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"The secret to Santa Fe is in the details". Adrienne Petterson (May 2012)

Santa Fe, New Mexico has also been on my dream list as a travel destination for many years.  I was deliriously happy when I could put together a three-night road trip to this artsy destination.  Just three of the things I really wanted to see were The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the Loretto Chapel, and the Palace of the Governors, all of which I got to visit.  Do spend time online researching what you would like to see when you visit Santa Fe, as it will save a lot of time and maximize your visit.

All of my expectations about Santa Fe were met and surpassed.  There is such a lot to see and do in this very pretty and easy-to-navigate city.  It's the country's first capital city and has the oldest house in America to its name.  Apart from the natural attraction of artwork and artists, the climate is great and there is also some superb skiing in winter.  My first night was spent at the Hacienda Nicholas Bed and Breakfast.  After checking in, the friendly and helpful Merrilee suggested I go to Whole Foods for something to eat, which I did.  I chose a few salads and a piece of chicken.  They sold single beers so I bought one as well which I enjoyed al fresco outside my B&B room.  I turned in early to be ready for the busy day ahead of me.

My first day of sightseeing began before breakfast with a walk up Paseo de Peralta to a commemorative walkway (lookout) over the city.  It's a great little climb to the top of the hill for a lovely view over the city, and where a large white cross has been erected.  There is also an historical account of Santa Fe which you read as you progress up the hill.  The weather was gorgeous and fresh at 7.30am and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  (From the B&B walk to Paseo de Peralta, turn right, and follow the curve in the road until you see a little archway on the right which is the entrance to the lookout, opposite Farm to Table at 618 Paseo de Peralta.)  Directly outside the B&B is a cute little triangle of a park (the Thomas Macaione Park) with the prettiest benches and a bronze of a painter at work.  As you navigate throughout the city, you come across many such statues and "moments" which are often a photograph waiting to be taken.

I returned to the B&B for breakfast and to ready myself for my visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.  Before I went to the museum, I walked past the St. Francis Cathedral and thought I'd pop in for a quick visit.  However, there was a high school graduation going on inside and the cathedral wouldn't be open to the public until much later in the day.  So, I went to the Loretto Chapel just down the street to see the famous "miracle staircase".  What a gorgeous little chapel this turned out to be.  The staircase is lit and not useable by the public, but great to look at and admire.  Do listen to the story about how this staircase was built and the mystery behind its allure.  I walked up and through the Plaza, popped in briefly to the famous La Fonda hotel (I thought it was wonderful) and then headed to the O'Keeffe museum.

The Georgia O'Keeffe museum is a gorgeous building housing many of Ms. O'Keeffe's work, and you can enjoy a short lecture on her life or watch a short and informative film.  I saw some of her beautiful calla lily paintings but the more well-known weren't on exhibit, probably out on loan.  The exhibit I did see was "Georgia O'Keeffe and the Faraway: Nature and Image" exhibit, which is on view until May 5, 2013.  I marveled at the ingenuity of the woman, her interest in the countryside, her determination, and naturally, her talent.  Do stop by the gift shop as you can get some beautiful books of Ms. O'Keeffe's work.  I indulged in a booklet of 30 postcards of her flowers for just $9.95.  I loved these two Georgia O'Keeffe quotes that I got from the museum: "When I was as Mabel[Dodge Luhan]'s at Taos...there was an alfalfa field like a large green saucer.  On one side of the field was a path lined with flowers...one day walking down the patch I picked a large blackish red hollyhock and some bright dark blue larkspur that immediately went into a painting—and then another painting."  Georgia O'Keeffe, 1996.  "I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me—shapes and ideas so near to me—so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn't occurred to me to put them down.  I decided to start anew to strip away what I had been taught."  Georgia O'Keeffe, 1935.  You are not allowed to take photos inside the museum, but there are a couple I took at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

