Originally Published - October 2012
Visiting the heights of Art and Culture
Nestled inbrthe southern foothills of the Rockies are the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Rangebrand the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This high-altitude city of only 70,000brinhabitants rests 7,000 feet above sea level. brHaving just celebrated its 400th Anniversary in 2010, SantabrFe or “holy faith”, the country’s second oldest city, was founded by thebrSpanish in 1610.
Thebrestablishment of the Santa Fe Trail as a commercial transportation route inbr1821 opened this gem of a city to the eastern United States and then the SantabrFe Railroad in 1880. After statehood wasbrgranted to New Mexico in 1912 a wealth of American artists flocked to the citybrinspired by its natural beauty. Duringbrthe next century art influenced life in this small city as everything from itsbrsignature adobe architecture and varied artistic venues grew in stature andbrcultural significance.
Despite itsbrrelatively slight population, Santa Fe looms large as the third largest artbrmarket in the country. From the famous galleries of Canyon Road to the whitebrcapped waves of the Santa Fe River each over one million people travel to NewbrMexico's capital to enjoy the arts, museums, shopping, entertainment, andbroutdoor splendor that is the height of Southwestern and American culture.
Along the way
Roughly sevenbrhundred miles northwest of Southlake, this cultural capital is close enough tobrbe a relaxing long weekend drive but also packs enough action to make it abrworthwhile family trip. No activity saysbrromance and family fun quite the same way as a hot air balloon ride. No matter what type of trip you are on in thebrfall it is a must while traveling to New Mexico to make time to visit the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. ThisbrOctober 6-14 marks the 41st annual event known as the premierbrballooning event in the world. Powered by the perfect mix of climate, weatherbrpatterns and a mountainous landscape known as the “Albuquerque Box” more thanbr600 of the best hot air balloon pilots travel the world to take part in thebrlargest ballooning event on the planet.
After a briefbrvisit to enjoy the breathtaking morning views of the Fiesta's Dawn Patrol andbrthe evenings “AfterGlow” and Fireworks show it is time to head one hour northbralong I-25 N to Santa Fe.
Where To Stay
Directlybrin the middle of the city lies the Santa Fe Plaza the original, and stillbrwidely functioning, gathering point for residents and visitors alike. Listedbramongst the National Register of Historic Places the plaza's tree-lined parkbrincludes a multitude of benches, monuments, restaurants and art galleries inbraddition to the Loretto Chapel – abrformer Roman Catholic Church known for its spiral staircase that continues tobrbe a draw for couples looking to state their vows.
Sharingbrthe grounds of the famed Plaza is the Innbrand Spa at Loretto, a favorite destination of many a wedding party. In true southwestern architecture thisbrfull-service and comfortable hotel truly reflects the culture of the city withbrits whitewashed adobe walls, traditional beamed ceilings and authentic works ofbrart. It is for these reasons that the Inn is one of the most photographedbrbuildings in the entire state. The hotel’s handcrafted doors and windows openbryour mind to the significance of the National Historic landmark that is itsbrneighbor. With 134 guest rooms, a spa, dining, shopping and art galleries onbrsite the Inn and Spa at Loretto was recently ranked amongst The World’s BestbrPlaces to Stay 2012 according to CondebrNast Traveler.
While at Play
Withbrfour distinct seasons and a mild climate year round, there is no shortage ofbroutdoor activities to be found in Santa Fe. brThose looking for adventure can find it in an array of activitiesbrincluding camping and horseback riding in the Santa Fe National Forest, whitewater rafting along the Rio Grandebror hiking within the family friendly RandallbrDavey Audubon Center. More experienced hikers and bikers may opt for thebrnew Dale Ball Trails, which startbrfrom the Plaza and culminate after 20 miles and 5,000 vertical feet at the topbrof Lake Peak.
