FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Where to hike in Western US
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Old Jul 30, 2007 | 9:57 am
  #2  
ECOTONE
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: LAS
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Southwest A-List Preferred
Posts: 2,846
I'd make tracks to Santa Fe, NM.

My sister lives there and I'm out there about 2x a year. She and I use her house as a "base camp" and get up early and drive anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to a seemingly endless supply of incredible trailheads.

So far, my favorite would be the loop trail at Tent Rocks - it's definitely not a hard hike, but the vistas are incredible and the rock formations look like something you'd find on a distant planet.

Santa Fe is located close to Bandelier National Monument that has a wide selection of hiking options there. Additionally, Santa Fe is located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which is literally litered with hiking options.

Santa Fe also features some of the top restaurants in the country (IMHO). I'd check out The Compound, La Casa Sena, & Geronimo. There are plenty of amazing galleries throughout town, an opera in the summer, the Zozobra Festival in September, the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in downtown & handfuls of great small restaurants that feature the local cuisine.

As of today, Great Lakes Aviation flies directly to SAF, but AA and DL have announced they will be beginning service there this fall. Alternatively, SAF is located 50 miles north of ABQ.

Last edited by ECOTONE; Jul 30, 2007 at 10:00 am Reason: added airport information
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