Santa Fe (New Mexico)

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Santa Fe, founded in 1607, is the capital of the state of New Mexico in the United States. With an elevation of 7000 feet, it is not only the United States' oldest state capital but its highest. With a population of about 62,000, it's not the largest, but that's part of its charm. Santa Fe is consistently rated one of the world's top travel destinations for its confluence of scenic beauty, long history (at least by American standards!), cultural diversity, and an extraordinary concentration of arts, music and fine dining.

santa fe (new mexico) Travel Guide : 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By rail 2.3 By car 3 Get around 4 See 4.1 Museums 4.2 Architecture 4.3 Theaters 5 Do 5.1 Festivals 5.2 Hear 6 Buy 7 Eat 7.1 Mexican 7.1.1 Budget 7.1.2 Mid-range 7.1.3 Splurge 7.2 Other 7.2.1 Budget 7.2.2 Mid-range 7.2.3 Splurge 8 Drink 8.1 What to drink 8.2 Where to get it 9 Sleep 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 9.4 Camping 10 Contact 11 Get Out 11.1 Native Americana 11.2 Other 12 External links

Understand

Santa Fe was once the capital of Spain's, and then Mexico's, territories north of the Rio Grande, but its visible history extends far back into time beyond the arrival of the Spanish; it is thought to have been the site of Puebloan villages that had already been long abandoned by the time the Spanish arrived in 1607. It became the state capital when the territory of New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912.

In the early 20th century, the area attracted a number of artists, such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. The region remains important on America's art scene. The arrival of Igor Stravinsky and the founding of the Santa Fe Opera, one of the world's leading opera companies, had a similarly invigorating and enduring influence on the musical community. Many people go to Santa Fe for spiritual gatherings and to practice mative arts at the many spas and resorts that are in and around Santa Fe.

Santa Fe is rooted in paradoxes. On the one hand, it is one of the United States' oldest cities (by some reckonings the oldest), and many residents can trace their roots, and property holdings in town, back to the 17th century. On the other hand, it has also been the target of a massive influx of wealthy immigrants in the last 30 years or so that has spurred a great deal of new construction and created outrageous prices for real estate -- and drastically elevated taxes on old family properties, many of which are owned by families that can't afford the taxes. The tension between new and old, rich and poor, etc., is a persistent undercurrent in the community.

Get in

By plane

Commercial air service into the Santa Fe airport exists but is distinctly limited. If entering New Mexico via the larger Albuquerque airport, simply rent a car and drive, as there is currently no commuter air service connecting these two airports. The flights directly into Santa Fe all originate instead in Denver.

By rail

The major Amtrak route across the Southwest approaches but does not enter Santa Fe. The nearest Amtrak station is at Lamy about 15 miles south of town on US Highway 285.

By car

Santa Fe lies along Interstate 25, which skirts the city. Be wary of weather conditions if coming to Santa Fe on this road. Santa Fe is nearly 1500' (half a kilometer) above Albuquerque, and on I-25, most of the elevation change is on a single long, steep hill known as "La Bajada." La Bajada hill is hairy to drive during winter snowstorms and is frequently closed for periods of several hours. North of town, I-25 goes over a moderate pass along the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains before heading out into the plains; this too can be closed during blizzards, although La Bajada is the main problem.

If conditions are good and you're not in a hurry, consider using back roads as an alternative to I-25 if coming from Albuquerque. State road 14 passes along the east side of the Sandia Mountains and through the quaint little towns of Madrid and Cerrillos before joining the interstate just south of Santa Fe.

Get around

Santa Fe has a small but vibrant downtown that is not only walkable, but walked, often, by many people late into the nights, particularly in summertime when the tourists flood in. Parking can be a significant problem during the summer and is not exactly easy to get at any time of year, but look for parking lots (fee) near St. Francis Cathedral, Sweeney Center, and between Water and San Francisco Streets west of the Plaza. If in town for the Santa Fe Indian Market, plan on parking a loooong way from downtown and taking a shuttle, e.g. from De Vargas Mall. Limited, but improving, public transportation is available at other times via Santa Fe Trails, the city's bus service; web site http://www.santafenm.gov/public-works/BusSchedules/index.asp .

The main roads through town are St. Vincent Drive (US 84/285) from north to south, Cerrillos Road (NM SR 14) from the downtown area southwest to I-25 and beyond, Old Santa Fe Trail and its offshoot Old Pecos Trail from downtown southeast to I-25, and St. Michaels Drive and Rodeo Road and its offshoots, both connecting Old Pecos Trail and Cerrillos east to west. Most outlying attractions are accessible via one of these roads. The downtown area is a remarkable rat's warren of small roads that you really don't want to drive on; park your car and walk. Streets there are highly non-Cartesian (Paseo de Peralta, one of the main roads in the downtown area, almost completes a loop) and, even when apparently rectilinear, are not necessarily aligned to true north/south/east/west.

