My wife Sandy and I had been itching for a good while to stretch our traveling legs, to go somewhere we’d never been that’s far from our suburban Philadelphia environs. But where? “How about here? How about there?” we pondered.
Well, in the end we left here and there for another day, as the answer was right at hand. My brother (Richard) and sister-in-law (Sara) moved to New Mexico several months ago, after occupying space in California for 30 years. Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capitol, was their new home. Sandy and I wanted to see them and also were more than happy with the idea of poking around Santa Fe and other parts of NM, a state full of deserts, soft-colored hills, mountains and mind-boggling rock formations. New Mexico it would be.
Ergo, late last month we spent eight days in the Land Of Enchantment, as New Mexico is called by some, unpacking our bags chez Richie and Sara and doing our best to be good houseguests. I think we succeeded in the latter, but, as with much of life, who really knows? Anyway, we passed mucho hours wandering around Santa Fe with them, occasionally without them, taking in a good deal of sights and the general swing of things. I’ll leave New Mexico’s natural landscapes, which we also visited, for a future story or two. My typing fingers are all set to concentrate solely on Santa Fe right now. Away we go.
Turns out that Santa Fe, a sweet place whose buildings primarily are adobe-style and low to the ground, is high as hell. By which I mean that this city of 80,000 humans lies in the high desert, 7,200 feet above sea level. That’s up there. The air is dry and fairly thin and, when a drought is on, as is currently the case, the sun is unrelenting. Drinking lots of water throughout the day, therefore, is pretty much a must even if you’re the indoors type, unless you enjoy the effects of dehydration. As is slathering on lots of sunscreen and donning a hat if you plan to spend more than 20 minutes outdoors.
I took to Santa Fe from the get-go. I liked its look, an amalgam of the influences of indigenous peoples and of the Spanish, who conquered and colonized enormous chunks of the Americas starting in the 1500s. Adobe, adobe everywhere. The earth colors made for a soothing experience. As did Santa Fe’s overall quietness, the lack of a mad rush of residents and tourists. Motor traffic gets fairly rough on certain avenues at certain times of day, but for the most part cars and trucks don’t interfere with the easy-going feel of the city’s central sections.
A number of my walks through town were in the company of two individuals: my brother and Zella, who is Richie and Sara’s large dog. Zella is a Bouvier, a breed I’d never heard of till making Zella’s acquaintance several years ago in California. Zella doesn’t use sunscreen or wear a hat in Santa Fe, though I urged her to. She took offense at my suggestion, indicating that she doesn’t look good in hats and, in no uncertain terms, that I should go f*ck myself. Naughty doggie. However, Zella does imbibe a sensible amount of H2O throughout the day. Smart doggie.
Zella received a good deal of attention from pedestrians during these walks, far more than I did. And she was made right at home at a shop we passed one morning, a dog-loving establishment that has a Dog Bar, just outside its front door, where water and treats are at the ready.
One afternoon, Sandy, Richie and I were plopped on a bench in the Santa Fe Plaza, a park in the center of downtown. Zella wasn’t with us. We were eating chicken fajitas that we bought from a food stand at the park’s southeast corner and were watching the world go by. You never know what you might see in parks, which is part of the fun of hanging out in them. That afternoon a bubble-blower, probably a Plaza regular, showed up. With a net-like bubble-making device he filled the air with soap bubbles, some of them really big. The fajitas were tasty, the soap bubbles were captivating. Sandy and I agreed that we were feeling fine.
Cafes, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, crafts galleries, museums . . . Santa Fe has them in quantities far beyond what you’d expect in a small city. It’s one of the major art centers in the USA, which was fine with me, as I’ve been popping into galleries and museums for nearly all of my life.
Appropriately enough, Sara and Richie took us to Museum Hill, a part of town that, also appropriately enough, is home to several museums, including the Museum Of International Folk Art. Our group of four headed to the Hill one afternoon for lunch at a café. We then entered MOIFA, an astonishing place. Sara had been there before and decided to go back to the café to read a book. Richie wasn’t a first-timer either, but he was in the mood to see the collection again.
And what a collection! I spent time mainly in the Girard wing, which houses folk art from all over the globe that one couple (Susan and Alexander Girard) accumulated during the mid-1900s. They donated their collection to the museum in 1978.
