Sun, May 4: Fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spend time exploring Old Town Albuquerque on your own before heading to Santa Fe. Check in to your home for the next three nights, La Fonda on the Plaza, centrally located on the historic plaza! Relax in the luxurious atmosphere and take in the unique Southwestern art collection. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner with your fellow travelers at the hotel. (Meal: Dinner)

Mon, May 5: In the morning, visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. O’Keeffe’s paintings reflected her love of the New Mexican high desert — animal bones, dramatic cliffs, and badlands; other paintings at the museum include some of her large-scale flowers and New York cityscapes as well as art of some of her contemporaries. Next, explore Santa Fe on a guided tour. The city, though much smaller than Albuquerque, is New Mexico’s state capital. Meet your local guide and begin with a historic walking tour in the Plaza and a visit to the famous Loretto Chapel with the mysterious floating staircase before continuing by motorcoach down the Old Santa Fe Trail, passing museum hill, Canyon Road galleries, and the capitol building. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure exploring more of Santa Fe. (B)

Tue, May 6: Today’s locally guided excursion will take you to Bandelier National Monument, 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country with evidence of human presence going back over 11,000 years. Marvel at the dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and the petroglyphs that pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. Next, transfer into Los Alamos, the “secret city on a hill” that is recognized in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Follow in the footsteps of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the laboratory’s first director, and Nobel Prize winners like Enrico Fermi, Emilo Segrè and Richard Feyman as you are enlightened on a narrated tour. See first hand the peaceful canyons, mesas and mountains that served as an ideal place for workers to escape the pressure of their jobs. In fact, workers and scientists brought their families here to what the locals still refer to as “the hill,” and created a sense of community on the isolated mesa top. In January of 1943, this secret city had just 1,500 residents, but by the war’s end, the population boomed to an estimated 8,200! Take a lunch break in town before visiting the Bradbury Science Museum for a further look into the past and learn about current research projects. (B)

Wed, May 7: Check out of the hotel and depart for Taos, located 70 miles north of Santa Fe. Take the High Road and stop in Chimayo, a small village that is famous for the weavings of the Ortega and Trujillo families. It is also known as the home of El Santuario de Chimayo, an early 19^th-century church that has been the destination of countless pilgrims who attribute it with miraculous powers of healing. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Taos, with some free time to explore the historic Taos Plaza and the surrounding shops and galleries. Late afternoon, check in for two nights at El Monte Sagrado Resort, a serene oasis just a few blocks from town. The balance of the day is yours to relax and indulge. (B,L)

Thu, May 8: In the morning, visit Taos Pueblo on the northern outskirts of town. These two amazing five-story adobe structures, in the shadow of Taos Mountain, were built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. and have been inhabited for over 1,000 years. Approximately 150 people still live within the Pueblo full time, and privately-owned shops and galleries throughout the village support the numerous local artists. Afterwards, depart for the remote town of Abiquiu for lunch and a visit to the Ghost Ranch—made famous by artist Georgia O’Keeffe and where she painted many of her best-known landscapes. Stops are made to take in the fresh air, beauty, and perspectives that O’Keeffe found so inspiring. Your guide will provide fascinating stories of the artist’s life as well as the history of Ghost Ranch. On the way back to Taos, take a short jaunt to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, located just outside of town. The river runs 650 feet below the bridge in a spectacular, immense, steep rock canyon. Return to Taos and enjoy a Farewell Dinner. (B,L,D)

Fri, May 9: Transfer to Albuquerque and fly home. (B)