As a long time resident of Santa Fe, I can highly recommend this city. Taos is great in the winter if you like to ski, just remember that it is at 8000 feet. Santa Fe is cold in the winter (7200 feet) without the snows of Taos, but I can tell you that it is a magical city at Xmas and most of the year except the modestly hot August and September. Most do not know that it is the oldest continuously occupied city in the US, an occupation that began before Columbus hit the rocks on the east coast. This is because when the Spaniards started up from what is now Mexico to look for the cities of Gold, one of the cities they founded was Santa Fe. Dripping with history and artifacts, art galleries and restaurants out the wazoo, it has a charm unique in travel destinations. For 5 years running till 2001 it was the number one tourist destination in the US according to Conde Nast. You have to fly into Albuquerque and rent a car for the one-hour drive to Santa Fe. Sedona on the other hand is lower in altitude and warm in the winter. It attracts tons of snowbirds who live there for the winter months in the motor homes etc. A new-agers Mecca, bring your crystals, learn about your chakras before you go, and be ready to embrace the many spirit guides, channelers of spirits, and the like. As far as I am concerned none of that takes away from the natural beauty of the area, and the hiking, and good restaurants are first rate.

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.