Santa Fe, New Mexico

One of the nice things about living in Albuquerque is its proximity to Santa Fe. Of course Albuquerque has much to offer the visitor, but this post is about nearby Santa Fe.

If you fly into Albuquerque, Santa Fe is an easy drive of about one hour on Interstate 25. Situated at 7,000 feet, in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains, Santa Fe is the highest and oldest capital in the United States. It is America’s second oldest city, founded between 1607 and 1610, but its history dates back thousands of years to the indigenous people who built villages on the current site of the city. Santa Fe is widely considered to be one of the world’s great art cities. Its cultural highlights include Santa Fe Plaza, the Palace of the Governors, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and newer art collectives such as Meow Wolf.

Santa Fe Plaza has been the heart of the city for hundreds of years, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Plaza consists of a central park lined with grass, trees, and benches, and is surrounded by restaurants, shops, and museums. Within the Plaza, for decades, the Native American Artisans Program has offered buyers the chance to interact with artisans who display their handmade wares under the outdoor portals of the Palace of the Governors. The selection of handcrafted items includes pottery, textiles, and jewelry made of traditional materials such as turquoise, coral, and silver.

For more than a century, the Museum of New Mexico has worked to protect and promote traditional southwestern Native American arts and crafts. The portal of the Palace of the Governors has been reserved for use by Native Americans as a place to display and sell wares made by themselves or members of their households. Vendors are members of 23 federally recognized Native American tribes, pueblos, or nations located within New Mexico. As a reputable and reliable outlet for their arts and crafts, vendors at the portal market represent generations of Native American New Mexican artists. You will often purchase an item directly from the artist who created it, and you may have an opportunity to discuss your purchase with the artist. I personally have purchased a few pieces of jewelry from these amazing artists, and I treasure them and wear them all the time, as they truly represent my adopted home.

Speaking of the Museum of New Mexico, it is located within the Palace of the Governors, which is right on the Plaza. Dating back to 1610, the Palace was built by the Spanish for colonial administration, and it is the oldest public building in continuous use constructed by European settlers in the continental United States. The New Mexico History Museum features 3 1/2 floors of exhibitions telling stories of the American West, from the early lives of Native peoples to Spanish colonists, the Mexican era, Santa Fe Trail merchants, the railroad, cowboys, outlaws, scientists, and hippies. The museum contains artifacts, films, and computer interactives that make the rich history of this region come alive.

There are many more museums in Santa Fe, but my personal favorite is the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. One of the most significant artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” The museum’s mission is to preserve, present, and advance her artistic legacy. It’s a relatively small and, in my opinion, extremely well curated museum. If you like Georgia O’Keefe’s work and you have more time to explore New Mexico, I highly recommend a trip to her home and studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico. There you will see first hand some of the landscapes she painted, and if you’re so inclined, there are some great hikes you can take within the compound. Abiquiu is about a one hour drive from Santa Fe, and advance reservations to visit the ranch are required and are available online.

Almost like visiting an art museum is visiting the many art galleries in Santa Fe. Canyon Road is the most well known area, where there are currently more than 80 galleries. You’ll find many more galleries in the Plaza and in the surrounding area as well.

And of course there’s the wonderful New Mexican food. New Mexican cuisine is unique because it developed in fairly isolated circumstances, which allowed it to maintain its Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican roots. Its emphasis is on New Mexican spices, herbs, and flavors, like red and green New Mexico chile peppers and piñon (pine nuts). Some of the dishes that originated here are Native American frybread-style sopapillas, breakfast burritos, green chile stew, green chile burgers, calabacitas (a sautéed zucchini and summer squash dish), and carne adovada (pork marinated in red chile). If you’re a coffee lover, be sure to try New Mexican pinon coffee, which I personally enjoy every morning at home.

If you’re looking for a little rest stop right off the plaza, I recommend Chocolate en la Plaza. It’s a family owned artisan chocolate shop where make all their own chocolates. They source their chocolate from various places in South America, and all are single origin. In addition to amazing truffles, they have coffee, tea and gourmet hot chocolate in various flavors. It’s all the way in the back of a covered plaza called Paso de Luz at 70 E. San Francisco Street.

Many Santa Fe hotels, especially close to the Plaza, tend to be a little pricey. One place that I can highly recommend is the Guadalupe Inn, a small, locally owned inn that is easily walkable to the Plaza and to many shops and restaurants. My daughter and I stayed there and found the decor authentic, and the owners were more than friendly and helpful. Their website is guadalupeinn.com.

I love this Anthony Bourdain quote about New Mexico (from an episode of Parts Unknown): “If you were to stretch a little bit, you could say that New Mexico is a perfect metaphor for America. It is a total mutation. It’s got Spanish, Mexican, original American, and a tinge of radioactivity. This is what America really is.”