Planning Your Time
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If you’re looking at a short trip, a three-day weekend in the city is a perfectly good getaway; add a few days more to take a hike outside of town or make the drive to Taos, Los Alamos, or Abiquiu. Mobs arrive in July and August, especially for Spanish Market and Indian Market (the latter coincides with closing night at the Santa Fe Opera), so you’ll find the city a bit calmer—and the heat less overpowering—in spring and fall.
Choose spring if you’ll be primarily in the city—lilacs bloom in May, tumbling over adobe walls and filling the air with scent—but opt for the fall if you plan to do a lot of hiking, because October is when the dense groves of aspen trees on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains turn bright yellow, a gorgeous sight enhanced by the crisp, spicy air at that time of year.
If you do come in the summer, however, you’ll find the gallery scene in full swing—plan to be in the city on a Friday night, when Canyon Road galleries have their convivial openings.
© Zora O'Neill from Moon Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque, 2nd edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.