59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and not afraid to criticize, July 18, 2000
We used this guide to plan a couple of trips to Santa Fe and in and around Taos, and were very happy with the results. The book starts with a general introduction to northern New Mexico, covering history, art, architecture and so on. Then there's a chapter on general visitor information for the region, and a section for foreign visitors. The remaining chapters are:
Getting to Know Santa Fe; Where to Stay in Santa Fe; Where to Dine in Santa Fe; What to See & Do in Santa Fe; Santa Fe Shopping; Santa Fe After Dark; Excursions from Santa Fe; Getting to Know Taos; Where to Stay in Taos; Where to Dine in Taos; What to See & Do in Taos; Albuquerque
The organization is good, with the hotels, for example, clearly broken out by price range ("Very Expensive", "Expensive", "Moderate" and "Inexpensive"). But the real value of the book is the author's candid evaluations. We've been burned in the past by guide books that gave every establishment a glowing review, so it was pleasant to use this book to find lunch in Taos one day last month. Here's some of what we found:
Ogelvie's Bar and Grill: "The food here is not flavorful, and the atmosphere is dated"
Eske's Brew Pub: "The crowd is local, a few people sitting at the bar . . . . At times it can be a rowdy place, but mostly it's just fun, lots of ski patrollers and mountain guides . . . ."
Outback in Taos: "My kayaking buddies always go here after a day on the river. That will give you an idea of the level of informality (very), as well as the quality of the food and beer (great) and the size of the portions (large)."
It's clear that the author really loves the area, and knows it inside out; we went to eight or ten places (hotels and restaurants) that she recommends, and didn't regret a single one.
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33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
spot on, September 23, 2001
By A Customer
we just completed a two-week New Mexico vacation, and found that time after time, hotel after hotel, restaurant after restaurant, attraction after attraction, this guide was absolutely spot on. We brought another guide ("The Insider's Guide to Santa Fe") and wound up relying on Frommer's exclusively.
We were most impressed by the recommendations for small out-of-the-way places we _never_ would have gone to otherwise, "Chef du Jour" in Albu. being a perfect example.
Our only quibble is that the author praises the food a little over-much. Desserts she describes as the "best you'll ever eat" we would describe as "good", for example, but then again we're from the bay area and i guess we're pretty spoiled.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Guide to Northern NM, June 8, 2005
Just returned from Taos and Santa Fe and I was surprised about the accuracy of King's reviews. You can plan an excellent week using this book alone (and perhaps a more detailed hiking book). Even locals we spoke with were impressed that we knew of some of the out-of-the-way places. One note: the prices listed for many of the recommended restaurants have gone up (probably due to their newfound popularity from this book).
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