You can take the highway between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico or you can take a much more scenic series of secondary roads, known collectively as the High Road, that will take you to some of the most interesting pueblos and missions in the state. As you gain elevation crossing the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the roads pass through several small Hispanic communities with old adobe missions.
One of the more famous missions is the exquisite Santuario de Chimayo, about 25 miles from Santa Fe. I arrived in the morning before the tour busses. The light was clear and the church grounds were quiet.
The town of Las Trampas claims the historic San Jose de Garcia church. Built in 1776, it is a photographer’s ‘must see’.
Continuing toward Taos, the tiny San Juan de Los Lagos, on the left side of the road in Talpa, is easy to miss.
The best is left for last. Ranchos de Taos has the beautiful San Francisco de Asis (see Taos post).
The High Road can be done easily in less than a day. I would advise starting out in the morning for the best light and less traffic. There are more stops along the way than I’ve shown here, so make sure the camera is charged up and you have enough flash cards because there is beauty and visual interest everywhere you look.