I then proceeded to walk back to the plaza and check out the Native American/Indian vendors and artists whose work is stunning, and a lot cheaper than what you'd pay in the stores.  Lots of turquoise, obviously, but a variety of other jewelry items made in copper, brass, and beads among other things.  Earrings, belt buckles, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, bookmarks, and more.  Santa Fe has so many jewelry stores and art shops (not to mention galleries), that it's a veritable shopper's paradise.  This walkabout took up most of my morning so I headed off to get the car and go in search of the famous Trader Joe's.  I found it but didn't quite see what all the hype was about.  I did get a few things that were just a little cheaper, but I wouldn't make the five-hour drive just to shop there as I've heard a few people back home do. 

After all this walking around, I made my way to the El Farolito Bed and Breakfast where I was to spend my second night.  I love walking around, so after checking in, I proceeded to walk up Galisteo Street back towards the plaza and to take advantage of the free entrance on Fridays between 5 pm and 8 pm at the Palace of the Governors.  What an interesting place to visit!  The history of the city is all laid out for you.  I also got to see the History Museum behind the Palace which was also a very worthwhile visit as it has everything about New Mexico.  I was heading home across the plaza when I heard a woman say to her companions that they were going "over there (pointing to a building across the plaza), where it's free", so I followed only to discover that the New Mexico Museum of Art was also open.  Do yourself a huge favor and visit this museum.  There was an artist giving a talk about her work, her inspiration, technique, and everything else you wanted to know.  You can take photos (no flash) and there is so much to see and enjoy, like some Georgia O'Keeffe paintings, photographs, historical information, and lots of artwork.

Tip: Parking in Santa Fe isn't a lot of fun mainly because there are parking meters to feed, and the streets are so narrow that manuvering in and out of parking spaces can be challenging.  There are however, many public parking buildings you can make use of if you prefer to drive.  There are buses that go everywhere so you might want to look into that.

After a yummy breakfast, Saturday morning turned out to be a little chilly, so I took my sweater with me as I started another walking trip.  I headed out along Galisteo Street to E. De Vargas where I turned right and walked in search of "the oldest house in the United States".  I found it tucked away opposite the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the USA.  I didn't go inside the church because it was locked.  Directly behind the church is the Visitors' Center.

I made an "S" turn by turning left onto Paseo de Peralta and a right onto Canyon Road in search of the famous gallery row.  One mile of galleries and restaurants to feast the eyes and stomach.  There are so many galleries to choose from that it became difficult deciding which ones to visit.  I chose randomly as I didn't have anything in particular that I wanted to see.  However, what I did see, blew my mind.  The work was so beautiful and varied that I highly recommend you spend some time walking and popping into galleries.  There are restaurants aplenty as well.

After my little cultural trip, I headed back and cut across to East Alameda Street and back into town.  I finally got to see the inside of the St. Francis Cathedral, and the wait was worth it.  Take your time to enjoy the beautiful stained glass inside and the statues outside.  It was a very spiritual visit and worth going to see.  Outside the cathedral on the forecourt, is a labyrinth inlaid in the brickwork which is pretty.  There are also lovely gardens where you can walk around or sit on one of the benches and contemplate.  Another thing I did was walk back along East Palace Avenue, took a left on Cienega Street to E. Marcy Street, where I visited the Verve Gallery of Photography.  What a breath of fresh air.  I was warmly greeted and offered some water by Dana.  Do visit this gallery if you like photography.

