The office in Santa Fe has moved–it’s no longer on Rodeo Road, but out of the city a little way.
The address is 301 Dinosaur Trail. Where is that, you might ask? It’s just south of where Highway 14 meets I-25. (People who know the area will know it got its name from the dinosaur sculptures there.)
Phone number is 505/954-2002, and office hours are 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri.
Pretty old news by now, but for the record, the Galisteo Inn is shut. Too bad.
This restaurant in Raton is closed.
By the far the most frequent change I’m making in updating for the second edition (due spring ‘11) is adjusting opening hours–90 percent of the time, places are just open less. I’m guessing this has to do with the recession–government-run places have had budget cuts, and tourism is down, so tourist-oriented businesses have scaled back.
Moral of the story: call ahead to check hours when you’re making a special trip.
The listed phone and website for making reservations at Carlsbad Caverns has changed. Now it’s 877/444-6777 or www.recreation.gov.
This diner in Roswell is closed.
This place in Mountainair has changed hands, and the rooms have gotten pretty sketchy. I wouldn’t recommend pre-booking here–take a room only if you can inspect it beforehand.
The cafe seems to be open regularly, though, for late breakfast and lunch every day but Tuesday.
I also noticed Alpine Alley, just north of Mountainair’s main intersection–this looks like good coffee and light food.
A train trestle north of Chama was recently destroyed in a fire–so the Cumbres & Toltec railroad service is running only on its northern leg in Colorado, from Antonio north. If you have tickets on the train from Chama, they’ll put you on a bus up to Antonio, where you can ride the rest of the train.
Unfortunately, this situation is for the foreseeable future, until they’re able to repair the trestle.
O Eating House, in Pojoaque, is now a fairly upscale Italian restaurant (but it has the same name). It looks good, if completely different!
The stock at Chimayo Trading Post has dwindled significantly. The owner (his partner passed away) is quite old and doesn’t seem to be restocking the place. Still, if you’ve never been, it’s worth a stop–there are still some treasures here.
In Chimayo, the separate Santo Nino de Atocha chapel has been spruced up and is open all the time now–it’s a bit more modern, but sweet. Take a peek inside, especially in the side chapel.
As I noted before, the NM history museum is now open. Signage is not quite as detailed as I’d like, but otherwise it’s a nice introduction. The exhibits in the Palace of the Governors (now accessible via the history museum) are the same, fortunately–I find these more interesting.
Walking tours run by the museum go from mid-April to mid-October (not just in summer, like the book says). They last about two hours, and the route depends on who’s leading it, but it covers a couple of miles.
Linda Durham Gallery has moved away from Canyon Road, over to 1800 2nd Street.
Collected Works books has moved to the corner of Galisteo and Water, and now has a coffeeshop inside–lovely.
Adelante Casitas is back to being called Chapelle Street Casitas. Its online booking system is buggy–better to call.
Hotel St. Francis has been redone by the Heritage Hotels & Resorts group–it looks quite chic, but the rates have of course gone up. (The same group has redone the Hotel Plaza Real as well, which is great because that used to be a wasted dump.)
Willee’s bar is shut–it’s now called Corazon and books a lot of hipper live music.
Chispa! bar closes at 11pm now.
Green Palace teahouse is shut.
Carlos’ Gosp’l Cafe is shut. The space in the Design Center now sells NYC-style pizza by the slice–it looks good!
El Tesoro in Sanbusco Center is no longer particularly Salvadoran–the menu is more standard Mex-New-Mex, but everything looks good.
The Treehouse cafe moved to 1600 Lena Street (and unfortunately didn’t bring the nursery with it!).
The Blue Heron restaurant is shut.
Fernandez de Taos bookstore has moved around the corner, onto Paseo del Pueblo Norte just next World Cup coffee.
The road running along the Rio Grande gorge on the west side has been paved, so you can head down this way and then jog over to Ojo Caliente and on south to Santa Fe–another scenic route, with potential for a hot-springs break! Look for the turn off US 64, about a mile west of the gorge.
Joseph’s Table is shut! Sad. Sabor de Antonio, a Mexican-style seafood and steak place, is now in the space–which is funny, because this is the second time Antonio has taken over Joseph’s Table’s old space.
Dragonfly Cafe is no longer open for breakfast, except for Sunday brunch. Now it does lunch and dinner (and is closed Tues).