The Girard wing contains dozens of exhibits that are recreations of village scenes and of everyday life, all populated with miniature renditions of people, houses and appropriate accoutrements. The two exhibits that rang my gong the most were Mexican-themed, one of a village in all its colorful glory, the other of musicians having the times of their lives in a crowded three-level performance area.
You can’t go wrong in the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum either. It’s one of the many museums in Santa Fe that are not part of the Museum Hill complex. I’m a fan of O’Keeffe’s paintings and had a tip-top time looking them over. On her canvases, O’Keeffe captured the essence of the landscapes and objects before her — be they mountain scenes, vast deserts, or flowers only inches away — with bold shapes and intense colors.
O’Keeffe lived in New Mexico for part or all of every year starting around 1930 until her death in 1986. For much of that period she made her home on a property in the desert about 60 miles from Santa Fe. She attained huge fame in her lifetime, and her reputation since then hasn’t waned. Deservedly.
Nor can you go wrong in Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery, one of the many shops that I entered. I don’t know if I’ve ever been in an indoor space of any kind whose every item struck me as beautiful. But that’s what happened at Fisher, which carries Native American ceramics both old and new. Magnificent stuff, beautifully proportioned, colored and decorated, in styles that date back numerous centuries. I should have made a purchase. Man, I can be dumb as shit.
Okay, I can’t leave without talking a little more about food. Sara is an excellent cook. She and my brother fed us deliciously. And on a couple of nights the four of us ventured out for dinner, hitting the jackpot on one of those excursions when we had terrific pizzas at Pranzo Italian Grill. Sandy’s and my Margherita pie, with added olives, is pictured above in the forefront. Its extremely thin and charred crust was a model for how pizza crusts should taste and look.
Good trips are good for the soul. Sandy and I had a very good trip, spending quality time with family, gathering new experiences, seeing sights worth seeing and dining well. We’re fortunate folks.
(Don’t be shy about adding your comments or about sharing this article. As always, sharing buttons are below. Thanks.)
(If you click on any photo, a larger image will open in a separate window.)
Yeah, Another Blogger 
Just to get myself centered to read your post, I had this Jon Bon Jovi song playing in the background. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ56h4ql8Dk
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hello there, Barry. I’ve got to learn to ride a horse!
LikeLike
My husband has been to Santa Fe, but I haven’t. I think I’d like to visit there after seeing how interesting it looks to be.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for dropping by, Candice.
It’s a small city, very walkable, and with a lot of things to do. But stay hydrated and wear a hat if you go!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love NM – it really is a land of enchantment. I have very much enjoyed Santa Fe and Taos. Wonderful places in a wonderful state. 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Lynette. NM is so vast. You could spend 10 years exploring its deserts. I’d like to go back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now you have me wondering what else you might have seen. Santa Fe is fun, I agree. Did you get to La Fonda or Loretto Chapel?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Robert. I plan to write at least one more NM piece, so stay tuned. Didn’t visit the two places you mention, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks awesome 💙💙
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hello there, and thanks for visiting. New Mexico is a huge state, one of the largest in the USA. I saw only a very small part of it, but what I saw is excellent. Endless deserts, incredible cliffs and rock formations, etc. And of course, Santa Fe.
LikeLike
Wow! This is a treat of a post and I feel as if I’ve been to Sante Fe. It looks lovely and friendly, easy going. The earth colours of the buildings are so attractive and it’s great that there is so much culture as well. Interesting that O’Keefe lived there so much and the influence of the place explains some of her paintings I guess! Finally, the pottery is fantastic … and you didn’t buy any?! A return visit soon beckons, methinks! 😀😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know, I regret big-time that I didn’t buy any pottery. I might check out the wares from Fisher Pottery online. You never can have enough pottery!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Good trips are good for the soul.” Great line, and so true. My great-uncle was an artist and lived in Santa Fe after retiring. I’ve never been there, but it seems like a nice town (also Taos). I think actress Ali McGraw (ex Mrs. McQueen) still lives there. Thanks for the travelogue!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pete, I was in Taos during this trip. It’s okay, but Santa Fe is far, far better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also loved Santa Fe and surrounding areas…..so much to see. Bandalear National park nearby was fantastic as well as other areas.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right, absolutely. New Mexico is very beautiful. The landscapes are amazing.
