Travel: Abiquiu a 'stunning place to visit'

The Department of New Mexico Tourism has listed Abiquiu as one of the “14 stunning places to visit (and photograph) in New Mexico before you die.”

This picturesque setting is the location of Ghost Ranch, home of Georgia O’Keeffe and, a conference center and living museum.

Courtesy photo: Bryce Turner

At Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu is the home of painting artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Abiquiu sits between Carson National Forest and Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Driving time from Clovis to Abiquiu will take about four hours and is approximately 260 miles.

This weekend trip could include stops in Santa Fe for a nice lunch on your way there and back.

There are many activities available to the traveler, including kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, or merely gazing at the beautiful scenery often portrayed in the paintings of O’Keeffe.

If you would like to include tours of her home and studio, an advance reservation is recommended. Visitors can call 877-804-4678 for information.

Abiquiu is centrally located between the Carson National Forest and the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which may account for the beautiful red rock scenery easily seen from the retreat and the mountain named Pedernal, which means flint or hard stone, and a favorite subject of the O’Keeffe paintings.

Some of the attractions near Abiquiu are the Echo Amphitheater located on Highway 84 North of Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu Lake, well known for its great fishing, and the Christ in the Desert Monastery, which can be located past the Echo Amphitheater with directions that are easy to find on the Web.

O’Keeffe first came to Taos in 1929, but it wasn’t until 1934 that she arrived at Ghost Ranch where she would spend her summers.

According to okeeffecountry.com, she used the local topography in her paintings with Kitchen Mesa and its yellow and red cliffs as a common theme.

The Pedernal mountain rising to the south was also one of her favorites. O’Keeffe is quoted as saying, “God told me if I painted it often enough I could have it.”

For the visitor, Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu offers many enjoyable activities to satisfy the palate of anyone lucky enough to make their way there.

Visitors should try to plan their visits during the warmer months as roads can be tricky during the winter.

Mike Jimenez, 63, of Hagerman is an Eastern

New Mexico University graduate who has been

traveling New Mexico for decades, mostly on

his motorcycle. His series of travel reports will

run each Sunday through the summer.

— Contact him at [email protected]