The Bobcat Paw

When looking for a vacation destination, Santa Fe, New Mexico might not be the first place that comes to mind. However, it is a beautiful, unique city with thousands of years of history all around it. There are many national parks not far away, like the Santa Fe National Forest, with its rolling, rocky tree-lined mountains. There is also Pecos National Historical Park, which boasts a large pueblo, where up to 2,000 Native Americans live and is nearly a thousand years old. With all of these parks, New Mexico is a hikers dream, and Santa Fe is the perfect place from which to base your trip. You might be wondering if there are so many trails, which ones should we do? Let’s take a look at 9 of the top trails surrounding Santa Fe, New Mexico. 1. Boca Negra Canyon Trail The Boca Negra Canyon Trail comes in at only 0.6 miles. It is one of the most heavily trafficked trails in New Mexico. Located near Albuquerque, it is a series of small trails that are perfect for the beginner an...

The winter season can bring a longing to pack your bags and hit the open road for a much-needed vacation. New Mexico, for decades, has been known as the Land of Enchantment. The city of Santa Fe is the living embodiment of that now-famous slogan. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, Santa Fe is a hub for both avid and beginner skiers. The mountains also provide the perfect place to hike and take in the breathtaking nature of New Mexico. If skiing or hiking isn’t your thing, the town of Santa Fe has you covered with one of a kind charm and amenities. Home to the best museums, restaurants, and shopping, you will never have a lack of things to do in Santa Fe this winter season. To help you breakdown what Santa Fe has to offer before you plan your trip, we have put together a list of our favorite things to do. 1. Hit the Slopes for Some Skiing Skiing is the biggest attraction that brings tens of thousands of visitors to Santa Fe every winter. Ski Santa Fe is home to one of the m...

Picture this, It’s the fall season, the air is crisp and fresh, and you’re trying to get in touch with your inner outdoorsman or outdoorswoman. Your friends wouldn’t really describe you as the adventurous type, but you aspire to alter your personal narrative. You decide that whitewater rafting is far too dangerous, and the pumpkin patch isn’t dangerous enough. After evaluating your circumstances, you decided to pick up mountain biking as your new adventurous hobby. Cool choice but, you don’t know where to start. Finding the right bike and appropriate trails for your skillset is key. Luckily, we'll show you some tips and tricks for mountain bikers who are just starting out. 1. Fully Utilize All Gears Mountain bike trails can be super daunting. It’s not quite like riding up and down the neighborhood street. There are numerous steep inclines and unforeseen, sharp downs often within a couple meters of each other. The best way to prepare for these sudden changes is to shift...

New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment and for good reason. From its vast, serene deserts to its tall mountain peaks, there are endless adventures at every turn. During the autumn months, the need to wind down from summer activities only increases. Santa Fe prides itself on good weather and aims to support a host of different events. Here is a list of 7 of the Best Fall Festivities in Santa Fe. 1. Santa Fe Indigenous Peoples Day This exciting and important three-day event is hosted every year in Santa Fe. As a tribute to the ancestors that claimed the land in Santa Fe, there is an abundance of fun and education at this event. The main goal is for the community to remember and honor the valued Native American neighbors. From Saturday, October 12th through Monday, October 14th at the Downtown Santa Fe Historic Plaza, you can enjoy performances and stories like the Buffalo Dance Group, Youth Hoop Dancers, storytelling of the Indigenous History of O’gah Po’oge, and more! Visit...

There are so many great outdoor activities to do in Santa Fe that it's impossible to list them all in any single article. This is just a brief sampling of our favorites to get you started. Most of these activities are open all year round, thanks to our beautiful weather. image courtesy of SantaFe.org Pueblo Feast Days There are nearly 20 pueblos in the northern region of New Mexico, and each one of these communities has its own annual Feast Days and Religious Events. Most of them allow respectful visitors to observe and partake in the fun so that an understanding can be gained of traditional tribal culture and history. This is a wonderful way to learn about the area natives, and how they have lived for centuries before the arrival of others. Ski Santa Fe Our area provides challenges for experienced skiers as well as great introductions for newcomers. Offering some of the highest elevations for skiing in the United States, Ski Santa Fe has a base elevation of 10,350 f...

To help plan your Santa Fe vacation with family, the sampling of family-friendly activities described below will give you a good idea of the kinds of adventures available in the area, and at least provide the basis for your own research. Whether you're looking for laid back Santa Fe attractions or for more active participation, there are endless ideas for engaging every member of the family, so that all will be enchanted by the beauty, the excitement, and the inviting atmosphere of the Southwest. El Rancho de las Golondrinas This is one of the best family activities you'll find in the region, because it amounts to an outdoor living history museum, with numerous buildings and artifacts restored from the 18th century, and living historians dressed in period costume. Visitors can witness the daily routines of Spanish ranch inhabitants of the time, grinding corn, making leather, and even producing various objects made of metal. Santa Fe Farmer's Market The whole f...

By the time fall rolls around to the Santa Fe area, much of the summer heat has dissipated, and you can really enjoy a comfortable visit to the region, even if you include some fairly vigorous Santa Fe, New Mexico activities on your itinerary. By the time it gets cool enough for the first frost to appear on plants, most of the tourist crowd has usually disappeared from the area, so if you're the type who likes to avoid crowds, this might be the perfect time of year to plan your visit and really enjoy the Santa Fe area. Here are some of the best activities to enjoy during the fall and winter when you visit Santa Fe. Skiing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains This mountain range offers a number of ideal locations for skiing, and you can find slopes to accommodate all kinds of skill levels among the numerous venues offering winter-time fun near Santa Fe. While some of the more popular ski sites in the country may have the advantage of greater publicity, you'll be able to fi...

When you're planning a Santa Fe, New Mexico vacation, and you're wondering about things to do in the area, one of the things you will certainly want to include is a day trip to some of the fantastic nearby attractions. There just happen to be some extremely fascinating day trip venues very close to the city and this will allow you to not only have a great time at the venue itself, but you'll also love cruising through the fantastic landscape along the way, and making periodic stops to take photos of the spectacular scenery. Here are some of the best day trips for you to consider during your Santa Fe getaway: Taos and the High Road This is a round-trip journey of about 165 miles, and along the way, you'll see Chimayo, which is a traditional village of weavers who have won numerous awards for their artwork, and the 'miraculous dirt' surrounding church property, which is said to have healing powers. You pass through the towns of Córdoba, Truchas, and Ojo Sarco...

Some of the best spring skiing can be found right here in Santa Fe New Mexico. In our last storm on March 14 the Santa Fe ski area reported 15 inches of new snow. I can also report that the skiing is excellent. I skied Santa Fe on Tuesday March 16 and found some incredible powder!! Double Eagle Oh My God!! If you are reading this and are going this week I would definitely ski off of the triple and millennium lifts. You won't have as long of lift lines and the powder is still there. They have had some warm days after all it is St Patricks Day today. It is hard to believe that we were in a blizzard Sunday night and today it is 60 degrees. I am sure it is more like 45 at the ski basin. Ski Santa Fe plans to close after April 11th, as long as the snow holds out and we are expecting another storm next week. Check out their web camera ! Bobcat Inn

There is this wonderful Alpaca ranch near The Bobcat Inn in Santa Fe New Mexico. Mary MacGyver is the owner and she gives tours on Thursdays from 1:30-4:00PM and Sundays from 1:30-4:00PM or you can call 505 470-4629 . I recently visited their ranch and immediately fell in love. Alpacas are very special animals and are very intelligent. They are the only animal native to the Americas. There is also a ranch store with beautiful woven sweaters and other fiber textiles. The Bobcat Inn