LikeLike
New Mexico and Arizona have been on our to do list for a few years. Spent 3 months in AZ for Peace Corps training in 1969. Maybe we should push it up to top of list.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’ll enjoy it!
LikeLike
Sounds like the perfect getaway, especially in its differentness from your normal surroundings. Family is always a great excuse for a trip; I use mine that way all the time (and I mean that in the nicest of ways)!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Lexie. It’s true — combining family with sightseeing is a good way to do things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great tour! I enjoyed all of the details, but the Bouvier dog (a neighbor used to own one) and Georgia O’Keeffe resonated most. I love O’Keeffe’s bold, stunning paintings. Don’t own one, but even a reproduction would enhance my life!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Diane. After leaving the O’Keeffe museum, I liked her work even more than I did before. Great use of colors. Very powerful stuff.
LikeLike
On The Road With Charles Kuralt Rides Again! Great essay, Neil. And Happy Trails for your next adventure. Roy, Dale, and Jerry
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Jerry. I think I have at least one more New Mexico story inside me. It hopefully will be launched into cyberspace next week.
LikeLike
Ah what memories you brought back for me Neil: Check out my post ‘Sunrise in Santa Fe’, Sept. 2014, very early on in my blog. (I also visited Taos.) Terrific experience. Thanks for the reminder. All the best. Muriel
LikeLiked by 2 people
Muriel, you’ve been everywhere!
Take care. See you —
Neil
LikeLike
Look young man: When you’re my age, you’ll have been everywhere too. Enjoy each day. Muriel
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting. I first came across Georgia O’Keeffe when my girls were studying art at school, but knew nothing about her or what had inspired her paintings. The ceramics look great!
LikeLiked by 2 people
O’Keeffe was terrific. The New Mexico deserts inspired her art very much.
Thanks for stopping by, Ros. Much appreciated.
LikeLike
Sante Fe has always been on my bucket list – I’d probably have problems with the altitude. Too bad about the drought…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi JT. Before going there, I had no idea that Santa Fe has such a high elevation. The whole desert is WAY above sea level.
LikeLike
I love Santa Fe! Cool that you had a great time. J
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for stopping by, J.
Yup, Santa Fe has a whole lot going for it. It’s a relaxed, culturally-rich place (as you know).
See you —
LikeLike
Sounds like a great trip – Good for the soul indeed, especially spending it with close family. Having watched Breaking Bad on telly I feel as if I know the landscape well, very different from my Scotland, but I doubt if I would handle the heat very well. Love the fact that the Girards donated all that folk art to the museum and have their own wing – What a wonderful thing to have done. And, Georgia O’Keeffe – You were spoilt!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You know, I’ve never seen Breaking Bad. A lot of people think it’s the best TV series ever. I think it was set in Albuquerque, which is about 60 miles south of Santa Fe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was indeed but the did cover a fair bit of ground on that show so I can totally imagine where you have just been. I wrote about the song A Horse With No Name when I wrote about Breaking Bad – Very apt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Have enjoyed visits to a few places in the Southwest, but never had an excuse to go to Santa Fe. Thanks for the vicarious trip. The detail about the dog bar is delightful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello there. I’m glad you came along for the ride!
See you —
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s true, dogs don’t believe in wearing hats, no matter what the weather. And I would love to visit Santa Fe some day, although I think I’ll wait until the weather is cooler and the drought is over…It certainly looks like a fun place to spend a few days! You’re lucky to have family there.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Ann.
You’re right – – – if Richie and Sara weren’t there, it’s very unlikely that Sandy nd I ever would have gone there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice review of one of my favorite towns. I lived there for four years, a long time for me after a usual three years here, three years there, sort of life. I had a little 600 sq. foot adobe outside of the main town in Seaton Village. Hope you had a chance to see Loretto Chapel, a lovely place.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi. No, I wasn’t aware of LC. Don’t know if Richie and Sara know about it. I’ll mention this to them.
Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate it.
