Christmas in New Mexico

I cannot think of a better, more magical place to spend Christmas than New Mexico. (Except maybe Florida, as I glance at the outdoor thermometer registering 25F here in the balmy North Valley of Albuquerque.) The snow on the pines in the mountains of northern New Mexico, the luminarias on Christmas Eve lighting up entire neighborhoods, the brilliantly lit botanical gardens, the Christmas pageant in Taos.... There is so much to see and do, one would be hard-pressed to get to it all. But here is a sampling if you ever find yourself in the Land of Enchantment over the holidays.

For starters, where are you going to stay? I am a big fan of Bed & Breakfasts, and there are many charming ones right here in the Albuquerque area (don't pass us up on your way to Santa Fe!). A personal favorite of my family, and where they will be staying again this holiday, is the Hacienda Antigua. Although not inexpensive, the place is extremely charming, well furnished, and serves delicious breakfast. It has a rich history as well: it was built on El Camino Real (the original trade route between Mexico City and Santa Fe) and was a trading hub and stopping point along the route. The building is over 200 years old. As with traditional buildings of its time, it has an inner courtyard, with the rooms situated along the sides.

This is one of the bedrooms with fireplace.

The patio along the inner courtyard is a lovely place to eat breakfast in the summer. I don't think we'll be doing that in December, though.

As for activities, the luminarias in the Country Club area of Oldtown Albuquerque are not to be missed. The entire neighborhood puts these traditional paper bags filled with candle lights all over their front lawns. We used to live in this neighborhood, and in fact, we were warned that, more or less, there would be a lynching if we did not participate. These folks take their luminarias very seriously.

The celebration begins Christmas eve after dark. There are many ways to view the lights. The city buses do a tour if you don't want to fight the traffic. There are lots of cars and they move very slowly. Other popular options include riding your bicycle (decorated with lights, of course) or parking a little farther away and walking through. Don't forget your camera!

After all of the gift giving and eating on Christmas day, you may be ready for a little exercise. My favorite way to burn off that turkey is to take a short hike at Tent Rocks. The name was given to these teepee-shaped rocks because of a geological phenomenon where boulders perched atop the "tents" protect the softer rock below as it slowly erodes, forming this conical shape. When the boulders are displaced, the whole formation gradually erodes, and will eventually lose its unique shape.

The park is open in the winter from 8 to 5, and costs $5 per vehicle. Here are the directions according to the BLM website:

From Albuquerque, take the exit for Santo Domingo/Cochiti Lake Recreation Area (Exit 259) off I-25 onto NM 22. Follow the signs on NM 22 to Cochiti Pueblo and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Turn right off NM 22 at the pueblo water tower (painted like a drum) onto Tribal Route 92, which connects to Forest Service Road 266. Travel five miles on a gravel road to the national monument’s designated parking/picnic area, fee station and trailhead.

There are gobs of other great things to do in the state in the winter months. It's impossible to list all of them here, but check around and take advantage of the ample opportunities for fun and adventure if you happen to find yourself in New Mexico this holiday season.

For those of you who celebrate other holidays or no holidays at all (bah, humbug!), be forewarned that New Mexico is largely catholic, and thus all of the Christmas happenings are hard to avoid. Nevertheless, despite the occasional blustery cold, this is still a great place to visit in winter, whatever your inclinations.

I highly recommend a weekend trip of skiing, either at Santa Fe ski basin or at Taos (although I actively boycott, as they don't allow snowboarders). Pajarito in Los Alamos is another great local area. Head to Ten Thousand Waves, an awesome Japanese spa just outside Santa Fe, for an hour soak in one of their amazing private outdoor hot tubs. By this time, your tummy should be grumbling. Stop in at El Farol for an excellent dinner of tapas and nightly live music in the cantina.

Shake your bootie in the cantina at El Farol. Doesn't that look like fun?