Guadalupe Cafe and the Sustaining Cultures bookstore is shut.
Maverick County Food Co. is shut–it’s now a Japanese place.
Apple Tree is shut.
Byzantium is substantially cheaper than it used to be.
Antonio’s has reopened next to where Guadalupe Cafe used to be, with his good Mexican menu–roast lamb, cochinita pibil.
The Laughing Horse Inn is no longer particularly cheap, which is odd. I now think the Taos Inn has one of the better deals for solo travelers.
The Paragon Inn has changed names and is embroiled in a bit of a local scandal, and I can’t really bring myself to recommend the place.
Mountain Light no longer functions as a B&B, just a longer-term retreat center.
The Pink Schoolhouse Gallery is shut. Which means…there appear to be no functioning businesses left in Tres Piedras.
In Penasco, Sugar Nymphs is open only Thurs.-Sun.
And, duh, the Picuris and Penasco sections are out of order–they should swap.
Paloma Blanca coffeehouse has shut–it is now an all-purpose restaurant that doesn’t look particularly notable.
Texas Reds moved across the street and east about a block.
The Hole Thing is shut.
Consetta’s, the Green Restaurant, is shut.
And sincere apologies–the area code here is 575, but I failed to update many of the businesses listed.
Cookin’ Books is shut.
Gandy Dancer B&B is shut.
Evett’s, the old ice-cream parlor, is closed. This leaves only a couple of random places to eat in town, and both were shut when I passed, so I’m not sure what to recommend…
El Bruno’s has expanded–so there’s more room. But I have heard a couple of reports of bad food recently, along with the usual raves. Still, you don’t have much choice, as it’s the only reasonably good food for miles, and the place is now very comfortable, with patio seating.
The Inn at the Post, by the turn to Chaco Canyon, is shut.
Smokin’ J’s BBQ is shut.
Boon’s Family Thai has changed to Thai Basil–not sure whether it’s particularly good.
Pancake Alley is no longer open Sundays. I do not recommend the green chile stew, but everything else still looks decent.
The Bluffs is no longer open for lunch (just dinner), and it has turned its package liquor store into a bar-lounge.
The KFC in Shiprock spruced up, and its mutton stew is just not all that great (though the people who work there are wonderful!). Word on the street is that Mannings, a burger place across the way, has better stew, as do the vendors at the flea market.
The flea market is now allegedly open every day, but I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I am very skeptical. I got into town after 5pm (alleged closing time), but the area didn’t look like anyone had been set up there.
Also, I mention the Navajo craft shop as being on the south edge of town–it’s actually not that far south. It’s in the strip mall at the southern traffic light–kitty-corner from the KFC.
The restaurant has changed at the St. James Hotel–it’s basically one big mid-range restaurant, instead of a separate cafe and high-end operation. Food all looks decent.
Johnson’s Cabins is shut.
The Raton Museum has moved up to 2nd Street (the main drag), just south of Park. Much more room, and very nicely laid out.
The Icehouse is shut.
Pappas’ only serves dinner now, 5-8pm.
Most restaurants shut at 8pm; your later options are Denny’s (sigh) and The Sands, both on Clayton Ave.
And to reiterate, the Budget Host Melody Lane is truly great!
Shrine of the Testaments is closed.
The Eklund hotel and restaurant was “temporarily” closed–but there was no one around to ask how long this had been going on.
There’s a new cafe just down the corner from the Luna movie theater. But in general, Clayton is really quiet on the weekends.
Kika’s Kitchen is shut.
The Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center in Springer is closed “until further notice.”
Things have moved around a little on Bridge Street: the Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center moved across the street to #116, and Tome on the Range moved to #158.
Estella’s is open only 7am-2pm on Saturday (other days’ hours are still the same).
Blackjack’s Grill and Inn on the Santa Fe Trail are shut.
And by the way, I had an excellent meal at the El Fidel Restaurant, and was quite comfortable in the very cheap El Fidel Hotel.
In Mora, the Salman Ranch cafe is no longer open, but the shop and farm are still going strong.
Pecos Paradise Inn is shut.
La Risa hours have changed: 11am-8pm Thurs-Sat., 8am-6pm Sun.
This hot spring resort near City of Rocks State Park (north of Deming) is closed.
In Tucumcari, El Toro restaurant is closed.
In Portales, the Do Drop Inn has scaled way back–it’s just a coffee bar now, with some sandwiches.
