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New Mexico

The Best of New Mexico: Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque

Program No. 11005RJ

Learn the history and culture of northern New Mexico as you explore Native American sites, visit historic monuments and communities and experience the art colonies of Santa Fe and Taos.

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Program

At a Glance

Duration

8 days

Program Begins

Albuquerque, NM

Program Concludes

Albuquerque, NM

Meals

16 ( 7B, 4L, 5D )

Activity Level

Explore the best that New Mexico has to offer: the cosmopolitan heart of Albuquerque, the state's largest city; the Old World charm of Santa Fe; and the frontier spirit of Taos. From history and culture to cuisine and the arts, compare and contrast these unique cities and see how they evolved into the jewels they are today.

Best of all, you'll...

Explore the renowned museums and art galleries that make northern New Mexico a mecca for both artists and collectors.
Visit Los Alamos and learn about the history of the Manhattan Project.
Explore Bandelier National Monument and enjoy a traditional meal hosted by a Pueblo family.

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Featured Expert

All Experts

Louie Hena

Louie Hena has been an activist in the field of revitalizing traditional Pueblo agriculture and protecting indigenous food and seed sovereignty. A member of the Tesuque and Zuni Pueblos in New Mexico, he is a renowned permaculture design consultant, Rio Grande and Rio Chama river guide, and an educator on traditional land management systems. He helped organize the Traditional Native American Farmer Association, the New Mexico Acequia Association and the Indigenous Food and Seed Sovereignty Alliance.

Please Note:

This expert may not be available for every date of the program

Please Note:

These experts may not be available for every date of the program

Louie Hena

Cisco Guevara

Cisco Guevara honed his storytelling craft around campfires deep in the river canyons of northern New Mexico. A river runner since his teenage days in Los Alamos, “the Atomic City,” he has become a New Mexico legend: instantly recognizable by his black hat. Cisco’s stories range from his rebellious youth, to tales that draw on his Hispanic and Native American heritage, to hair-raising adventures in the wilderness, to haunting tales of love and loss.

Don Bustos

Don Bustos farms on land his family has owned for more than three centuries. In the 1970s, he began converting his farm to year-round organic production with more than 70 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Don has passed generations of farming knowledge to hundreds of the state’s farmers. He aims to empower and educate others and show them how to be self-reliant. In 2015 he was the recipient of a James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards, recognizing those “who influence how, why and what we eat.”

Jolene Catron

Jolene Catron, who leads groups in the Mountain West and National Parks, weaves a rich tapestry of indigenous heritage into the fabric of the area's history. She strives to foster understanding and appreciation for the profound cultural and environmental significance of the places she leads in. During the offseason you can find her driving her taxi, listening to music, and crocheting. She is a military veteran and a citizen of the Navajo Nation with family ties to the Pueblos of Zuni and Laguna.

Christine Phillips

Christine (Chris) Hazard Phillips was born and raised in London, England, moving to the U.S. after college. She is now a happy transplant to Albuquerque, New Mexico after a career as a clinical psychologist in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Christine likes to stay busy helping with her two granddaughters, volunteering at the Santa Fe Opera, Chatter ABQ, and with the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. Training for the latter has greatly expanded her knowledge of, and love for, her adopted state.

Kevin Whitefeather

Kevin Whitefeather is from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, the ancestral lands of the Red Willow People. Born and raised in Taos Pueblo, Whitefeather is the son of the late Jimmy Morningtalk and Ethel Townsend. A graduate of the Santa Fe Indian school in Santa Fe, NM; the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM; and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Whitefeather founded Whitefeather Native Cultural Tours, which provides immersive cultural experiences for visiting guests to the world famous Taos Pueblo.

Activity Level

Let's Go!

Walking up to four miles daily over varied terrain. Standing for up to two hours at a time. Getting on/off motorcoach multiple times a day. Elevations up to 7,500 feet.

Suggested Books and Resources

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You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Peace of Mind

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.

Assurance Plan

Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.

Want to Protect Your Investment?

Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.

Sustainable Travel

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.

Peace of Mind

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
Assurance Plan

Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.
Want to Protect Your Investment?

Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
Sustainable Travel

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.