Gas stations are sparse along this rural highway, so fuel up before you head out.

Visitors to the Santuario de Chimayo can take a bit of sacred dirt from "El Pocito" (meaning "little well") in the room to the left of the main altar, which is said to bring healing and miracles.

Experience dishes made with Chimayo's beloved red chile at the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, and take some home after a visit to the El Potrero Trading Post.

For those interested in 18th-century Spanish Colonial art and architecture, Truchas is a treasure trove—be sure to visit the galleries and open studios in town off State Road 76.