In Clovis, the Wholey Cow Deli is shut.
A couple more things, in addition to those in the earlier post:
The Bear Mountain Lodge is closed.
The Buckhorn Saloon in Pinos Altos has been shut for a while for a renovation, but is set to reopen very soon (perhaps it has already).
The town is pretty stable.
NazzBar is closed.
Kitchen Zink is no longer operating out of Blue House Cafe–but the cafe is in full swing.
Driftwood Motel is now the Caverns Motel–I can’t vouch for its quality.
The new Trinity Hotel is a great addition–good restaurant/wine bar as well–at Fox Street and Canal.
Two I just happened to notice on this trip:
Chef du Jour is shut.
Relish sandwich shop is shut.
Alas, Pie Pantry is shut.
Sunflower Cafe is closed.
Weber’s is closed.
Aaaand Le Bistro is closed.
On the other hand…there is a Starbucks in town now.
I’m out on the road now, researching for the next edition. It’s been a long time–so I’ve come across a lot of closures, I think exacerbated by the recession. Apologies to everyone who has been frustrated while using the guide–I hope this new info helps some people.
Truth or Consequences
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Alamogordo
Deming
Silver City
Capitan
Roswell
Portales
I’m still on the road, so more news to come…
American Eagle (the American Airlines subsidiary) has finally started direct flights between Dallas and Santa Fe. Response has been enthusiastic, so it looks like the flights will be a permanent thing, beyond the 60-day trial.
Direct flights from Los Angeles to Santa Fe are set to start in November.
Taos is jumping on the successful Rail Runner link between ABQ and Santa Fe: Starting June 4, Taos Express will run a shuttle bus will between Taos and the Santa Fe Rail Runner depot, timed with the train’s arrival, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Round-trip price is $10, and you can transfer to the Taos Chile Line town bus for free.
The New Mexico History Museum, an extension of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, opens this weekend.
This hotel in Albuquerque–the renovated La Posada/former Hilton–will finally be opening in September of this year, and the website is taking reservations.
Per a reader comment, it looks like this restaurant in Chimayo will reopen in July, after the fire that had shut it for a stretch.
(Thanks, Terry!)
This museum in Albuquerque has moved to its new, bigger location at 601 Eubank SE.
It has also changed its name to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. More info here.
Ha–a greater error than I could ever grasp: it turns out that the official Four Corners point is actually 2.5 miles off. Sorry about that!
Major oversight–someone was kind enough to email me with this news months and months ago, but it got lost in the shuffle: Coffee T or C in Truth or Consequences is closed. So is White Coyote.
But there were a number of new businesses in town when I visited last summer for a piece in Budget Travel. (Not mentioned: great pastries, I think by the ex-White Coyote owner, and coffee at Black Cat Books.)
The big news in the area is twofold:
1) As I mentioned earlier, the RailRunner commuter train now connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Schedules are here.
Note that, as a side effect, as far as I can tell, there is no longer a regular city bus linking the ABQ airport to downtown–there is now a free shuttle. Which would be nice, except it runs less frequently and is timed to coordinate with the RailRunner’s departures to Santa Fe. Still, if the times work in your favor, you could easily enjoy a car-free visit to Santa Fe (and Albuquerque).
2) Allegedly, daily direct flights to Santa Fe will be starting June 11. They’ll be operated by American Eagle (American Airlines) out of Dallas-Ft. Worth.
This has been on the table before, and very close to starting, so I’ll believe it when I see it.
The Rail Runner commuter-rail service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe has officially started. This is just about the coolest thing to happen in New Mexico in decades!
For visitors, this means you could take the dedicated shuttle from the ABQ airport to the Rail Runner, and hop on the train direct to Santa Fe. No rental car, no hassle–ideal especially for a weekend getaway.
I say “could” and not “can” because a lot depends on the train schedule–it doesn’t run super-frequently (about once an hour during rush hours, with nothing in between). The last train to SF departs the ABQ Sunport stop at 6:09pm. But hopefully service will increase due to demand.
But the trip takes a little less than an hour, and you arrive in style in central Santa Fe–suave! Roundtrip is $8.
For schedules and other info, see the Rail Runner website: www.nmrailrunner.com.
A little slow on this, but the restaurant Rancho de Chimayo had a fire this summer. It’s closed until at least April 2009.
