Santa Fe, New Mexico

Land of Enchantment

Santa Fe, New Mexico is considered one of the oldest cities in Northern America. When traveling there it is recommended you fly into Albuquerque and then take I-25 north to Santa Fe. It is about an hours drive from the ABQ airport. But try to drive during daytime and you will experience a very different kind of vegetation.

The New Mexican climate is usually very dry, however during the summer months you may experience the occasional monsoon downpour. And during the winter months be prepared for the occasional snowfall.

Did you ever hear about the Adobe? Of course you know it when you see it. New Mexico's buildings and homes are mostly built in the Adobe building style, inspired by the old Mexican and Spanish way of building. And you'll see plenty of it in Santa Fe. Compared to other major U.S. cities, Santa Fe is a small town. A town where Native Americans, Native Mexicans and Caucasians live in harmony. 

It's been almost  a hundred years since New Mexico was acquired from Mexico and integrated as one of the current 50 States. But the Mexican heritage still shows in the way of life, food and building styles. Santa Fe combines a European flair with country living. Most residents live inside Santa Fe, but a wide variety of residents enjoys the country living which may only be less than 15 minutes away from downtown Santa Fe.

But the real Santa Fe life occurs downtown, on and near the Plaza. There are attractions every weekend and a farmers market with fresh fruits and harvests of all kind.

There is not a lot of parking in the Plaza and downtown area, especially on the weekends. You may have to drive around a little to find a great parking spot. 

But once you parked downtown Santa Fe opens up to you and you will have a blast exploring this "City Different".

The city mostly thrives on tourism and has a lot to offer.  Besides a typical Wild West flair you may enjoy walking trails, parks, shopping and plenty of arts, crafts, galleries, museums, churches and restaurants. If you like Mexican food you will be in heaven here. There is a wide variety of food and believe me, - it is excellent.

The Downtown Area around the plaza has many art galleries, inviting boutiques and retail stores showing off their arts and crafts, jewelry and unique gifts for everyone.

But Santa Fe is more than just a tourist attraction. There are many movie stars, politician, musicians and millionaires live here, to enjoy a different lifestyle in a Southwestern setting. It is not uncommon to see a brand new Jaguar driving down main street with a bale of hay sticking out of the trunk.

There are many movie stars who maintain a home in or around Santa Fe. Julia Roberts just got married in Summer 2002 on her estate near Taos. And many actors roam the downtown plaza, shopping for new paintings, state of the art jewelry and various other art and decorative items which are designed and manufactured locally by great Santa Fe artists.

Surrounding the plaza are various vendors, mostly Native American, offering their jewelry in turquoise and other Indian arts. 

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