Denver to Durango and Northern New Mexico/Santa Fe

In August I will be taking a driving trip (mostly gardening and nature oriented) from Denver to Vail then southward (though Buena Vista, Salida etc) then westward to Durango for a multi-day gathering, afterwards to Mesa Verde and finishing with a few days in northern New Mexico/Santa Fe flying out of ABQ. Wondering if anyone has any solid recommendations or must eating experiences in these areas, which are totally new to me. Coming from NYC we are most interested in dishes from local Mexican or Native American traditions, or other things we wont normally find here as well as things that are just plain good! We dont tend toward tasting menus or cutting edge cooking methods. Since I am travelling with a vegetarian it cant all be meaty! Thanks for any suggestions you can give!