All that manybrof the warm weather hiking trails need is a little snow and they transform intobra network of Nordic ski and snowshoe trails. brAnd of course come winter SkibrSanta Fe rests just a few miles away in the mountains and provides over 600bracres of world-class alpine slopes.
Those lookingbrfor a bit less adrenaline will be happy about the cultural effects of the earlybrinflux of artistic talent, which has led to the opening of more than 200brgalleries throughout the city. Many ofbrthe famed galleries are within walking distance of each other. What developedbris a veritable tourist and artist-shopping mecca amongst the very best in termsbrof sales in the country. The savvybrcollector and window shoppers alike know that a jaunt down Canyon Road brings one to the doorstep of the greatestbrconcentration of galleries around. EverybrFriday and Saturday evening the now infamous “Gallery Crawl” leads enthusiastsbrup the streets and through the alleys connecting the more than 100 galleriesbramongst the “Magical Half-Mile”. Those in search of the perfect piece be itbrcontemporary, traditional or Native American will not be disappointed by thebrlikes of such galleries as Pippin MeiklebrFine Art, the Carole LaRoche Galleryand the wind driven sculptures of MarkbrWhite Fine Art.
Where CanyonbrRoad has been a shopping destination for centuries – first as a farmingbrcommunity, then art colony the GeorgiabrO'Keeffe Museum is just now celebrating its 15th anniversary.brThe namesake museum to the artistic legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe is the largestbrsingle repository of the artist’s work and the only museum in the worldbrdedicated to an internationally known American woman artist. Her latest exhibitbrGeorgia O'Keeffe and the Faraway: Naturebrand Image delves into works inspired by the beauty of the Painted Desertbrsurrounding her nearby home at Ghost Ranch. Almost as iconic as O’Keeffebrherself is the New Mexico Museum of Art buildingbrfound just few blocks away. The oldestbrmuseum in the state includes works from local western artists and a variety ofbrdistinct exhibits.
At the End of the Day
With so muchbrto do and see New Mexico is no place for spectators. After a day full ofbractivity one works up quite an appetite, fortunately artistic license of thebrcity has followed suit right into the areas vast and eclectic restaurantbrscene. The Santa Fe Farmers Market isbrone of the best in the country and it provides area culinary experts with thebringredients they need to engage in the art of the plate. With more than 200brrestaurants and a range of menus to choose from you'll have plenty of optionsbrin which to enjoy.
ChefbrBrett Sparman formerly of the Dallas Rosewood Crescent Court and Nana Kitchenbrbrings over twelve years of culinary expertise to Luminaria Restaurant and Patio at the Inn and Spa at Loretto. Theirbrbrand of “Conscious Cuisine” marries modern sophistication with Southwesternbrcharm in such dishes as the signature Scallops and Spanish Chorizo and BeefbrTenderloin with roasted pepper ranchero sauce and poblano chiles. Head Chef Eric DiStefano serves up finebrdining at Coyote Café with food thatbrcan only be topped with a “Senorita” (their signature Herradura margarita)brwhile watching the sunset from their rooftop patio. Family friendly fare can be found The FlyingbrStar Café and Cowgirl Sante Fe. For abrtaste of the real local flavor The Shedhas been serving up mouth-watering quesadillas and house made guacamole sincebr1953.
When the sunbrgoes down the arts don't stop in Santa Fe and that is exactly how the Santa Fe Opera and the Santa Fe Symphony have grown tobrprominence despite being hundreds of miles from a major city. The open-air opera theatre is the perfectbrvenue for renowned talent that makes its way to the city each summer. And withbrthe symphony’s complimentary schedule theatregoers are ensured a qualitybrperformance practically year round.
When it comesbrto Santa Fe, great culture comes in small cities. How else can one describe how a city barelybrthree times the population of Southlake can artfully entertain over a millionbrtourists each year and keep thembrcoming back for more. From award winningbrvenues to some of the country’s most exciting artists all set upon the mostbrbreath-taking landscapes Santa Fe brings the very height of the arts down tobrearth.