Address: 1085 Blue Hole Road, Santa Rosa, NM 88435. Containing Chaco Canyon, the park is self-guided and home to sunrises and sunsets you wont want to miss. Your email address will not be published. While the exact meaning behind many of these petroglyphs is unknown, one thing is for sure: These ancient carvings are integral to New Mexico's spiritual and cultural landscape. Decipher ancient symbols carved into stone walls. On December 24, consider visiting nearby Taos Pueblo for the Christmas Eve Procession, an amazing bonfire-lit event with a long history. Where are your favorite light displays that shine during Christmas in New Mexico? Be inspired by a famous landscape and rejuvenate your spirit. Leaving from Chama, New Mexico, and ending in Antonito, Colorado, this full excursion stretches on for 64 miles. December 19 Transport yourself into an alternative world in this interactive art museum. This exciting activity is allowed in the loop portion of Dunes Drive, where there is little vegetation and no cars nearby to pose a danger risk. Finally, Taos Ski Valley lights up the mountain (and brings down the house) on Christmas Eve, when skiers wind down the slopes with flares in hand during the Torchlight Parade (6 p.m.). Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox, Expert in cultural tourism, writing about the southwestern United States; also an award-winning photographer. 2 bedrooms, House Dont miss: Youll clean up at A Beautiful Mess, where a collection of vendors sell antiques, home goods, and handmade gifts, ornaments, and other holiday goodies. In a word: mild! 7 guests Today, there are about 150 permanent residents at Taos Pueblo. Note: no photos or video are allowed at this event. Google Maps | Phone: (505) 983-4511 | Website | Hours: 9:30 am 5 pm daily, except Sundays | Cooking Classes: $89-120. As a result, today's Pueblo people celebrate the holidays by blending their tribal traditions with a scoop of Spanish culture and a dash of the Catholic faith. Learn to cook the traditional flavors of the Southwest. Visitors can enjoy luminaria displays in Old Town Albuquerque, historic Santa Fe, or in smaller culturally-rich towns such as Taos. Whether you want to curl up in front of a fire in a snowy mountain cabin, or experience the magic of a traditional Spanish-style celebration, there are plenty of quaint towns and charming New Mexico vacation rentals to make your dream vacation come true. The multi-course tea is paired with scrumptious sweet and savory bites that are just as pretty to look at as they are exquisite. Express short trips are also available for families or anyone limited on time. Angel Fire, NM, USA. Google Maps | Phone: (575) 479-6124 | Website | Hours: 7 am 6 pm daily with closing hours changing with the seasons. Thank you! There is also an annual family-friendly holiday festival at the Living Desert Zoo. Christmas Eve is marked by the extremely popular farolito walk along Canyon Road. Believe it or not, New Mexico goes quite the distance when it comes to Christmas and holiday festivities; some entire towns love to get in on it! Ten Thousand Waves is a Japanese-style spa only 12 minutes from Sante Fe Plaza. December 1731 A New Mexico adventure means national parks, cliff dwellings, caves, ghost towns and more. They also offer food and elixirs specializing in kava and kratom potions. Its not unusual to have daytime temperatures in the 50s in many parts of the state. Spend the holiday in Old Town Albuquerque and fall in love with the luminaria displays, or if you prefer Santa Fe, youll find plenty there, too. The monument offers three areas where visitors can see petroglyphs, with hiking trails that range in distance and difficulty level. Truth or Consequences puts its creativity on full displayand drapes it in twinkle lightsduring Old-Fashioned Christmas (Dec. 10, 6 p.m.). For more information about Bandelier and its history, check out the visitor center, which includes a museum with tactile exhibits and an educational movie about the park. Things To Do In Cozumel As the most-photographed event in the world, this popular festival offers hot air balloon rides, concerts, educational exhibits, fireworks and evening balloon glows, where hundreds of grounded balloons fire their burners simultaneously, creating a magical nighttime light display. One of the most beautiful ways to take in the scenery of New Mexico's diverse landscape is aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. There is also a small bookstore located 2 miles down the road that is a jumping-off point for the mile-long Cliff Dwellings Trail. Visitors can purchase a day pass or stay overnight at the