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New Mexico

Santa Fe and Taos: A Tale Of Two Cities

Program No. 11009RJ
Get an insider’s perspective on Santa Fe and Taos alongside local artists, exploring several world-class museums, enjoying traditional music and learning about Native cultures.

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climate
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itinerary
Please Note:
The itinerary for this program is different on certain dates.
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
Nov 6 - Nov 12, 2023
Starting at
2,049
Filling Fast!
Nov 13 - Nov 19, 2023
Starting at
2,049
Itinerary Note

Small group departure with no more than 24 participants.

Nov 27 - Dec 3, 2023
Starting at
1,849
Mar 4 - Mar 10, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Mar 18 - Mar 24, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Apr 1 - Apr 7, 2024
Starting at
2,499
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Filling Fast!
Apr 22 - Apr 28, 2024
Starting at
2,499
Apr 29 - May 5, 2024
Starting at
2,599
Itinerary Note

Private Group - Heard Museum

Filling Fast!
May 6 - May 12, 2024
Starting at
2,499
May 20 - May 26, 2024
Starting at
2,599
May 27 - Jun 2, 2024
Starting at
2,599
Jul 8 - Jul 14, 2024
Starting at
2,599
Sep 2 - Sep 8, 2024
Starting at
2,599
Sep 9 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
2,599
Sep 16 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Sep 23 - Sep 29, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Oct 14 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Oct 21 - Oct 27, 2024
Starting at
2,549
Oct 28 - Nov 3, 2024
Starting at
2,549
Nov 4 - Nov 10, 2024
Starting at
2,399
Nov 18 - Nov 24, 2024
Starting at
2,399
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Nov 6 - Nov 12, 2023
Starting at
2,519
Nov 13 - Nov 19, 2023
Starting at
2,519
Itinerary Note

Small group departure with no more than 24 participants.

Filling Fast!
Nov 27 - Dec 3, 2023
Starting at
2,319
Mar 4 - Mar 10, 2024
Starting at
2,799
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Filling Fast!
Mar 18 - Mar 24, 2024
Starting at
2,799
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Apr 1 - Apr 7, 2024
Starting at
3,179
Itinerary Note

Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, we will visit the San Ildefonzo Pueblo.

Filling Fast!
Apr 22 - Apr 28, 2024
Starting at
3,179
Filling Fast!
Apr 29 - May 5, 2024
Starting at
3,279
Itinerary Note

Private Group - Heard Museum

Filling Fast!
May 6 - May 12, 2024
Starting at
3,179
May 20 - May 26, 2024
Starting at
3,359
May 27 - Jun 2, 2024
Starting at
3,359
Jul 8 - Jul 14, 2024
Starting at
3,359
Sep 2 - Sep 8, 2024
Starting at
3,359
Sep 9 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
3,359
Sep 16 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
4,159
Sep 23 - Sep 29, 2024
Starting at
4,159
Oct 14 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
4,159
Oct 21 - Oct 27, 2024
Starting at
3,229
Oct 28 - Nov 3, 2024
Starting at
3,229
Nov 4 - Nov 10, 2024
Starting at
2,919
Nov 18 - Nov 24, 2024
Starting at
2,919

At a Glance

Less than 70 miles from one another, Santa Fe and Taos are the jewel cities of northern New Mexico, seemingly enchanted places set amidst the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Adobe pueblos built by ancestral peoples still stand, elegant Spanish colonial plazas serve as meeting places as they have for four centuries and beautiful museums display the work of artist-pilgrims who gathered here to find inspiration in the land. Examine Santa Fe and Taos through the eyes of those who have called them home and discover not only what they share, but also what sets each apart.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
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.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn about artist Georgia O'Keeffe and visit the New Mexico Museum of Art.
  • Be moved by the ancient Native traditions and cultures preserved in a local pueblo and gain insight into the enduring nature of the Pueblo people.
  • Enjoy a cooking demonstration by a local James Beard Award-winning author and chef and visit the historic village of Chimayó.