If you're bound for the Santa Fe Opera from Albuquerque or points south, consider taking the Santa Fe Relief Route (NM SR 599), which leaves I-25 south of the Cerrillos Road exit, bypasses most of Santa Fe, and meets US 84/285 just south of the Opera. This can be a good way of getting to lodging and restaurants on the north side of town as well; although it's a few miles out of the way, the much less chaotic driving, particularly around rush hour, provides considerable compensation.

See

Like many towns initiated by the Spanish, Santa Fe has a central square that is a gathering place for all types. For hours of entertainment, pull up a bench and people watch. Especially nice in the summer evenings as the temperatures drop (although rain may drop as well) and the people come out.

Museums

Santa Fe has a variety of interesting museums, most in the downtown area and easily reached on foot. Museum Hill (http://www.museumhill.org/), south of downtown, is accessible via public transportation. The first five listed below are sub-units of the Museum of New Mexico, 1 (http://www.museumofnewmexico.org), for which you can buy a shared pass that allows access to all five museums within a four-day period. If you only have time for one, individual passes are available.

• Palace of the Governors, 105 E Palace Ave (on Santa Fe Plaza), 505-476-5100, 2 (http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org/). Tu-Thu, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM, Fr 10AM-8PM. The oldest public building in the United States, this 17th-century building houses a historical museum and museum shop, the latter with better Hispanic crafts than Native American. $7 (free Friday after 5PM).
• Museum of Fine Arts, 107 W Palace Ave (just west of the Palace of the Governors), 505-476-5072, 3 (http://www.mfasantafe.org/). Tu-Thu, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM, Fr 10AM-8PM. It has been outflanked by the O'Keeffe Museum to some extent, but has a somewhat more diverse, although still New-Mexico-centric, collection. The Museum's St. Francis Auditorium is one of the primary venues in town for concerts, particularly of a classical or folk flavor. $7 (senior/youth/resident discounts, free Friday after 5PM).
• Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo (on "Museum Hill"), 505-476-1200, 4 (http://www.moifa.org). Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. $7, with several discounts and occasional free days; discount pass for Museum of New Mexico applies.
• Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, 750 Camino Lejo (on "Museum Hill"), 505-982-2226, 5 (http://www.spanishcolonial.org/). Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. $6 (discount pass for Museum of New Mexico applies). Newest of the Museum Hill museums.
• Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, 710 Camino Lejo (on "Museum Hill"), 505-476-1250, 6 (http://www.miaclab.org). Tu-Su- 10AM-5PM. $7, with several discounts and free admission on occasion; discount pass for Museum of New Mexico applies. Includes the Laboratory of Anthropology.
• Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, 217 Johnson Street (just north of downtown), 505-946-1000, 7 (http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/). M-Tu, Th-Su 10AM-5PM, Fr 10AM-8PM. Devoted to the 20th-century artist who settled around Abiquiu, a small town north of Santa Fe. $8 (senior/youth discounts, free Friday nights after 5PM).
• Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, 704 Camino Lejo, 800-607-4636, 8 (http://www.wheelwright.org/). M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. The only one of the Museum Hill museums that is not part of the Museum of New Mexico. Excellent Native American art collection, with a gift shop selling examples. Frequent special events. Free.
• Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, 108 Cathedral Place (downtown across the street from St. Francis Cathedral), 505-983-8900. The Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA, web site (http://www.iaia.edu)) is a long-standing Santa Fe institution that also sponsors the Santa Fe Indian Market (see under "Do"/"Festivals"). Its museum is in an old building on the National Register of Historic Places and is open M-Sa 10-5, Su 12-5.
• Rancho de los Golondrinas is a "living history" museum portraying Spanish colonial days. Open April-October (fee), on Los Pinos Road well outside the center of town. In May you'll be dodging swarms of bored children on school field trips; visiting in the fall is better. http://www.golondrinas.org/
• Speaking of children, the Santa Fe Children's Museum is on Old Pecos Trail a mile or so south of downtown. Many participatory exhibits and various accessible critters. Open Wednesday-Sunday; small fee. http://www.santafechildrensmuseum.org/

Architecture

• There are several photogenic churches in town, most of them open for visits during daylight hours when no church services are in progress (please be respectful and don't attempt flash photography):
  • St. Francis Cathedral, 213 Cathedral Place (downtown area), one of the "must-see" places in town. A tip for the photographer: the main facade faces west, so photographing the exterior (including several striking sculptures such as the one at the top of this page) tends to be most rewarding, atypically for Santa Fe, in the middle of the day, particularly the afternoon.
  • Loretto Chapel, 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, intriguing legend attached
  • Santuario de Guadalupe, 100 Guadalupe (downtown area), a favorite musical venue
  • Scottish Rite Temple, 463 Paseo de Peralta (north of downtown but within walking distance of the Plaza), startling, bright pink
• The State Capitol Building, corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta south of downtown, is one of the country's most unusual and striking state capitol buildings, and is usually open to visitors during working hours. It's known locally as "the Roundhouse," and even a casual look will tell you why.

