| Eighty-five miles northwest of Taos on US-64 which crosses the dramatic Rio Grande Gorge Bridge beyond Abiquiu and the red rocks around Ghost Ranch, tiny CHAMA is the base for trips on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (June to mid-Oct; tel 505/756-2151, www.cumbrestoltec.com), an exhilarating high-mountain ride, following the course of the Los Piños Gorge. Daily excursions run through the High Brazos mountains on the border with Colorado; you can either take a motor coach to Antonito, Colorado, and return by train (depart Chama 8.30am; $60), go by train and return by coach (depart Chama 10am; $60), or take a round-trip for the day by train to a point halfway along (depart 10am; $40). Modern timber lodges like the Elkhorn Lodge (tel 505/756-2105; $5075) line the river south of town, while the Gandy Dancer is a three-bedroom B&B in a purple-clapboard mansion, near the station at 299 Maple St (tel 505/756-2191 or 1-800/424-6702, www.gandydancerbb.com; $75100).
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