General Notes

Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Jerry Rightman
Who would have ever thought that a retired veterinarian would become a dedicated art lecturer? Jerry Rightman is just that person and is an active member in the art community of Santa Fe, applying his talents as a docent at the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. He has received rave reviews for the many years that he has been teaching for Road Scholar.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Jerry Rightman
Jerry Rightman View biography
Who would have ever thought that a retired veterinarian would become a dedicated art lecturer? Jerry Rightman is just that person and is an active member in the art community of Santa Fe, applying his talents as a docent at the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. He has received rave reviews for the many years that he has been teaching for Road Scholar.
Profile Image of Lois Frank
Lois Ellen Frank View biography
Lois Ellen Frank, PhD, is a Santa Fe-based chef focused on Native American foods. She is also a Native American food historian, culinary anthropologist, photographer and James Beard Award-winning author. She is a featured instructor of the Southwest Indian Nations at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, and is chef and owner — along with Native Chef Walter Whitewater of the Diné Nation — of Red Mesa Cuisine.
Profile Image of Elizabeth Mesh
Elizabeth Mesh View biography
Elizabeth Mesh is an educator, artist and actor with a master’s and license in art therapy. She has led thousands of people at the SITE Santa Fe art museum. She has also been on over 20 film and TV sets in New Mexico. Biking, hiking, blue skies and clean air make New Mexico a place she loves to share. Elizabeth has been teaching traditional and expressive art for two decades and has been featured on the Home and Garden Network Television’s segment “That’s Clever!”
Profile Image of Vannetta Perry
Vannetta Perry View biography
Dr. Vannetta Perry is a retired educator and lifelong resident of New Mexico who is deeply rooted in the southwest. Her family homesteaded and ranched in Southwestern New Mexico and farmed in West Texas. As an educator, Dr. Perry worked in the university setting, teaching biology and directing science outreach programs. Her love for travel was sparked when she led research studies in developing countries. Since retiring, Dr. Perry has continued to share her love of travel and education as a travel director and leader.
Profile Image of Omar Villanueva
Omar Villanueva View biography
Omar Villanueva holds a master's degree in classical guitar performance from the University of New Mexico. He is a multifaceted guitarist who performs classical, Spanish and popular music. His repertoire includes renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and Latin music arrangements for solo guitar. He is also an accomplished and awarded singer of music from Latin America and New Mexico. He has been performing in New Mexico and surrounding states since 2004.
Profile Image of Kris Herbst
Kris Herbst View biography
Kris Herbst is a storyteller and interpretive leader who enjoys exploring and studying the Southwest's cultures and natural history from his home in Santa Fe. He has edited a guide to the Abiquiu region’s geology and has led groups to archaeological sites on a cattle and guest ranch near Salida, Colorado. An experienced journalist, Kris serves as chief editor for Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and supports the world's leading social entrepreneurs. Kris received his Master's degree in city and regional planning from Harvard.
Profile Image of Ellen Morris Bond
Ellen Morris Bond View biography
Ellen Morris Bond has spent most of her adult years in northern New Mexico, graduating from the University of New Mexico Honors Program. She completed a Master’s Degree in Community Development at University of California-Davis. As a non-profit director, Ellen forged strong collaborations with local and regional organizations such as health councils, community foundations, tribal groups, hospitals, public schools, rural health clinics, and faith groups. She now volunteers with the local acequia/water organization and leads art and architecture groups at La Fonda of Santa Fe.
Profile Image of Sheryl Russell
Sheryl Russell View biography
Sheryl Russell was born to a farming family in Kansas. At the University of Kansas, she studied education in theatre and English literature, followed by decades of work in retail and communications systems in Dallas, New York City, and the California Bay area. Sheryl felt that she had “come home" when she moved to Santa Fe. Here she found a cultural diversity, architectural style, and historic richness that supported the next 30 years of leading explorations and study of native Southwest cultures and their history.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations: Traditional and Contemporary Native American Recipes
by Dr. Lois Ellen Frank