Theaters

There are many movie theaters spread around the city, and lots of art houses that play some of the more off-beat and humorous movies. A concentration of them can be found near the Sanbusco Center just south of the Plaza area.

Do

Festivals

Santa Fe hosts a seemingly unending series of community fairs, festivals and celebrations, of which the most characteristic is the Fiesta de Santa Fe. This grand city-wide festival is held over a weekend in mid-September, after most of the summer tourists have left (and has been described as Santa Fe throwing a party for itself to celebrate the tourists leaving!). Festivities start with the Friday night burning of Zozobra, also known as "Old Man Gloom," a huge, animated figure whose demise at the hands of a torch-bearing dancer symbolizes the banishing of cares for the weekend. The crowning of a queen (Reina) of the Fiesta and her consort, representing the Spanish nobleman Don Diego de Vargas who played a key role in the founding of the city, is a matter of great local import. Revelry continues through the weekend.

A few of the other festivities during the year, arranged in (usual) chronological order through the year, are:

• Heart of Santa Fe Gallery Tour, usually in February
• Santa Fe Plaza Arts and Crafts Festival, early June
• Rodeo de Santa Fe, middle to late June
• Summer Antiquities Show, July, Sweeney Center
• Spanish Market (summer), July in the Plaza
• Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival with a series of internationally known musicians, July and August
• Santa Fe Indian Market. This annual mid-August event is possibly the second most significant Santa Fe festival after the Fiesta. The entire downtown area is filled with vendors of American Indian arts and crafts, ranging from $10 tourist trinkets on up to breathtaking works of the highest quality. It advertises itself as the world's largest show for Native American artisans, and the description is probably accurate; an artisan who wins one of the top prizes in the juried competitions here is "made" as a significant folk art figure. Web site http://www.swaia.org/market.php . Lodging is tight, so if you're attending, make plans early -- Indian Market weekend in 2006 is August 19-20.
• Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival, October, James A. Little Theater
• Santa Fe Film Festival, early December
• Las Posadas, a pre-Christmas festival filling the downtown area with all manner of performing arts
• Winter Spanish Market, December

In addition, many of the Native American pueblo communities nearby schedule dances and other ceremonies through the year that welcome tourists (along with a few that are for tribe members only).

Hear

Santa Fe is an important center for music and musical groups, the most illustrious of which is the Santa Fe Opera. Web page http://www.santafeopera.org/ . The opera house is on US 285 on the north side of town and is partially "open air," so that opera goers get attractive views of the Jemez Mountains near Los Alamos as an additional backdrop to what's on stage. The Santa Fe Opera is known around the world for staging American and even world premieres of new works, the operas of Richard Strauss, and promising new artists on their way up (and, to be fair, one or two aging superstars each season who are on their way down, not up). Opera season is the summer, with opening night (tickets are almost impossible to get) usually around July 1 and the last performances in mid-August. (Bring a light jacket/wrap and an umbrella to the later performances; the open-air nature of the house can make August performances nippy and drippy, although seats are protected from the rain.) Many performances sell out well in advance, so book early. (KHFM radio, frequency 95.5 MHz, airs a "ticket exchange" that may be helpful in finding tickets to sold-out performances, if you find yourself in town on the spur of the moment during opera season.) People-watching here can be as much fun as the opera itself; you'll see folks in the most expensive formal wear sitting next to others in jeans, which is typical of Santa Fe. Dressing up at least a little from jeans is a good idea, though.

Other important musical venues in town are:

• Lensic Performing Arts Center, a converted movie theater downtown (225 W. San Francisco Street) with a pleasant atmosphere; box-office phone 988-1234.
• Sweeney Center, the main convention center; all the ambience of a warehouse, but lots of seating for when big-name groups come to town. On West Marcy Street just north of downtown.
• James A. Little Theater, on the campus of the New Mexico School for the Deaf, remarkably enough.
• St. Francis Auditorium, at the Museum of Fine Arts (see above).
• Armory for the Arts, on Old Pecos Trail; mainly theater.
• Many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community far out on the south side of town -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.