By this time I'd walked off my breakfast and was looking forward to an Indian (the country India) meal at the India Palace Restaurant (227 Don Gaspar—set back from the road in the parking lot).  They offer a lunch buffet for $9.50 (plus tax) which was quite nice.  I opted to sit in the covered patio which was highly decorated and a lot of fun.  The meal consisted of Chicken Tandoori, Basmati Rice, Chicken Makhani (rather like a tikka sauce but not as tasty), Beef Kofta Curry, Aloo Masala (potatoes in a curry sauce), Dal Makhani, and my favorite, Saag Paneer (sautéed spinach with homemade cheese) which turned out to be kind of blah.  A few salads were also on offer and condiments were on hand.  There were three kinds of "bread", one of which was Idly (rice flour and lentil cakes) but I chose to have the garlic naan bread.  Sadly I couldn't taste the garlic despite it being visible.  Dessert came in the form of fresh fruits (oranges, grapes, watermelon) as well as mango custard and Kheer (saffron-flavored Basmati rice with milk and almonds) both of which were passable.  While I enjoyed my meal, it was nowhere near the quality or variety on offer back home in Colorado Springs.

After lunch I returned to the El Farolito to pick up the car and go and see the Santuario de Guadalupe church, a very old and very plain-looking church.  The gorgeous rose garden is worth a visit in itself.

I had to check in to my last B&B the El Paradero Bed and Breakfast, and then go and see one more thing on my agenda, a visit to the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary.  You get there by driving all the way up Canyon Road until you arrive at the center which has a parking lot and restrooms and an information center.  I spent about an hour in the late afternoon taking pictures of hummingbirds, which was a treat for me.  There were a number of feeders out and all were well visited by the beautiful hummingbirds.  There is a walking trail (for a fee) which you can take, but I didn't as I felt I'd walked enough all day.  I missed the 4-5pm afternoon tea back at the El Farolito which was sad, but I did get a couple of brownies!

By this time I was really pooped and decided to spend some time in my room writing this story.  I had the choice of writing in my room, using the sitting room inside the main building, sitting outside on the patio, or working in the library.  I just wanted some peace and quiet so I stayed in my room for a while.  There wasn't a television in the room so I read some travel brochures, had a lovely shower, and went to bed early, ready for the next leg of my trip.
The five-hour drive on the Interstate to Santa Fe proved to be tiresome, so I changed my homeward route to include stops in Chimayó and Taos.  See the route I took.

So after breakfast on Sunday morning, I headed off on US-84/285 north to Española where I turned right (McDonald's is on your left) onto NM-76 for a few miles until the sign on the right for the El Santuario de Chimayó.

This is where the famous "holy dirt" is available, on the left side of the church.  (Make sure you bring along a little ziplock bag or a small container of sorts.)  The grounds are gorgeous and turns out to be a very peaceful place to walk around.  This church has been the destination of many, many pilgrimages for those who need healing, thanksgiving or favors from their God.
The road out of Chimayó is very nice, and along the way I stopped to take a photo or two, and thought how reminiscent the area looked of some cowboy movies I'd seen.  I half expected a few gun-toting lawmen to come galloping around one of the bushes.  I drove through little towns called Cordova, Truchas, Las Trampas, Chamisal, and Peñasco before reaching Taos.  A blissfully quiet and pretty drive.  It's called the High Road to Taos.  You continue on NM-76 until you reach NM-75 for a short while, and then you get onto NM-518 which hooks up with NM-68 and takes you all the way to Taos.

Once in Taos, I got something to eat and went to sit in the quiet gardens of the Mabel Dodge Luhan house where I'd hoped I'd see a few new birds.  I only saw one bird, and it was new to me, a Lewis's Woodpecker.  He was pretty spectacular but he flew off before I could get a photo.  I sat and ate my lunch on a bench and waited for him to come back, and he did!  I also stopped where I stopped before along the way out of Taos to see if the old Dodge truck was still standing out in the open, and it was.

Then it was the last leg of my journey: north on NM-522 to the Colorado state line where it became CO-159, through San Luis for a quick photo stop, and on to Fort Garland where I turned right onto US-160 through the La Veta Pass to Walsenburg.  The pass was beautifully green and lush at this time of the year.  At the bottom of the pass, on the right, you get a beautiful view of the Spanish Peaks.

TIP: Local ordinances in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Española, Taos, Las Cruces, and Gallup restrict driving while cell phoning/texting.