and sopaipillas.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
Reluctantly, we say farewell to Santa Fe and head east for the Fort Union National Monument, where we see the remains of the short-lived military depot, located strategically as protection above the Santa Fe Trail. The nearby small city of Las Vegas has an archetypal central tree-shaded square and many historic buildings preserved in the adjacent streets. In the old-fashioned Santa Fe Trail interpretive centre, we learn about the importance and the decline of the 900-mile 19th century trading route. We spend the night in an historic hotel on the Plaza.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
A 2-hours’ drive brings us to the Cimarron Canyon State Park, known for its dramatic granite palisades and clear rivers and creeks. We walk on a trail along one of the creeks through an aspen wood and pass a few small waterfalls en route. The small mountain village of Cimarron was renowned in the past for gunfights and lawlessness. We take an exploratory walk through the village before traveling north to re-enter Colorado. We stay in Colorado Springs at a charming bed and breakfast presided over by a brother and sister team. We sample the best of new Southwest food at one of the city’s many fine restaurants.
DAY 13
B, L included
Our final day sees us board a cog railway train for a spectacular journey to the top of the 14,000 feet Pikes Peak. After a light lunch, we transfer (2 hrs) to Denver Airport for flights home.
