Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe fed my art lovers soul!

Billy and I arrived last night and initially thought we would spend just half a day and then head to Albuquerque. As soon as we drove around town and saw the abundance of galleries we decided to stay for two nights and skip Albuquerque. Even with two nights and a full day today we didn't cover half of what we wanted to see. Santa Fe is a city Billy and I both want to return to but for a four day weekend. There is more to say about the city than this post can do justice but everything I have heard about this city is true. Santa Fe has a spiritual magic fueled by the southwestern beauty surrounding the city, the abundance of art galleries, and incredibly open and kind citizens.

We spent the last two nights at Garrett's Desert Inn in downtown. I thought it would be out of our budget but at $59 a night plus free parking it was the same price as the those 2 miles away and we could walk anywhere. It never hurts to ask for pricing and I am glad Billy insisted we do so.

Last night we had dinner at The Plaza Cafe. It was a combo Greek/Santa Fe cuisine. A real locals place in downtown I would definitely recommend.

For breakfast this morning we went to Tia Sophia's. It has a huge following so get there early. The food wasn't expensive, the green chili sauce was incredible, and Giada from the Food Network also thinks it is great. There had been a bomb scare at the Federal Court House (no worries, just political material) just a few blocks away so the restaurant was abnormally busy for a Friday morning, but the owner wasn't complaining.

After breakfast Billy and I started our walking of galleries, jewelry stores, furniture stores, and churches. In the 7 hours we walked we only saw half of the galleries and stores we set out to see. We walked around Downtown and Railroad District primarily and then visited Canyon Road but only after the galleries had closed. The art scene in Santa Fe has grown to include a large contemporary art and modern jewelery scene.

Late in the day we visited Cathedral Basilica of St.Francis, Loretto Chapel, and San Miguel Mission Church. We finished the night with Indian food and turned in early for a busy day tomorrow.

A few of the things we didn't get to see were the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, State Capital, Palace of the Governors, and multiple other nature sites around the city.

Below is the link to Picasa. Just double click on the photos and you will be taken to a larger view. We didn't take lots of photos since we were mainly in art galleries but Santa Fe should be a must see on every one's list.