Santa Fe, Home...maybe?
Downtown Santa Fe all dressed up for the holidays.
Santa Fe is a beautiful blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican cultures. What is unique is not that these three cultures are represented, but that they still exist separately, as well as integrated in art, food, music and architecture. Our visit was very short this time. We had time to walk around the plaza, have a delicious lunch at Palacios Cafe off the square, do some shopping, and get together with dear friends who have made Santa Fe their home.
Trip Advisor, Yelp, the local Chamber and Visitor’s bureau will all have the list of things to do in Santa Fe. My personal can’t miss list is the Georgia O’Keefe museum, as well as a visit to, and maybe even a purchase from, the local art galleries on the square as well as Canyon Road Art District and Railyard Arts District. The artists are diverse, with sculpture, textiles, paintings, photography, jewelry and so much more.
Of course, you can’t come to Santa Fe without trying some of the local New Mexican cuisine. This trip we enjoyed a great meal at Palacios Cafe. My chile relleno with pozole and beans was just what I needed on a clear but very cold day. Chris had a wet bean and beef burrito that was also quite good.
New Mexico is known for its green chiles, with Hatch chiles considered to be the best of the best. The state question, green or red? Is so that you can choose which type of sauce you want. I always go for the green, but if you want to try both, no problem. Just ask for Merry Christmas, or Feliz Navidad, and you can have both :)
We did not have the chance to try New Mexican wine, but our local friends assure us there are some great ones. Always leave something for next time...