This doesn’t refer to anything specific in the book–I just thought it was a big step forward: You can now bike all the way to the Balloon Fiesta grounds (thanks, Duke City Fix).
Balloon Fiesta traffic is the single biggest mental deterrent for going, I’d say. The park-and-ride bus system works, but if you can get there under your own power–so much cooler! And a pre-dawn bike ride would be great.
In other news, there’s now an actual flushing public toilet in Madrid! (Previously, porta-potties were all that was available.)
I just got a helpful email from the Mesilla visitor center (adjacent to Las Cruces):
On page 254 under the Mesilla listing, please change the visitor center information to the following (as it has moved): 2231 Avenida de Mesilla, 575/524-3262 ext. 117. Instead of “small” visitor center, it is now located inside Mesilla Town Hall.
Again, I spoke too soon: the CCA in Santa Fe (p. 83) hasn’t in fact reopened the James Turrell SkySpace–too bad!
On p. 66, I describe the Jemez State Monument as being south of Jemez Springs. In fact, it’s just north of the town. Also, the parking area for Spence Springs is more like 1.6 miles north of Battleship Rock.
This isn’t news, obviously–it’s just plain wrong. I have no idea how it happened, and I’m embarrassed it took me so long to realize it. Apologies!
Mountain Treasures (p. 157) is shut. In fact, the building it was in is completely gone–always disorienting. Also, The Hole Thing is for sale, so might not be reliable for much longer.
This has been moving around a lot due to the construction on Railyard Park. Short-term: check the website (www.santafefarmersmarket.com) for locations. Long-term: there will be a permanent year-round market hall in Railyard Park, which will open sometime in late summer/early fall.
Just FYI, ABQ’s transit system is now called ABQ Ride, not SunTran (p. 70).
Chef du Jour (p. 54) has expanded, and chef Jennifer James (formerly of Graze) is now cooking here. The dinner menu (yes, there’s dinner now too) changes monthly, and is a great deal.
Ambrozia (p. 55) is closed.
The Standard Diner (p. 56) has abandoned its high-low concept—all the same menu, and most of it under $20.
The Green Light Bistro (p. 56) is closed.
The Frontier (p. 57) is no longer open 24 hours—tragedy! It’s open 21 hours: 8am to 5am.
Nizhoni Moses (p. 49) no longer exists. There are now two Nizhoni galleries, with jewelry and RC Gorman work—one’s on Church St., one block behind the church.
Gulp (p. 46) is closed. The whole Gulp/Graze compound is now the Nob Hill Bar & Grill, run by the chef from Ambrozia.
Hiway House (p. 52) has redone its rooms—not so retro, but the carpeting is fresher. Ownership is a little cagey about prices, however, which can be annoying. Feel free to bargain.
La Posada (p. 53) will be reopening as Andaluz—not sure when yet, however.
Dragonfly Café (p. 147) does only lunch and dinner now, not breakfast—plus Sunday brunch.
Joe’s Main Street Bakery (p. 147) is shut.
Gypsy 360 (p. 147) is now the Maverick County Café—totally different menu, but very good. Open only for long lunch (11am–4pm or so).
Antonio’s (p. 148) is closed; fortunately, Rellenos Café is still open.
The pastry chef at De la Tierra (p. 148) is gone; unfortunately I can’t vouch for the pastry quality any longer.
The Burrito Wagon (p. 148) is gone. (I saw it parked in someone’s yard a few blocks away—so sad!)
Blue Rain Gallery (p. 140) has moved to Santa Fe.
FX/18 (p. 141) has moved to Bent St, east end, closer to Taos Inn.
Winter hours from the Blumenschein Museum (p. 131) are 10am to 4pm Tues through Sat, and noon to 4pm on Sun. (I’m remiss in posting this—someone alerted me to this months ago!)
The address of Gearing Up bike shop (p. 143) is 129 Paseo del Pueblo _Sur_–it’s just south of the intersection with Kit Carson Rd.
LeMoyne’s Landing (p. 99) is now a French café called Clafoutis, serving breakfast and lunch till 4pm. Tasty and fresh, and good pastries.
Coyote Café (p. 99) is no longer owned by Mark Miller, and has been taken over by the same restaurateur who owns Geronimo. I enjoyed my meal there, but the menu is completely different and the cooking—while ambitious on the surface—is actually pretty standard stuff. It’s certainly the place to schmooze in Santa Fe right now.