LikeLike
Thanks for the great tour of one of my favorite cities (though it still has to get in line behind my SF hometown + NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Asheville . . .) I so hope my great good friend Cynthia Coleman was your Folk Art Museum docent; she’s the best. Travel on!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Fran. We toured the museum sans docent. If we’d had your friend as our guide, it would have been an even better experience.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate that a lot.
LikeLike
I am glad you and Sandy finally made it to N.M., Neil. Your lovely summary of your visit to Santa Fe makes me want to return so badly! I can even envision the food cart at the corner of the central plaza. We passed it only last fall.
I look forward to hearing and seeing more about your trip.
Best,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sandy and I are real glad that we made this trip. We saw and did a lot. New Mexico is beautiful.
Enjoy the day, Tanja.
Neil
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Neil, you do the same. I am sure this was not your last trip to New Mexico! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like a great place to vacation but I wouldn’t be able to stand the heat!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Diane. Thanks a lot for adding your thoughts.
Yes, the heat (and the Sun’s intensity) definitely takes some getting used to.
But there’s plenty of shade in Santa Fe (though that’s not so true in the deserts in New Mexico!).
See you —
Neil S.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful post that really took me back and filled me with fond memories of my first visit to Santa Fe with my best friend the summer after I graduated from law school. We had planned it as a stop over and decided to stay for the week, with side trips to Taos, Bandolier National Monument, Chama and more. NM Mexican food three meals a day, burned off with hikes and a day at 10,000 Waves spa. If you get back to NM in October some year, consider Albuquerque for the hot air balloon festival. You’re right. New Mexico is a vast wonderland that would take years to fully explore and appreciate.
Thanks, Neil. This is a great way to start the day.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Glad you liked this story, C C, and that it brought you back in time. I love hot air balloons. I’m pretty positive that I saw a hot air balloon fest somewhere years ago. But my memory is totally failing me — I can’t recall at all where it was.
See ya —
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’ve driven through there. That’s all, unfortunately. But even driving, we got the sense that it really IS the land of enchantment. Thanks for all the photos and details. The miniature village is amazing! And I got dehydrated hiking in the Grand Canyon once and will never make that mistake again. Felt like I was drinking water constantly, but…no. Apparently not. Thanks for sharing your trip!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You know, I need to drink loads of water, more than I used to, when I’m mowing the lawn and doing other yard work at home in Pennsylvania. If I don’t, uh-oh.
See you, Stacey. Have a good rest of the week.
LikeLike
Hi Neil, it’s great to be guided throughout the trip to somewhere far away from where I live, a small country in the far north. Very nice to be acquainted with the Mexican musicians and have a good look at Mexican village. Thanks. Best, Isabelle
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, my wife Sandy and I were glad to let my brother and sister-in-law show us around. And we all left plenty of room for improvisation and aimless wandering. It’s good sometimes to travel that way. Bye for now —
Neil
LikeLiked by 1 person
So, with all that adobe, is that where the pdf file format comes from? I know, it’s been a long day… super, informative article, Neil, as always
LikeLiked by 2 people
Maybe the Adobe company has its roots in Santa Fe! (or maybe not)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Santa fe NM here I come. Meet you at Pranzo’s
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m ready to go back there for a good pie.
Enjoy the rest of the week, CB. Till next time —
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sold!! NM is now at the top of my “must see before I leave this earthly realm” list!
LikeLiked by 2 people
A very fine place. I hope to get back there one of these days. On the other hand, there’s a zillion good places that I’ve never been to. Decisions, decisions.
LikeLike
I haven’t made it to Santa Fe yet, but hope to someday. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum would definitely make my list of things to do, and I love pottery. And, of course, I’d have to try the local cuisine. Thanks for the tour. It looks like you had a great time. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. Santa Fe is a good place to visit, for sure. And it’s a good base from which to take any number of day trips. Like many states, New Mexico is loaded with beautiful landscapes and other things of interest.