Some of the musical groups using these spaces are:

• Santa Fe Desert Chorale web page (http://www.desertchorale.org)
• Santa Fe Pro Musica web page (http://www.santafepromusica.com)
• Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus web page (http://www.sf-symphony.org)
• Santa Fe Women's Ensemble web page (http://www.sfwe.org)
• Serenata of Santa Fe
• Sangre de Cristo Chorale web page (http://www.sdc-chorale.org)
• Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco/Institute for Spanish Arts web page (http://www.mariabenitez.com)
• MusicOne: The Santa Fe Concert Association, not a performing group but rather the body that brings in many visiting artists (web page (http://www.musicone.org))

There are others; if you hear one you like, add it.

Buy

• Santa Fe is probably the best place in the world to shop for specifically American Indian arts and crafts. How to proceed depends on what your goals are and how much you want to spend. If your goal is to obtain mementos of no great intrinsic value, check out the Native American vendors on the "Portal" (accent on second syllable) in front of the Palace of the Governors; the jewelry and pottery is inexpensive (of course, you get what you pay for) and its authenticity is guaranteed. Pickings may be a bit thin on Sundays, and the vendors pick up and go home after 5:30. A word of warning: do not patronize the similar vendors on sidewalks out around town unless you know they're OK. If they're not on the Portal, there's a reason, and one common reason is that they're passing off non-Indian junk as authentic. Some authentic artisans may be off the Portal, but caveat emptor.

For higher-quality (and -priced) Indian art that you'll feel good about when you get it home, galleries cluster around the Plaza. Three reputable ones (there are more) are Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery on San Francisco Street, Packard's on Old Santa Fe Trail at the southeast corner of the Plaza, and Price-Dewey Galleries just west of Packard's. There are other good ones as well; if you find one that you think offers particularly good value for dollar, please expand this list. You can spend as little as $100 for a small piece, or spend more money than you have for something that's literally one-of-a-kind.

• If you have any interest at all in "Anglo" art, make sure you walk down Canyon Road (an easy stroll from downtown), which is full of unique, quirky and just plain fun art galleries.

• There are quite a few specialty stores for toys and lots of book stores, most of which are in the downtown area.

• On the west side of the city there are many outlet malls and card-holder-only stores like Sam's Club. Nearby on Zafarano Road, there is a large gathering of newer upscale stores like Border's and Starbucks. These exist despite the long suffering Villa Linda Mall which underwent an image makeover in the middle of 2005 and renamed itself "Santa Fe Place." This image makeover is the butt of many jokes among the local population.

• A Santa Fe institution is the flea market just north of the Santa Fe Opera along highway 285. It's open on weekends except during the winter, and offers cut-rate shopping for just about anything you can get elsewhere in town. Visit to look for random memorabilia (although you may wonder why you bought them when you get home!) and also for some entertaining people-watching.

Eat

Santa Fe, and the rest of New Mexico, is known for its huge and spicy plates full of Southwestern food. Restaurants in Santa Fe run from expensive haute Southwestern to down-home fast-food style plates, where you will be asked "red or green" (chile). You can try a mix of both red and green chile peppers by asking for your dish "Christmas style". However, Santa Fe also has a number of excellent restaurants offering other cuisines -- possibly too many of them, in fact, as the highly competitive marketplace forces even some very good ones out of business before their time. It is almost impossible to overstate the dining possibilities here; they far outstrip those in most American cities ten times Santa Fe's size. (Really, how many towns of 60,000 have over 200 places to eat?) As with several other New Mexico towns, restaurants in this description are broken into the sub-categories "Mexican" and "Other." Meals (exclusive of drinks) will usually cost $10/person or less at the "Budget" places, $10 to $25 at the "Mid-range" ones, and more -- sometimes much more -- at the "Splurges." Area code is 505 for all phone numbers below.

Mexican

There are so many good New Mexican restaurants in town that a description here can barely scratch the surface. Got a favorite not listed below? Add it. A note on red and green chile: half of the writers on New Mexican food claim that green chile is hotter than red, while half claim it's the other way around. In reality, the best authority on the spiciness of the chile at the particular restaurant you eat at is the restaurant itself, so if you're concerned about the chile being too hot, simply ask; you'll get a straight answer far more often than not. One thing that's definitely true, however, is that green tends to be fleshier than red, and adds a bit more substance to the dish, independent of the heat level.

