I have family here, and after years of coming to Santa Fe as a visitor, I became a resident myself a couple of years ago. On an April morning, we drove an hour or so north of Santa Fe to the town of Ojo Caliente for a visit on horseback into back country rarely seen by outsiders. We left Round Barn Stables, along a pretty, cottonwood-lined creek, under auspicious signs. Our horses climbed into a rugged landscape of juniper, spruce and pungent sage. Looting of ancient sites is a problem throughout the Southwest, and we were careful not to disturb anything.
Trace minerals found in the waters give the various baths their names.
The resort's historic but funky main bathhouse, minimalist accommodations and restaurant and lack of upscale spa amenities may limit its appeal. Instead of heading straight for Bandelier, which is about 46 miles northwest of Santa Fe, we stopped at Tsankawi, a little-known unexcavated ruin on the way in. Ahead lay the steep orange-yellow cliffs leading up the mesa. As we began to climb, vistas of forest and miles of canyons and ridges spread out around us. We walked alone through volcanic rock so soft that centuries of use have worn the narrow trail as much as a foot deep.