by Greg Johnson
Santa Fe is now the third most popular travel city in the country after San Francisco and Charleston, S.C. and ahead of New York, according to the sophisticated travelers who subscribe to “Conde Nast Traveler.”
Readers voted Santa Fe as their third favorite travel destination during the magazine’s 22nd Annual Readers Choice Awards in 2009. It is no wonder, then, that experienced travelers make Santa Fe an annual adventure, enjoying “The City Different” and its eclectic mix of retailers, lodges, restaurants, artists, musicians and attractions.
Santa Fe is very pleasant in late August, September or October. For a break from the dreary clouds of Washington, mid-December is an especially ideal time for Santa Fe aficionados to visit their usual haunts while reaching out to new destinations.
In December, Santa Fe comes alive with beautiful Christmas tree lights adorning the town plaza.
Must sees in Santa Fe
An enjoyable winter Santa Fe trip usually includes a tour of Canyon Road’s numerous galleries in the pleasant 40-50 degree weather. Stop in at Winterowd Fine Art for a dazzling display of landscapes, abstracts and sculptures.
Enjoy scenic Santa Fe views while seeing four remarkable museums featuring international, Indian and Spanish art at Museum Hill. And take in the amazing work and life of famed New Mexico artist Georgia O’Keeffe at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
O’Keeffe spent part of almost every year working in New Mexico from 1929 until 1949, when she made the state her permanent home.
Peyton Wright Gallery, located at 237 East Palace Avenue, features meticulously preserved 19th century building houses a collection of notable Modernist artists, including Clinton Adams, Paul Burlin, Raymond Jonson, and William Lumpkins. The gallery is also internationally known for its extensive collection of Spanish Colonial devotional art.
For a special dinner treat, enjoy authentic Northern New Mexico cuisine at Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen, featuring over 30 items including fajitas, steaks, soups and salads, and New Mexican dinners, with an average price of approximately $8.50.
A scenic one-day trip
After a few days of walking and shopping the city’s quaint artistic streets, take time to see the beautiful areas surrounding Santa Fe. A pleasant one-day trip, even in the snowy December driving conditions, follows the winding roads of the Jemez Mountain National Scenic Byway.
The first stop is Bandelier National Monument, where ancient ancestral Pueblo dwellings once existed in the broad mesas and steep-walled canyons of this 23,000 acre wilderness area.
After climbing ladders into small caves carved by Native American dwellers into the cliffs at Bandelier, continue on State Road 4 towards Jemez Springs. The road travels through dense forest, cresting at 9,000 feet where views open up to a sprawling volcanic crater at Valles Caldera.
During the summer the 89,000 acre preserve offers guided and self-guided hiking on its secluded trails that lead to views of grazing elk and hot springs. Interpretive van tours cover archaeology, geology and wildlife. Anglers can chase wild brown and rainbow trout in San Antonio Creek or Rio Jaramillo and Jemez rivers.
Relaxing soak in the natural hot mineral spring pools and baths available in the small rural town of Jemez Springs. At Giggling Springs, you can experience the therapeutic benefits of 139F geothermal water along with a soothing mixture of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and silica.
Situated on the banks of the Jemez River, a one-hour soak in the intimate, secluded pool runs $17 per person. For information, go to www.gigglingsprings.com or call 575-829-9175.
Wrap your day up back in the city with dinner at the thoroughly Santa Fean restaurant, The Shed. The historic restaurant offers a variety of Northern New Mexican dishes flavored with the sweet and pungent New Mexico Chile.
Resources: Peyton Wright Gallery, www.peytonwright.com, Santa Fe Visitors Bureau, www.santafe.org; The Giggling Springs Hot Springs, www.gigglingsprings.com
