Nice Images!
I just came back from Christmas week in Taos and a couple of days in Santa Fe.
My grandmother was born in Santa Fe and my grandfather on native land in southern New Mexico, and NM has a special meaning for me and my family.
I prefer the small town and rugged feel of Taos. The light is amazing, the sky endless and the landscape beautiful.
Both places have great food, especially if you like the northern New Mexican red and green chili. The locals will have both on the same plate by asking for 'Christmas' , as in 'make it Christmas'. The Georgia OKeefe museum in Santa Fe is great, and make a pilgrimage to Dennis Hopper's grave in Taos, if that is of interest to you. Its not easy to find and hiding in plain sight, however there is a youtube video of how to get there.
I highly recommend a day at the Ojo Caliente hot springs between Espanola and Taos, and be sure to go on a hike above the springs to see the remnants of an old native pueblo, where the ground is littered with hundreds of pottery chards. Don't touch them; this is Federal land and more importantly, you will disturb the spirits!