Santa Fe's Top Five - Best Things to Do and See
By: Patricia
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By: Billie @santafetraveler Follow her travel tips & adventures here: http://www.thesantafetraveler.com Blog: http://www.santafetravelers.com Twitter: Twitter.com/santafetraveler&Twitter.com/gobywest
Santa Fe is a magical place to visit. There’s a lot to see and do. When we have company who want to see the town, we do the same thing we do with client for our travel business, we find out what their interests are and design a visit that will enchant them. Narrowing my favorites down to five was a challenge (and I cheated a little).
1- Museums
PhotoBy MUSEUMVIEWS One of the things I really love about Santa Fe is the range of museums. There are ten in this small city, which seems like a lot to me. All but three relate to New Mexico and its diverse artistic and cultural heritage. Each visitor has different interests so, I tailor my choice to the visitor. Many people love Georgia O’Keeffe and the museum that pays homage to her is a local treasure. The current exhibit, O’Keeffiana Art and Art Materials, is a fascinating look at art and process. Make sure to take the audio tour so you can understand the import of what’s on view. Or maybe we’ll check out some of the over two-hundred galleries in town.
2- Walking tours
PhotoBy Floyd Muad'Dib To get a sense of the city, take a walking tour. Historic Walks of Santa Fe offers tours daily year round. The NM History Museum offers tours April 15th to October 15th or you can hire a private guide. If you want to ride, the Loretto Lines runs trolley tours from April to November. Hokey, yes, but great fun. It’s a great walking city; there’s lots of history and great architecture to see and great photos opportunities.
3-Loretto Chapel
Photo By ldandersen The first time I went to the Loretto Chapel, I didn’t appreciate it. The closed-loop tape explaining the miracle was too canned and all I could think was tourist trap. I’m so glad I went back. It’s a special place where a miracle is said to have happened and I am a believer. Because the Sisters of Loretto needed a staircase to the chapel’s choir loft and didn’t have the money to build one, the offered a novena asking for Divine Intervention. A carpenter named Joseph showed up with his donkey to build the staircase. He used a spiral design without a center pole; architects claim this is structurally impossible. He disappeared without taking payment. No one else in town saw him and the wood he used was not available in this area. It is believed to be native to the Holy land.
4-Bandelier National Monument
PhotoBy ebatty
Bandelier National Monument and the Puye Cliffs are two of my favorite places to visit. They are ruins of ancient cliff dwellings where ancestors of the current-day Pueblo People lived hundreds of years ago. Visiting these gives you a real sense of the area’s past. Puye is littered with pottery shards (leave them where they area) left from hundreds of years ago. The Puye Cliffs are why I moved to New Mexico. I was sitting at the top on a visit here one summer and felt like I’d come home, so I eventually did.
Photo By kevincole
No visit to Santa Fe is complete without a souvenir to take home. Choose a piece of Native American jewelry, pottery or a kachina to remember your visit; or perhaps a piece of Spanish Colonial Art. And there’s always clothing. The museum shops have great pieces and the town is loaded with shops. There are reproductions all over the place, so choose your source carefully. You don’t want a genuine piece of Native American jewelry or pottery made in Asia.
While you’re here, try the local cuisine or one of the many restaurants offering a wide variety of memorable dining experiences. Santa Fe is a foodie’s town.
Whenever you come and whatever you do, I hope you fall in love with my adopted hometown. I sure did.
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