Budget

• The Shed is the quintessential New Mexican lunch spot. In a little plaza off East Palace Avenue in the heart of the downtown area; address is "113 1/2" and you may have to look around for it. Phone 982-9030. Its sister restaurant La Choza (982-0909) is open evenings and is rather hard to find, on Alarid Street, an obscure side street close to the main drag of St. Francis Drive well outside the downtown area. Both serve "traditional" New Mexican food (enchiladas, stuffed sopaipillas, etc.) in a rustic setting.
• The Plaza Cafe sits, as its name implies, on the main Plaza (54 Lincoln Ave., phone 982-1664) and is an old standby. Open 7 days for all meals, but particularly recommended for lunch, although it's crowded.
• Cafe Dominic, 320 S. Guadalupe, 982-4743, is a relatively new entry near the beautiful Santuario de Guadalupe. A breezy, informal place with an artsy-craftsy atmosphere. Open 7 days for all meals, but try this one particularly for breakfast; the breakfast burritos and Santa Fe omelettes with green chile are excellent.

Mid-range

• Tomasita's is considered by many to serve the definitive "traditional" New Mexican food. 500 S. Guadalupe, just south of downtown in an old railroad station; 983-5721. Entrees around $9-11, but splurge a little and get the sangria too. Expect to wait, as it's enormously popular.
• Blue Corn Cafe offers the curious combination of New Mexican cuisine and a microbrewery. In two locations, 133 Water Street downtown (984-1800) and 4056 Cerrillos Road (438-1800). Lunch and dinner 7 days a week.
• Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, 555 W. Cordova Road, 983-7929 (reservations accepted, but many walk-ins), prides itself on margaritas, but the traditional New Mexican cuisine is also good, if a bit heavier than at Tomasita's. Lunch and dinner 7 days. Parking, though ample, is a pain to get to; approach from the east, on Camino de los Marquez rather than Cordova.

Splurge

• Gabriel's is as much "Old" Mexican as New Mexican. On State Road 285 north of town (past the opera) near the outlying village of Pojoaque; 455-7000 (reservations advised). The guacamole appetizer is fantastic, as are the flautas. Dinner with guacamole and sangria will cost $25 or so.
• La Casa Sena, 125 E. Palace Ave., 988-9232, is an example of "Southwestern" cuisine -- the merging of traditional New Mexican preparation and presentation with more modern, creative ingredients (sometimes a little too creative). Open 7 days for lunch and dinner; reservations recommended.
• Coyote Cafe, 132 W. Water St., 983-1615 (reservations recommended, can be placed on-line), is another highly-regarded "Southwestern" dining experience, although there has been a recent tendency for chef Mark Miller to use his restaurant to engage in puffery on behalf of his big-city franchises elsewhere. It's still an excellent restaurant, if an expensive one -- $50 per person for dinner, including wine/dessert and tip, is not unusual. Don't let the typos on their web site (http://www.coyotecafe.com) put you off; the chef is much better at attention to detail than the webmaster.

Other

Santa Fe has plenty of standard chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, etc.), but why bother? There are enough excellent "local" ones that you can save your trips to these more ubiquitous eateries for cities less well-endowed from a culinary point of view. All restaurants below are uniquely Santa Fean in their character and cuisine.

Budget

• Pyramid Cafe, in a strip mall on Cordova Road south of downtown, serves good Greek/Merranean lunches (M-S). Nothing fancy, just good, casual food. Don't bother with reservations, but call 989-1378 to check on hours -- open hours vary.
• Santa Fe Baking Company is across Cordova Road from Pyramid and offers tolerable sandwiches, soups, etc., for lunch, but don't go just for the lunch (or breakfast); grab a dessert while you're there, these being what it's known for. Can be very busy at lunchtime on weekdays, with chaos on all quarters. Call-in orders welcome (988-4292).
• Bobcat Bite is an utterly unpretentious burger joint on the way into town from the east, far from the downtown area (420 Old Las Vegas Highway, phone 983-5319). Nothing fancy here, just huge and tasty burgers, etc., in a setting that evokes a 1950s small-town diner. No cr cards accepted, unless they've changed policy recently.
• Upper Crust Pizza, 329 Old Santa Fe Trail, 982-0000 (seriously), is widely considered to serve the best (American-style) pizza in town. Free delivery, but if practical, consider dining in instead; Old Santa Fe Trail is one of the main tourist drags, and you get a chance to combine pizza munching with people watching.

