Santa Fe turned 400 years old in 2010, but there is nothing decaying about this vibrant art town sitting at 7,000 feet above sea level in New Mexico’s high desert.
Santa Fe is home to nearly 100 galleries, most of which are located on the art world’s Rodeo Drive, a street called Canyon Road. Here you’ll find everything from Native American antiquities to Santa Fe School masterpieces for sale.
Santa Fe is an aesthetic masterpiece of red adobe buildings set around a historic plaza that dates to 1610, when Santa Fe was born. Check under the portale (awning) at the Palace of the Governors, which is on the plaza, for Native American artists selling one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry. The plaza is especially beautiful around Christmas, when it is lit with hundreds of colored lights.
With nearly 360-degree views of the sandstone wilderness surrounding it, the Santa Fe Opera holds court at its outdoor home theater between late June and August. Don’t miss the parking-lot tailgate pre-party, which is the place to see and be seen.
Couples love to say “I Do” at the Loretto Chapel right downtown. It is modeled after St. Chapelle in Paris and has a miraculous spiral wooden staircase that can only be stood upon for wedding photos after booking the chapel for your ceremony.
Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Resort & Spa, located just 10 minutes’ drive from the plaza in the sage-scented hills, is where to head for full-on rejuvenation. It is home to multiple private and group hot-mineral soaking pools plus a wonderful spa offering all sorts of massage styles and detoxifying treatments. Spend the night in one of the 13 freestanding guesthouses for the ultimate in Zen relaxation — plus you can soak at night under Santa Fe’s amazing star blanket.
Whether you’re getting married or celebrating a special anniversary, Santa Fe is a destination for romance. Considering Santa Fe’s relatively small size, the city is home to a large number of high-end resort hotels — places where the rooms are so luxuriously comfortable and the staff so attentive you’ll never want to leave. And we haven’t even mentioned the usually excellent in-house restaurants and spas. A few personal favorites include The Inn & Spa at Loretto, La Posada and the Inn of the Five Graces.
In the hip Railyard District — which also houses the excellent Santa Fe Farmers Market — Second Street Brewery serves up tasty craft brews and excellent green chile, a regional specialty.
Bringing a taste of Texas to Santa Fe, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame has been popular for decades now. It serves the best barbecue brisket west of Memphis, has near nightly live music, a dog-friendly patio and loads of quirky cool but very kitsch decor.
“There is no place like it in America. Look at the architecture; the light,” says Ted Flicker, creator of the 1970s TV show “Barney Miller,” who moved from Los Angeles to Santa Fe and took up sculpting. “People here, they appreciate fine food, they appreciate fine art, but they are not pretentious. You can wear jeans to the opera.”
