Taos pueblo.

"I think New Mexico was the greatest experience from the outside world that I have ever had. It certainly changed me forever."

Both Santa Fe (7100 feet) and Taos (6600 feet) are framed by the soaring Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) mountains, an extension of the southern Rockies. Both are situated in an area inhabited continuously for thousands of years. The first occupants were the prehistoric pueblo peoples called the Anasazi, who mysteriously disappeared after the 14th century, leaving fabulous stone cities behind. In the 16th century northern New Mexico became part of the Hispanic empire conquered by Spanish conquistadors. Anglos, as Caucasians are referred to here, are recent arrivals, most coming after the United States annexed the area in 1848 following the war with Mexico.

But the differences between Santa Fe and Taos are as stark as their similarities.

Move on to Santa Fe

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Grace Lichtenstein, the former Rocky Mountain bureau chief for The New York Times, writes frequently about skiing and other sports. She lives in Corrales, New Mexico and New York City.