If Native American antiques and artifacts are your style – there’s no better area in the country than these. Santa Fe contains more than 75 shops, Albuquerque over 50, and Taos about 12. The drive from Santa Fe to Taos cruises by Carson and Santa Fe National Forests, and several Indian Reservations, which have many antique shops as well. If you have a keen interest in tribal antiques, August is the month to visit New Mexico; all three towns hold antiques shows devoted to tribal art, in addition to Native American art and artifacts. These shows include, Albuquerque’s Great Southwestern Antiques, Indian and Old West Show, Fine Arts of the American West, and the Historic Indian & World Tribal Arts Santa Fe show, to name some of the major ones.

All of these events lead up to one of Santa Fe’s largest events, the Indian Market, which features items from Native American artists and is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Similar events to this one include the Semiannual American Indian Art Auctions, the Tesuque Pueblo Flea Market, and Santa Fe’s Spanish market. In addition to a slew of wonderful antique shops and events, Santa Fe is a beautiful town. Its plaza is the setting for the City’s Indian market, held every day. And many of the town’s museums showcase Native American cultures and Spanish colonial heritage. Highlights include: the Southwestern History Museum, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe’s Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts which is home to an extensive collection of Georgia O’Keeffe pieces. Also worth exploring, the mountain and desert terrain, along with thousands of acres of National Forest and wilderness, which provide numerous opportunities for outdoor fun such as horseback riding, cross-country skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing and golf.