Mid-range

• There are two surprisingly fine Indian ("east" Indian rather than Native American) restaurants run by the same family: India Palace on Don Gaspar Avenue downtown (986-5859), India House on Cerrillos Road (471-2304). Both are open daily for lunch and dinner, the latter sometimes with entertainment. India Palace is more "atmospheric," India House more convenient (better parking), the menus are essentially identical, and the sag paneer at both is to die for. Figure $15-20 a head.
• Pink Adobe, 406 Old Santa Fe Trail, 983-7712, http://www.thepinkadobe.com . A long-time Santa Fe standard, near the downtown area. A mix of continental and New Mexican cuisine that borders on "Splurge" territory. Dinner 7 nights, lunch M-F.
• Pranzo Italian Grill, 540 Montezuma Ave., 984-2645, may be the best Italian restaurant in town. In the Sanbusco Center just southwest of downtown. Lunch and dinner 7 days; reservations advisable. Expect it to be loud.
• Chinese food is a weakness (at least relatively speaking) in Santa Fe, but the unpretentious Wok, 2860 Cerrillos Road, 424-8126, has some supporters. Lunch M-S, dinner 7 days.
• Mu Du Noodles, 1494 Cerrillos Road, 983-1411, features noodle/pasta dishes from around the world, but most of the dishes are from China or Southeast Asia. Parking can be a challenge.

Splurge

• 315, 315 Old Santa Fe Trail, 986-9190, 9 (http://www.315santafe.com/). A restaurant whose name is also its street number. Reservations advised. French/Continental cuisine in a sidewalk-bistro-like setting. Good wine list, and save room for the creme brulee dessert. You can easily drop $50 a person here and feel good about it. Dinner 7 nights; lunch schedule unclear.
• The Compound, 982-4353, 10 (http://www.compoundrestaurant.com/). Located on Canyon Road near the art galleries. Historically, the Compound has been one of few places in town with a dress code (jacket and tie), but recent sources call the dress "casual." There was a change of management recently, so it's possible. Do the experiment (conservatively dressed) and report what you find. Continental/American. Lunches M-S, dinner 7 days with entertainment; reservations strongly advised.
• Geronimo, 724 Canyon Road, 982-1500, 11 (http://www.geronimorestaurant.com/). Another fine restaurant amid the galleries. The menu tends toward Continental but is entertainingly diverse and changes frequently.
• Bishop's Lodge Restaurant, Bishop's Lodge Road, 819-4035 (reservations). At the pricey Bishop's Lodge Resort (see under "Sleep"/"Splurge"), north of downtown on the way to the village of Tesuque. One of the few "Splurge" restaurants that offers three meals a day, including a Sunday brunch. Eclectic cuisine, basically American.
• Tulips, 222 W. Guadalupe, 989-7340 (reservations). Santa Fe is full of unpretentious, little-advertised, yet good hole-in-the-wall restaurants that nobody has heard of, and this one is better than most. American-meets-Continental cuisine; the elk tenderloin is marvelous. Portions can be a bit small, but in an overweight age, that's not such a bad thing. Quieter than some of its competitors, which can be a relief. Expect to spend upward of $100 for dinner for two with wine and dessert. Dinner only, Tuesday through Sunday.
• Paul's, 72 W. Marcy, 982-8738 (reservations), 12 (http://www.paulsofsantafe.com), is similar to Tulips, a very good hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's easily overlooked. More American-meets-Continental, with interesting appetizers, and close to the Plaza and other downtown sights. Dinner 7 days; open for some lunches, with a "Twilight" menu from 5:30 to 6:30 with some good stuff at a reduced prix fixe.

Drink

What to drink

Two of the ubiquitous alcoholic beverages in Santa Fe are the familiar margarita and the possibly-less-familiar sangria, a wine-based concoction incorporating fruit, more commonly associated with Spain and Central America. Most of the better New Mexican restaurants in town have their own house sangria; it goes well with New Mexican cuisine, and is claimed by some to be a useful antidote if the spicy food gets the better of you. It's considered much more of a day-to-day beverage here than in many other places.

Much of the beer consumed in the community is imported from Mexico, and there are also a few microbreweries. If you're sticking with non-alcoholic beverages, a tip: Many locals advise against having soft drinks with New Mexican food, instead preferring iced tea. This preference is based on the belief that carbonation in drinks (including beer) tends to accentuate the spiciness of the chile peppers and cause the spicy component to hang around in the throat, while iced tea mutes it. Do the experiment, or at least have your designated driver do it.

Where to get it

• Most of the hotels in the downtown area have bars and lounges that are geared to the traveler, with all that that entails. However, the bar of the St. Francis Hotel, 210 Don Gaspar Ave., 505-983-5700, http://www.hotelstfrancis.com, is one of the best places for people-watching in all of Santa Fe. The crowd tends to be more sedate here than at some other places.
• Changes in New Mexico laws during the 1990s led to the development of casinos at a number of nearby American Indian pueblos. The closest to Santa Fe are along US 285 on the way to Pojoaque. Big-name acts occasionally appear and liven up the night life.
• Several of the local-style bars can be found on Cerrillos Road and St. Michaels Drive, if you'd prefer to avoid the touristy places. Warning: some of these can get rowdy, and DUI is a problem in the area as well.

