Santa Fe really is an enchanting place. Odd but enchanting. Often heartwarming,
Here is information and my personally chosen coolness.
Santa Fe proudly celebrated its 400th birthday in 2010. Yup, this was settled as a Spanish town in 1610, and Tewa-speaking Pojoaque Pueblo Indians were living here here before that. Santa Fe claims several ‘oldest in the US’ titles: oldest church, building, capital, sanctuary to Guadalupe….
This town was originally capital of the Spanish Mexican territories, then of the new country of Mexico in 1821.
Remained capital when New Mexico became a US Territory in 1846, and then the state capital in 1912.
The inner, older area still feels like a charming European village, same small town communal feel and historic pacing to the year.
Our average elevation of 7,000 feet, and all this clean dry air and low humidity means that you’ll feel invigorated and lighter, as long as you get enough water. That’s important. Take naps when needed. Then get outside and walk around in the sunshine; drive up to Abiquiu to see the areas Georgia O’Keefe painted (or go to her museum) go hike in the National Forest, 15 minutes up the mountain.
This is a liberal, expansive-minded, alternatively oriented town. From yoga and wellness approaches, to the unique and world-reknowned Santa Fe Opera, to vibrant intellectual think-tanks that offer public lectures of their work, to Nobel Laureates and ex-ambassadors discussing global issues, we have a lot of everything. There are lots of restaurants, from healthy vegetarian and Ayurvedic to very posh gourmet places: and many in the middle, like Il Piatto. We’ve got Trader Joes, Whole Foods/Wild Oats, as well as regular supermarkets and food shops. Tuesdays and Saturdays there’s a vibrant farmers’ market at the new Railyard area, where the RailRunner train comes up from Albuquerque. Of course we have coffee bars, wifi spots, and my favorite secret destination, the Travel Bug: they combine espresso and wifi with more travel resources than you can imagine, as well as a small, exquisite bookstore for intelligent people.
The official visitors’ site says this:
“As a world-renowned travel destination unparalleled in richness of history, heritage, arts and culture, you’ll be nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the foothills of the Rockies, immersed in natural beauty, with an average of 325 days of sunshine and blue sky.”
And pretty much that’s true. Add in low humidity, clean air, and hundreds of miles of open landscape.
Couple that with delicious, international cultural events, and a smorgasbord of arts activities almost all year long. Some are local, charming, some draw in an affluent international community, like the Opera and Indian Market
People are friendly and helpful. Serendipity rules. Fascinating conversations with strangers and unexpected reunions with old friends happen easily.
Getting here
Enough of how wonderful it is.
Most people fly into Albuquerque’s International Sunport airport code ABQ, about 60 miles away. Southwest Airlines is a major player out here: check them for deals if you aren’t a member. If you arrive there and rent a car, look up at Evelyn Rosenberg’s Global Positioner sculpture overhead, a celestial reference artwork. The photo doesn’t express its impact: the piece is 30′ x 20′ x 18′.
Albuquerque’s hot air balloons may be floating around too: the Balloon Fiesta is October 7th-16th this year.
Santa Fe has a small but increasingly busy airport, about 15 minutes from downtown. That airport code is SAF.
Staying here
There are “a variety of price points available” as the saying goes.
If you are coming for the Milagro Hacienda Creativity Retreat, you’ll be staying with Joe Romero at Casas De Romero. This area, called the South Capitol, is quiet but close to all the lovely stuff happening in and around the plaza.
Several other nice B+Bs in the downtown area are
Pueblo Bonita, lovely inside and close in,
The Don Gaspar Inn, also in the South Capitol,
The luxe but so gorgeous Inn of the Five Graces.
There are several sites for B+Bs here, and if you are curious about any of them, email me, I’ll add what I can.
Some comfortable hotels, not so fancy but very pleasant:
The Sage Inn, which is still walking distance to the Plaza but a bit longer: however you’ll walk along Guadalupe, a great street that straddles the newer contemporary art galleries like Tai, and then leads past the Zia Diner and the Cowgirl, the Sanctuary of Guadalupe, and then into the Plaza.
Garrett’s Desert Inn, very close to the Plaza, and you’ll hear the church bells from the Basilica from 7am to 9pm.
The Inn on the Alameda, very charming and right next to the Travel Bug!
Weather and clothing
The Inn on the Alameda has a great webpage on the weather and what to bring for it.
October is a gorgeous month here, cool and dry, and November will have hints of snow in the air, and visible on the mountain. Because of our low humidity, precipitation is pleasant and welcome here, rather than the endless chilling slushiness of the East Coast.
For our Milagro Hacienda retreat, you’ll be inside in my cozy studio for the mornings, and either remaining there to work or traveling about for our field trips in the afternoons.
Bring comfortable shoes so you can explore Santa Fe on foot, and to wear if you want to hike or walk in the woods. There are some lovely paths around here: many people come for the outdoor activities. If we are lucky, the aspen will still be glowing golden yellow up on the mountains, and you can traipse about in them, or go for a scenic drive in the National Forest.