In this gloriously photographed book, renowned photographer and Native American–food expert Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, herself part Kiowa, presents more than 80 recipes that are rich in natural flavors and perfectly in tune with today's healthy eating habits. Frank spent four years visiting reservations in the Southwest, documenting time-honored techniques and recipes. With the help of culinary adviser and Navajo Nation tribesman Walter Whitewater, a chef in Santa Fe, Frank has adapted the traditional recipes to modern palates and kitchens. Inside you'll find such dishes as Stuffed Tempura Chiles with Fiery Bean Sauce, Zuni Sunflower Cakes, and Prickly Pear Ice. With its wealth of information, this book makes it easy to prepare and celebrate authentic Native American cooking.
A History of Spirituality in Santa Fe: The City of Holy Faith
by Ana Pacheco
Santa Fe city historian Ana Pacheco documents the rich religious and spiritual history of this high-mountain metaphysical community.
New Mexico's Stolen Lands: A History of Racism, Fraud and Deceit
by Ray John De Aragon
This book begins with the end of the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo guaranteeing land to Spanish, Mexican and Native people. It details how organized crime rings lead to decades of poverty for these people. Then the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse Raid in 1967 brought this struggle over land to the national spotlight.
Roots of Resistance: A Land of Tenure in New Mexico
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Details the history of land ownership from 1680 to present and how Indigenous and Mexican communities preserved their way of life despite losing their land to Capitalism.
An Indigenous People's History of the United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
From the perspective of Indigenous People, this book demonstrates how policy against Native people was designed to displace and eliminate them and how they fought back, resisting the expansion of the West.
A Land Apart: The Southwest and the Nation in the the Twentieth Century
by Flannery Burke
Discusses how Indigenous, Hispanic and non-white people have established their place in the land that is rightfully theirs.
Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest
by Stephen Plog, Amy Elizabeth Grey (Illustrator)
This illustrated introduction provides an in-depth look at the ancient cultures that first inhabited the pueblos and cliff dwellings of the American Southwest. Organized chronologically, it features hundreds of maps, mostly black-and-white photographs and site diagrams.
Indian Arts of the Southwest
by Susanne Page
Featuring color photographs of the basketry, pottery, weaving, jewelry, and carvings of 200 noted artists, this book is both a collector's guide and cultural history of the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Pueblo peoples and other native peoples.
The Great Taos Bank Robbery
by Tony Hillerman
Nine indelible tales of life in New Mexico by the great newspaperman and author of the terrific series of mysteries set on the Navajo Nation.
Talking With the Clay, The Art of Pueblo Pottery
by Stephen Trimble, Tom Ireland (Photographer)
With color photographs throughout, this 20th anniversary edition of Trmible's portrait of the Pueblo people as revealed through pottery traditions includes interviews with a new generation of artists.
American Indian Myths and Legends
by Richard Erdoes, Alfonso Ortiz
An illustrated collection of 180 traditoonal stories from all over North America.
New Mexico, A History
by Joseph P. Sanchez
This cooperative effort between three native New Mexicans is the first complete history of New Mexico. It charts the state’s development from 16th-century Spanish colony to frontier province, from its 1912 American statehood to a hub of (often classified) scientific research. A vital source for anyone seeking to understand the complex history of the West.
Edge of Taos Desert, An Escape to Reality
by Mabel Dodge Luhan
First published in 1937, this story reveals the spiritual awakening the New York socialite experienced through Taos, the Pueblo Indians and Indian Tony Luhan, whom she later married.
The Art of New Mexico: How the West Is One
by Traugott, Joseph
An illustrated compendium of New Mexico art from the 1880s to the present that considers historical and cultural significance with a wealth of information about the artists and their pieces. Written for a broad audience.
The Spell of New Mexico
by Tony Hillerman (Editor)
A selection of 12 thoughtful essays on the New Mexico state of mind by great writers, including C.G. Jung, Mary Austin, D.H. Lawrence and Lawrence Clark Powell. Hillerman succeeds in communicating the lure of the desert Southwest in this wonderful, literate introduction to the state.
Santa Fe, History of an Ancient City
by David Grant Noble (Editor)
A revised edition of of this classic history of Santa Fe to the mid-nineteenth century, featuring essays by ten scholars and hundreds of archival photographs, drawings and maps.





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If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.