Sleep

Most Santa Fe hotels, motels and B&Bs are in one of two areas: downtown (near the Palace of the Governors and Plaza) or on Cerrillos Road, the commercial main drag. The distance of the Cerrillos Road hotels from the downtown attractions isn't significant from a purely physical point of view; the most distant ones (near Villa Linda Mall) are still within a couple miles of the downtown area, which can be reached quickly by car or shuttle bus. However, the atmospheric distance is enormous. Downtown has the fabled Santa Fe ambience of a sleepy old Western village frozen in time and transported to the 21st century (with, of course, a few modern amenities and nuisances added, like cars), while Cerrillos Road has the "ambience" of a shopping district in a suburb of a major city. In compensation, hotels on Cerrillos Road tend to be less expensive on an amenity-for-amenity basis. When deciding where to stay in Santa Fe, give particular thought to the balance of ambience and economy that fits your needs.

A warning on the "Budget" and "Mid-range" classifications: Santa Fe hotels and motels are prone to very substantial seasonal variations in availability and price. A hotel that may look like "Mid-range" during off season (spring, fall exclusive of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta week, usually in early October) may be "Splurge" material during ski season and the summer, particularly around significant events such as the Santa Fe Indian Market, Fiesta, opening weekend of the Santa Fe Opera, etc. Check carefully on rates when booking; most of the more important hotels/motels have informative web pages. All phone numbers are area code 505 unless otherwise noted.

Budget

Budget hotels and motels in Santa Fe are few and far between. The economy-rate chains Holiday Inn Express, Motel 6 and Ramada Limited all have franchises in town, but it's not clear that any can really be considered "budget" lodging. Try one and write a review.

Mid-range

• There are a number of bed and breakfast establishments beyond the ones shown here. For more information, try Bed & Breakfast Accommodations, (800) 632-2627.
  • Dancing Ground of the Sun Bed and Breakfast, 711 Paseo de Peralta, 986-9797, 13 (http://www.dancingground.com/). One of several B&Bs relatively close to the downtown area. Try it and write a review.
  • Pueblo Bonito, 138 W. Manhattan, 984-8001, 14 (http://www.pueblobonitoinn.com/). Another downtown B&B.
  • Water Street Inn, 427 West Water Street, 984-1193, 15 (http://www.waterstreetinn.com/accom.html). And another.
  • Dunshee's B&B and Casita, (505) 982-0988, 16 (http://www.dunshees.com/). A small B&B near the Canyon Road art district.
  • El Farolito Bed and Breakfast, 514 Galisteo Street,(888)634- 8782, 17 (http://www.farolito.com/). An award-winning bed and breakfast in easy walking distance of downtown and the Plaza. Authentically furnished casitas and great gourmet breakfasts. You can check the availability of rooms online and also see special packages that they offer.
  • Alexander's Inn, 529 E. Palace Ave., 986-1431, 18 (http://www.alexanders-inn.com/).

• Most major hotel chains have franchises in Santa Fe, mainly located outside the main tourist areas. A few on Cerrillos Road removed from downtown, hence better value-for-dollar if you don't mind the distance:
  • Hampton Inn, 3625 Cerrillos Rd., 474-3900. Notable for accepting (attended) pets.
  • Holiday Inn, 4048 Cerrillos Rd., 473-4646
  • Quality Inn, 3011 Cerrillos Rd., 471-1211. They claim to offer free transportation to the train station, which is no small distance away. Check it out.

There are many others on Cerrillos Road; try one and describe it here.

• Several of the classic downtown hotels/lodges (Inn at Loretto, La Fonda, Inn of the Governors, St. Francis Hotel, the latter a funky old place that evokes the 19th century rather than the resort-like atmosphere of the others) approach "Splurge" status, particularly during peak periods. A couple of the more reasonably priced ones:
  • Inn on the Alameda, 303 E. Alameda (near the Plaza and Canyon Road), 984-2121, 19 (http://inn-alameda.com). Singles from $110 or so.
  • Hotel Santa Fe, 1501 Paseo de Peralta, 982-1200. A little more distant from the Plaza than some of the others, hence a little less expensive (singles from $99 depending on season), and still within comfortable walking distance of most of the good stuff.
  • Hilton of Santa Fe, 100 Sandoval St., 988-2811. An old standard, one of the few downtown hotels that doesn't raise its rates during the tourist season (singles from $129). No longer an "elegant" hotel, but not bad at all.