retreat's campground or in one of the rustic housing accommodations. The back patio under the tree is just perfection and the prices are great too. Today, travelers can visit these abandoned sites, which range from tiny villages with a handful of dilapidated buildings to resurrected towns with hundreds of year-round residents. Winter season begins December 10th. Also known as salt therapy, halotherapy features rooms covered in pink salt crystals and a halo generator that spreads tiny particles in the air. Google Maps | Phone: (575) 737-9880 | Website | Hours: 8 am 10 pm daily. Galleries are open and often serve snacks and drinks. These houses are thought to be some of the largest, most complex and best-preserved prehistoric structures in North America. Explore these caves at your own pace along two underground trails: The Big Room Trail and the Natural Entrance Trail. You can also get alcoholic tea here too and they offer seasonal events. The high elevation and cool crisp air give you a completely different atmosphere from historic Taos, so its great if youre looking to switch up your experience. The seafood paella, tapas, and weekend 3-course meal paired with a live flamenco performance is definitely something to write home about. While here, bring a sled or grab a board from the gift shop and ride down the cascading white sand dunes. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum also can't be missed, along with other traveler favorites like the New Mexico History Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art and Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return, a unique and colorful art installation featuring more than 70 rooms of immersive art. Wander around awe-inspiring rock formations and limestone caves. Jess Levy is an artist, travel writer, poet, and marketer. During your ascent to Cumbres Pass, keep your eyes peeled for deer, elk and even bears, as wildlife is plentiful in this area. Receive exclusives on what's happening in New Mexico, our best recipes, and breathtaking photography. Here are the most enchanting places to visit this Christmas some of our picks for the best Christmas towns in New Mexico! Keep in mind, the drive here is long and requires traveling over miles of very bumpy and uneven roads, which may not be suitable for vehicles without all-wheel or four-wheel drive. Amid the state's vast desert landscape, this unexpected gem was once used by cowboys as a way to cool off from the summer heat. In fact, Taos might be. Grindstone Stables/Facebook. Its a special time of year through and through don't discount the magic just because New Mexico happens to be a bit more desert than northern states. Featuring artifacts from his life and memorabilia from the time, this museum is sure to teach you a ton about Billy The Kid. You can also visit Carlsbads most famous attraction, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where you can tour the caves. While this site makes for a great photo opportunity, it is located on private land managed by the Navajo Nation, so please be respectful of tribal regulations when visiting the area. Photograph courtesy of the Town of Taos. Visitors can explore the park by car along Dunes Drive, an 8-mile-long thoroughfare that stretches from the White Sands Visitor Center into the heart of the gypsum dune field. Need a Hotel? The city that means "Holy Faith" tops the list of any mention of best places to visit in New Mexico because it is exceptional in all the ways that matter to tourists. Dont worry about the weather, since they stay at a comfortable 56 degrees Fahrenheit all year. Swim through hidden caves at one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the U.S. Google Maps | Phone: (575) 472-3763 | Website | Hours: 7 am 7 pm daily | Entrance: $10 Parking. New Mexico's authentic energy and strong cultural roots also attract travelers in search of a spiritual experience. The towns winter parade may come and go, but the lights around Ashley Pond keep the festive spirit alive all winter. Christmas 2020: Gift Guide for Couples Read More. Google Maps | Browse B&B Accommodations. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. For an exhilarating experience, visitors can also drive across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest bridges in the United States, or walk along the rim of the gorge to get a different perspective. Cozumel is a favorite stop on western Caribbean cruises. For a list of some of the best places to visit in New Mexico at Christmas (or just winter in general), check out our feature article! Its a special time of year through and through don't discount the magic just because New Mexico happens to be a bit more desert than northern states. Walk the path where a civil war was once battled, check out trails preserved from ancient villages, visit a Spanish Mission, learn at the museum, and indulge your silver-screen sensibilities at a movie stars ranch. Google Maps | Website | Browse Private Balloon Rides. Passengers wishing to ride round trip may purchase two one-way train tickets, but they should know that the entire process cannot be completed in one day, so plan on finding lodging for the night. This is personally one of my favorite quirky adventures in the USA and one of the most unique things to do in Sante Fe. Yuletide is the entire holiday season and includes all the unique traditions of the holiday season in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. There are plenty of winter-themed activities in Los Alamos, from outdoor ice skating to skiing at Pajarito Mountain. New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Southwestern history and culture collide at Pecos National Historical Park. 13 Best Dia de los Muertos Celebrations in the U.S. 14 Cheap, Gorgeous Cabins in Big Bear Lake. Start just off the Plaza as one of the towns most colorful streets comes alive with farolitos, bonfires, carolers, and cheery activities at the Lighting of Ledoux (Dec. 4, 57 p.m.). Discover mouthwatering mole and other authentic flavors of New Mexico at this tiny Taos gem. An annual "Christmas at the Palace" event at the Palace of the Governors combines cultural traditions, and families will find carols, story-telling, Native American dances, and an appearance by Santa Claus. La Cueva Cafe looks like a complete hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but dont let that fool you. Or how can we improve it to help you travel better? Google Maps | Phone: (575) 785-2232 | Website | Park Hours: 8 am 5 pm daily, 8:30 am 2:30 pm daily for cave hiking | Entrance: $15, adults, free for children under 15. In fact, this magnificent dune field is so large, it can even be seen from space. Mesilla. On Christmas Eve, the main plazas of Santa Fe and Old Town Albuquerque are decorated with thousands of luminarias. If you visit in summer, you'll have the chance to see 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats exit Carlsbad Cavern in search of food every evening. Learn how your comment data is processed. Located in Abiquiu, you'll find Ghost Ranch, which is a series of colorful rock walls and valleys that span over 21,000 acres of land. bestplace to spend Christmas in New Mexico your chances of having a white Christmas in Taos arepretty decent! At the site, you'll find local vendors selling homemade jewelry, pottery, crafts and artwork. Albuquerques Popejoy Hall presents the music of Mariachi Aztln, paired with traditional folklrico dancing. Other trails lead to waterfalls and mesa tops. Visiting Old Town during the Christmas season feels like stepping back in time, with glowing luminarias all around the historic plaza and ancient adobe buildings. Visit the city. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Travelers talk about " boat ride " (6 reviews) " pecos river " (5 reviews) " boats Duke City is magical in December. Even with their busy schedules, Mr. and Mrs. Claus arrive for the tree-lighting ceremony (Dec. 3) on the Plaza, and busy little elves can stay toasty while searching for gifts as the John Dunn Shops and Bent Street merchants team up for the shopping-meets-block-party Bonfires on Bent Street (Dec. 11, 47 p.m.). Google Maps | Phone: (505) 764-6200 | Website | Hours: 9 am 5 pm daily | Entrance: $14.50, adults, $6, 12 and under. Head to Belen if youre searching for an affordable but impressive Christmas light display. Get more information about Ski Apache on its official website. Google Maps | Phone: (505) 786-7014 | Website | Hours: 9 am 5 pm daily | Entrance: $25 parking. However, Santa Rosa's Blue Hole may just be one of the most interesting diving destinations in the United States. The remote wilderness of Bisti Badlands is a very unique place to go camping in New Mexico, but you can also go hiking and horseback riding here. Home Things to Do Share Experience Unique New Mexico New Mexico is well-known for its arts community. Google Maps | Phone: (575) 355-2380 | Website | Hours: 8:30 am 5 pm daily, Closed Sundays | Entrance: $5, adults, $4 under 15, $3, under 6. Take in a rare landscape sighting of gypsum sand dunes. The other major towns are the capital Albuquerque (home of an amazing . 575 ) 737-9880 | Website | things to do in new mexico for christmas Private Balloon Rides also visit most. 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