See you. Enjoy the upcoming weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Any place that has olives, Georgia O’Keefe works, and all those wonderful mini-scenes of Mexican life from the Girard wing of the art museum–that’s a GREAT place to hang out in. Glad you and Sandy got to take a break from regular life (feeds the creative soul as well as the stomach). And I hope you thanked each and every NM citizen for NOT giving their 5 electoral votes to the Rump.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Trump: Pathological liar; nasty; a creep; an enemy of democracy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sign me up for Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That store is pretty fantastic:
http://www.andreafisherpottery.com/index.html
LikeLike
Travel certainly revives and refreshes. Good trips are not only good for the soul but necessary!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi. You’re right. My wife and I needed this trip.
Thanks for dropping by. Much appreciated.
Neil S.
LikeLike
What an amazing visit! Someday we’ll get to a coast. Someday. (insert long, dramatic sigh here)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, Jean. My wife and I were lucky to have such a terrific trip. I think that being there with my brother and sister-in-law made it better than it would have been.
I appreciate your stopping by. Take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post! I lived in New Mexico for 9 years. I lived an hour away from Santa Fe, in Albuquerque. I’m sure it was hot and dry. There’s lots to do and see in NM. I love gambling over there! Lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right, I noticed a lot of casinos!
Thanks for visiting my humble site, Lisa. Appreciated.
Neil S.
LikeLike
Thank you! I took a break but want to catch up on reading blogs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
After starting off life in New Mexico, I saw but little of it – we moved when I was still a babe. Like a salmon, there’s a certain tug to go back…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, Dave. If you go back, I bet you’ll enjoy the visit.
Speaking of visits, thanks a lot for stopping by my section of cyberspace. I appreciate it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Small and quiet… yet, rich in history an culture… sounds like my kind of place! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there. Santa Fe is a winner. Before going there, I didn’t know what to expect.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, AJ. See you —
LikeLike
It sounds like a wonderful getaway, Neil. Zella would look good in a hat, I think 😉 I’m living vicariously through you with this trip!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Christy, the next time I see Zella I’m going to try extra hard to convince her to wear a hat. But she can be stubborn!
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of the week.
LikeLike
Great read. Sounds like a fine pljace. Interesting synchronicity my wife just finished reading out loud to me a fantastic piece of writing by the late Anthony Bourdan about Mexico. Its people, culture and of course rich culinary heritage. And of course troubled relationship with the US of A.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, and thanks very much for adding your thoughts. It’s very sad that Bourdain took his life. He will be missed by millions of people.
Neil S.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He sure will. Keep them coming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, New Mexico–Land of Enchantment! Beautiful place, but I’ve somehow missed visiting Santa Fe. Think I’ll drop it in my bucket-list. Great post! 🙂
–Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Michael. Glad you liked this story. Santa Fe awaits you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really enjoyed this blog about Santa Fe New Mexico. I didn’t know that it was at that high an altitude. I like that it covered a number of subjects but possibly it was a little long for some Internet readers. It was probably enough material for three blocks and you could’ve added more pictures. Since it’s a drought situation I wonder about some things like water usage and how they handle it.
I have wanted to go to Texas as well maybe your next trip you can check out Austin and I’ll read about your adventures there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there. Thanks for stopping by.
If you haven’t read my two other New Mexico stories, you might want to take a look.
You know, I’d like to get to Austin some day. Many people say that it’s a terrific city. I’ve never been to Texas.
See ya —
LikeLike
I loved Santa Fe 🙂 I’m overdue for another visit! Such a magical feeling about that town!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello there. I agree. Santa Fe is terrific. It’s walkable, it’s cozy, it’s charming, it has a lot of history.
I appreciate your adding your thoughts. Take care —
Neil S.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This looks like a really interesting town, not what I really exected at all! I haven’t been to a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition and I’d love to. We are making our first trip to the USA in a few weeks and are very excited but sadly won’t be able to make it all the way across to NM. Congrats for having your post chosen by another blogger to be featured on the #blogcrush linky, feel free to pop across and grab your ‘I’ve been featured’ badge!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed your tour of Santa Fe. I’ll probably never get there myself, but your blog post really left me wishing I could go!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much for saying that. I appreciate it a whole lot. Have a great rest of the week, Janet.
LikeLike
Really enjoyed your New Mexico musings, Neil! Have been all around the state and always enjoy it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, Dianne. NM is huge. I think I read that it’s the fifth biggest state in terms of size. There’s a whole lot to see, for sure. Take care —
LikeLiked by 1 person