NM09 Santa Fe

Cultural, creative, chic, and historic, Santa Fe lives up to its sobriquet as The City Different. Whether it’s snow blanketing sensual adobe walls, spring flowers splashing the Plaza, fiestas lasting long into warm summer nights, or red and gold dripping from aspens in the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe is specially suited for every season.

In 1608, Spanish governor Don Pedro de Peralta established La Villa Real de Santa Fe — the Royal Town of Santa Fe — making the city the oldest continuous capital in what is now the United States. Santa Fe celebrates the 400th anniversary of its founding in 2010. The site at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains was once home to an Indian pueblo. Humble adobe buildings were built around a central plaza that remains the focus of the city. One of those buildings, the Palace of the Governors, was the capitol for Spanish, Mexican, and territorial U.S. governors. Gov. Lew Wallace penned his epic book Ben Hur while serving here.

Today, the Palace of the Governors is a museum that exhibits more than 15,000 artifacts from the Spanish colonial (1540- 1821), Mexican (1821-1846), and U.S. territorial (1846- 1912) periods: weapons, armor, documents, clothing, furniture, and items of daily life.

Outside, under the portal, Native American artisans representing many tribes sell their jewelry and pottery. Opened in May 2009, the New Mexico History Museum next to the Palace features interactive displays examining New Mexico’s Native American, Spanish, Mexican, French, and Anglo interactions and contributions.

The palace faces the famous plaza, a beloved gathering place for residents of every walk of life since humans arrived here. Grab a Frito pie or cup of coffee and find a bench under a shady tree; it’s a wonderful place to relax and people watch.

The Center Monument honors federal soldiers who fought in New Mexico during the Civil War. If you look closely, you can find where years later a wayward bullet struck the obelisk. The bandstand is active year-round, especially on summer nights when free outdoor concerts have the town dancing.

At the nearby New Mexico Museum of Art, the works of early Santa Fe masters underscore how the city earned its international reputation as an artist haven and its ranking as the thirdlargest art market in the United States. In the 1920s, luminaries such as John Sloan, Andrew Dasburg, and Russell Cheney trickled into Santa Fe, drawn by its magical light and easy living. Georgia O’Keeffe is honored with her own museum (Georgia O’Keeffe Museum) that features her bold and redefining work, as well as exhibitions of works by her contemporaries. On Museum Hill, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture highlights contemporary Native American artists including the late R.C. Gorman. The Museum of International Folk Art celebrates just that: amazing folk art from around the world. One room showcases thousands of clay figurines that depict Pueblo dances, complete with camera-wielding tourists, Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, and a scene of heaven and hell where even the devils look cheery. The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and Museum of Spanish Colonial Art display art, artifacts, and furniture from New Mexico’s Native American and Spanish history. At the State Capitol at Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta, the Governor’s Gallery on the fourth floor showcases contemporary New Mexico artists. The Capitol Art Collection, displayed throughout the Roundhouse, is well worth exploring. Across Old Santa Fe Trail from the capitol, Barrio de Analco, an ancient neighborhood, boasts the oldest house and the nation’s oldest in-use church, San Miguel (built in 1610). Cute shops and cafés round out this charming area.

Down Old Santa Fe Trail, near the Plaza, is the gothic chapel that houses the Loretto Staircase in Loretto Chapel, built in the 1850s. Called the “miraculous staircase” because of its lack of any central support, this wooden, spiral staircase uses no glue or nails, only wooden pegs and precision carpentry.

Legend has it that St. Joseph himself built it after the Sisters of Loretto prayed for help for ascending to the choir loft.

From pieces of handmade Native American turquoise jewelry purchased directly from the artist to exquisite sculptures and paintings in galleries throughout the city, beauty abounds in Santa Fe. Explore the side streets beyond the Plaza, as many shops filled with treasures are tucked away to be discovered. Strolling down Canyon Road, you may feel as if you’re in a different city in The City Different. Dappled sunlight plays on warm adobe walls in classic Santa Fe style, but mostly contemporary art beams from every surface, impressing casual viewers and connoisseurs. More than 100 galleries in a square mile attract collectors worldwide and make Canyon Road the largest concentration of art galleries per mile in the world. One of the best things serious shoppers can do for themselves in Santa Fe is to take a good pair of walking shoes. When you need a break, enjoy the shade at El Zaguan’s Bandelier Garden.

The new Railyard District just southwest of the Plaza, is another exciting destination for art lovers. Modern warehouse-style galleries explore cutting-edge contemporary art, as well as the cafés, coffee shops, outdoor recreation stores, and other businesses. The New Mexico Railrunner train station has made this area the hottest hub for shopping, eating, and strolling. The nearby Guadalupe District has a Western twang and is a destination for trendy boutique shopping and bistro-style dining. Check out Guadalupe Chapel, the oldest extant church in the country devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, Santa Fe offers any fare that you crave. Romantic restaurants garner international praise for their exciting blends of tastes from around the world. You can usually find New Mexico chile at the center of these creations. Many chefs here have written their own cookbooks, so you can try their art at home. True foodies can enjoy a Southwestern cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

Santa Fe would not be the city it is without its natural beauty. At 7,000 feet, Santa Fe is cradled by aspen-covered mountains that offer a cool respite in the summer. In the fall, the mountains turn a blaze of yellows and reds, providing a striking backdrop for the city against the almost alwaysbrilliant blue sky. Drive into this display by following Hyde Park-Ski Basin Road. At 8,300 feet, Hyde Memorial State Park is the gateway to the Santa Fe National Forest and the Pecos Wilderness. Come winter, Santa Fe offers some of the most rewarding skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the nation at the Santa Fe Ski Area. Near the end of Canyon Road is the trailhead for the Dale Bale trail system, a favorite of hikers and birders. Winsor Trail has been called one of the best mountain biking trails in the nation. Anglers, rafters, and kayakers enjoy a watery playground on the nearby Río Grande. Santa Fe has several shops that specialize in hiking, biking, skiing, fly-fishing, and all other forms of outdoor recreation, and are a great place to glean more tips.

For adventures of any flavor, from shopping to snowshoeing, Santa Fe delivers in a way only this relaxing, romantic city can.