Kasasoba (p. 100) is shut. It’s now another high-end Asian place.
Tiny’s (p. 101) is incorrectly placed on the map. It’s actually off the east side of St. Francis Dr., south of Cerrillos—Pen Rd. here is not really a street, but a big parking lot.
Dave’s Not Here (p. 102) is shut.
Blue Window Bistro (p. 107) changed hands, but it’s still good. The menu is a bit different now, though—none of the chile relleno crepes.
El Rey Inn (p. 94) is incorrectly placed on the map—it’s actually about midway between Llano St and 2nd St, so closer to the plaza than on the map.
Chapelle Street Casitas (p. 94) has changed its name to Adelante Casitas.
And I didn’t include the Santa Fe Sage Inn (www.santafesageinn.com) in this book, but it has since gotten a complete overhaul and is now excellent value—free wi-fi, pool, big breakfast, really comfortable beds and clean rooms. It’s only a little farther out of the center than Santa Fe Motel & Inn.
Addison Arts (p. 89) is shut.
Meyer-Munson Gallery (p. 90) is now called Meyer East. Little has changed, though.
Victoria Price (p. 90) is shut.
Mellow Velo (p. 92) has moved to 638 Old Santa Fe Trail—that’s just a couple of blocks south of Paseo de Peralta. It’s also phasing in a new phone number: 505/995-VELO. But it no longer rents cruisers for in-town riding—just mountain bikes and road bikes.
More roads have been paved en route to Diablo Canyon (p. 51, driving directions on p. 52), so you have to look out for the dirt road 4.6 miles in—it heads uphill and bears slightly right, while the main paved road turns left. If you miss the turn, you’ll find yourself on a giant subdivision loop, soon heading south and then back east toward the city.
Poeh Museum (p. 104) is open 9am–4pm Sat (not 4–9pm).
I’m in NM, and I have a lot of changes to post for Santa Fe and Taos (and probably more for ABQ to come), but I won’t get to it for a few more days. If you’re just about to leave for a trip, email me and I can tell you–otherwise, check back in another week to freshen up your book.
A big fire gutted neighboring club Golden West, in Albuquerque, so Launchpad (p. 46) is at least temporarily shut from damage as well.
The Roswell visitors center (p302) is now at 912 N. Main St., in the convention center, and the new phone number is 575/624-6860.
Taste of Europe restaurant (p301) is closed.
Thanks to a reader for letting me know about these changes, as well as the corrections in the previous post.
Rates at Fire Water Lodge (p246) do _not_ include breakfast. I’m not sure if this is something that has changed since I did the research, or just some confusion on my part. Either way–apologies!
Same goes for the location of Pacific Grill (p247)–I listed its old address, when in fact it is located at 800 N. Date St. (I guess I sensed something was wrong when I was doing the map, because I placed it on the map at 304 _North_ Pershing–closer to where I remembered it being. A lesson to always mark up maps before I leave town!)
A helpful reader reports that this restaurant in Ruidoso (p323) has changed hands, and it no longer has a liquor license–that means no beer with your pizza, alas.
Due to an editing error, Kranberry’s restaurant (p267) in Lordsburg has a spiffy little extra-recommended “moon” symbol next to it. In fact, Kranberry’s is nothing remarkable–the “moon” was meant for a great restaurant in Lordsburg that unfortunately closed just before the book was going to press. At least I can say that as of mid-December, Kranberry’s was open and perfectly serviceable.
Taos Ski Valley will start allowing snowboarders on its slopes as of March 19, 2008. Truly a major change.
If Moon Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque isn’t enough for you, get ready for Moon New Mexico, with many pages devoted to the farthest corners of the state. It comes out September 28. And there’s an update page set up for the book, just waiting for news!
I talk about New Mexico on this fun podcast, the Amateur Traveler. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of discussion of New Mexican food, and a very rambling outline of all the various places you can visit in the state, including Pie Town and Truth or Consequences.
You can download the podcast at the Amateur Traveler website, or go via iTunes–I definitely recommend the iTunes-enhanced version, which includes some great photos.
Many of those photos happen to be mine–I just uploaded a bunch of the pics I used for the book to my Flickr stream. Easiest to see them in the New Mexico set.
From time to time, I will post updates to Moon New Mexico (due out September 28, 2007), as I learn about them. Please email me changes you know of–it makes for a better guidebook for all!
