2024

Stunning Santa Fe, New Mexico is one of my favorite places in the world to visit. Located at the foothills of the dramatic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its wild desert beauty and colorful, refined culture clash in a way that sparks something creative and curious deep in my soul. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting this walkable, bikeable kaleidoscope of a city many times and every reunion yields new opportunities for enrichment: adventure, culinary, and artistic all wrapped up into one very satisfying vacation.

Adventure: For us, the main attraction of Santa Fe is the fact that the city is surrounded by a 25-mile network of natural surface trails for hiking and mountain biking called the Dale Ball Trails. These moderately rugged trails encircle the city in a way that you can quite literally ride or hike from your bed. The terrain is desert/rocky but fairly kind in the elevation department. It’s easy to navigate the trail system as it is beautifully maintained and posted with maps that actually make sense.  In addition, the greater Santa Fe area is mountain bike/hike rich so be sure to take a look at Trailforks and scope out all of the possibilities while planning your visit.  Melo Velo is our bike store of choice, but I’ll warn you, the rental rates are steep in Santa Fe. If at all possible, ship your bike if you are planning to ride more than a few days.

Adventure Earthship: If you are feeling frisky take a drive along the famous winding High Road to Taos (56 miles) to explore the charming ski town and adventure among the shadows of 13,000 peaks. We rented an Earthship home in Taos to bike and hike the area. We lived completely ‘off the grid’ in this outrageous confection of a home—mind you, with all the comforts—for three days. You have to see these places to believe them, they are whimsical, funky, genius pieces of recycled sustainable architecture that will be the future for supporting life in our rapidly deteriorating environment.

Culinary: The food is uniformly outstanding in Santa Fe, I cannot recall ever being disappointed with a meal or a presentation. This proud cuisine is a deep braiding of Mexican, Native American, Spanish, vegetarian, and contemporary traditions that produces a distinctive Southwest style: fresh, vibrant, and beautifully seasoned. Local comfort foods like roasted corn and poblano; smooth, silky tortilla soup with green chile; chicken and chico stew; blue corn muffins; posole; Frito pie (yup, corn chips!), carne adovada…the menus are endlessly creative and beyond delicious.

For education and inspiration, I’ve attended a few classes at the Santa Fe School of Cooking to learn about Southwestern cooking in general, and the art of chiles in particular (something this New Englander is clueless about.) This delightful foodie sanctuary is a destination stop for anyone who likes to eat. It’s where I first learned about the magical La Chamba cookware, the ebony clay pottery that I can fire up on any source and then serve it at the table. The school features a world-class cooking program with one-day offerings; it’s a one-stop shop for all things Southwest; and it is located just around the corner from the Georgia O’Keefe Museum—so you can make a day of it. I highly recommend reading Roxana Robinson’s biography of Georgia O’Keefe, it will greatly enhance your visit.

A Few Favorite Food Haunts: Our first morning stop is always the Sage Bakehouse, which boasts, I think, the best almond croissant I’ve ever had (and I make of point of trying them wherever I visit in the world!) This is our quintessential bakery: artisanal, irreverent, delicious, and welcoming. Fuel up on a quiche, soup, and tartines, then grab the makings of a lovely picnic for the trail with their vast array of breads and goodies. Tomisita’s is the fifty-year-old local favorite for Northern New Mexico comfort food, likewise, Tia Sophia’s diner vibe serves fabulous food. Coyote Café & Rooftop Bar is a super fun place to eat, fine dining downstairs and a raucous rooftop scene, take your pick. The Shed and Café Pasqual’s offer more delicious local, casual food. Vinaigrette is off the beaten path but seek it out on the day you visit the Santa Fe Railyards Arts District. It is a causal setting, but the food is very elevated, farm fresh, and sublime—the perfect meal in my opinion. For a romantic fine dining experience visit Santacafé and ask to sit outside. You will relax in a nimbus of Piñon-scented air among twinkling lights and feel supremely cared for.

The Arts: Santa Fe is rich in history, architecture, culture, and the various art mediums. Start by walking (or biking) Canyon Road and you will find yourself in the nexus of a rich and rewarding gallery tour. You can literally spend the day here going from place to place—everywhere you turn something unusual is popping up to delight you. The sculptures are usually my favorites, but I fell in love with Monica Lundy’s soulful portraits of women on my last visit, and I’ve been following her on Instagram with great pleasure. I have found each gallery to be unique and the hosts very welcoming—despite my biking attire and awe-gawking demeanor. I also recommend a walking and shopping tour of the Santa Fe Railyards Arts District—if you plan it for a Tuesday or Saturday, Farmer’s Market Day, you will be extra-delighted.

A Few Other Facts: If you want to experience a beautiful Native American hotel, Hotel Santa Fe, Hacienda & Spa is your place. We’ve stayed there twice and enjoyed the wonderful art and live music. Because Santa Fe is so walkable, we also love to rent a casita, a darling bungalow-style home that has desert character and true comfort in a neighborhood. We used TwoCasitas.com on our last trip and liked the local contact and service.

If you’ve ever lusted after a custom pair of cowboy boots, visit Lucchese Bootmakers, located on the town square, it’s like a boot museum-store and it sets the gold standard. Best dive bar ever is The Cowgirl BBQ with live music and pool. We fly in and out of ABQ, an easy one-hour drive to Santa Fe. To wrap up our Santa Fe adventure we love to hike the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, thirty minutes off the highway. Plan about three extra travel hours for this spectacular hike.

I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me. Please share this post with a friend :) and thank you for reading!