Splurge

• Eldorado Hotel, 309 W. San Francisco (2 blocks west of the Plaza), 988-4455, http://www.eldoradohotel.com . A large and spectacular property convenient to the downtown attractions. Expensive (singles start at over $170) but well done and atmospheric, with a decent restaurant, lively lounge with frequent live entertainment, and many amenities. The parking fee for guests is annoying, but nobody's perfect.
• Sunrise Springs Inn and Retreat, outside town on Los Pinos Rd., (800) 955-0028, http://www.innatsunrisesprings.com/. Has spiritual gatherings, spa and conference facilities in a far more rural, rustic setting than most Santa Fe lodging.
• Bishop's Lodge Resort, on Bishop's Lodge Road north of town, 983-6377. A full-service resort (tennis courts, summer children's program, etc.) in a peaceful setting away from the hubbub of the Plaza, but not so far away as to be inconvenient. Extreme seasonal variations (factor of 2!) in room rates; summer is seriously expensive, with singles possibly starting at over $300.

Camping

There are several commercial campgrounds in town (Rancheros de Santa Fe, Santa Fe KOA, Santa Fe Skies RV Park), but the camping is much more rewarding along the road to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. There are several campgrounds in Santa Fe National Forest on this road, and there is also good camping at the very pretty Hyde Memorial State Park between forest and city (web site (http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks/PAGES/PARKS/HYDE/Hyde.htm)). If you're planning on using the national-forest or Hyde Park campsites, make sure you have enough clothing and bedding to stay warm; they're in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and get cold at night.

Contact

The Internet cafe phenomenon is not yet well entrenched in Santa Fe, but the Zele Cafe, a coffeehouse at 201 Galisteo, 505-982-7835, claims to offer wireless access (bring your own laptop). Open 7:30-7:30 Fridays and weekends, 7:30-6:30 otherwise. Watch this space, as other coffeehouses are likely to join the party.

Get Out

Native Americana

One of the major contributors to Santa Fe's fame is the large number of American Indian pueblos (towns) nearby. Several are important centers for folk art; most permit visitors at dances and other tribal ceremonial events; and from a more contemporary perspective, several host casinos with gambling, night life, etc. There are also, however, some pueblos that jealously guard the privacy of their residents and admit visitors only grudgingly, if at all. Nearly all pueblos charge a fee for photography, video, sketching, etc., as an attempt to mitigate the impact of tourism on the private life of the inhabitants.

Some of the nearby pueblos that are accessible to the public, at least on occasion, are ("A" denotes a primary folk-art center, "C" means casino, "D" means dances or other ceremonials open to the public):

• Cochiti Pueblo -- southwest of town, A/D
• Nambe Pueblo -- north, D, pleasant campground and waterfall
• Pojoaque Pueblo -- north, C/D, not much there but an interesting museum and gaudy casino
• San Ildefonso Pueblo -- northwest, A/D, a major pottery center
• San Juan Pueblo -- north, A/C/D
• Santa Clara Pueblo -- northwest, A/D, another major pottery center
• Santo Domingo Pueblo -- southwest, A/D(?), excellent for pottery and jewelry
• Tesuque Pueblo -- north, C/D

See also the articles on North Central (New Mexico), Central (New Mexico), Taos and Espaņola (New Mexico) for pointers to more distant pueblos (note: the likelihood that a pueblo will be open for visitors falls off with distance from Santa Fe, except for notoriously tourist-friendly Taos Pueblo).

Other

• Taos, known for arts and crafts as well as a superb downhill ski area, is about two hours north of Santa Fe.
• The Enchanted Circle (http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/newmexicomenu/a/enchcircle.htm) is a scenic (yet long) drive which includes Taos and Eagle Nest.

• Santa Fe National Forest is nearby and offers abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. The Santa Fe Ski Basin (see link below) is a short distance outside town, in the high country of the forest (seriously high -- even the base of the runs is above 10,000', so think carefully whether you want to go there if you have respiratory problems or are prone to altitude sickness). In addition to the obvious skiing, the lifts often operate during the summer, taking visitors to near the top of 12,000'-plus Tesuque Peak for great views. The road to the ski area goes through an aspen grove with spectacularly golden foliage (and hordes of people looking at them) in the fall, and several trails lead into the national forest from trailheads along the way.
• Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is just south of town near Cochiti Lake in the central region, and is covered in that region's article. Many guidebooks of the area omit this little gem, which is open for day use ($5/vehicle) and includes a trail through a short but spectacular bit of slot canyon. Highly recommended for the hiker with half a day to spend.
• A trip to Los Alamos and nearby Bandelier National Monument is a great excursion from Santa Fe. If you want to make a day of it, you can continue on into the Jemez Mountains and Valles Caldera National Preserve (plan ahead, as the Preserve's more interesting activities require advance reservations).

External links

• Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau (http://www.santafe.org/)
• Santa Fe Ski Basin (http://www.skisantafe.com/)