Santa Fe, NM
Since I cannot Sing, I Paint.
Georgia O’Keeffe
I was born into a family that appreciated fine art. In college, in addition to my work in my major, I always took art classes. Understandings artists’ work and their vision fascinated me. There are many cities around the world that can be described as art meccas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico is definitely one of them. It is home to hundreds of artists and galleries that exhibit their unique work. Although Santa Fe is undoubtedly a modern American city, you can still see the city’s roots. Strolling the streets, I was struck by its Spanish Pueblo Revival look. The city dates back to Spanish colonists who founded it in 1601 and for thousands of years before that it was home to indigenous people. A trip to Santa Fe is like traveling back in time, and the city is sure to appeal to both art and history aficionados.
HOTEL:
LA POSTADA De SANTA FE, NM: When traveling to new destinations, I try to be a smart consumer. I scour the Internet for information and deals and I always make sure to comparison shop. Although low prices are good, I also look at a hotel’s location and its amenities. I love to be in the heart of activity. Given Santa Fe’s rich history, I also wanted to make sure that I picked a hotel that represented the city’s history and architectural traditions. After significant back and forth, I decided on the Marriot La Postada.
Yes, the decision was made easier by the fact that I have a Marriot loyalty card. But, there were numerous other factors that played into my decision. La Postada is perfect walking distance from all the downtown sites, including where they hold fiestas, as well as Canyon Road that is home to the city’s most famous art galleries. The hotel’s long and storied history also appealed to me. Abraham Staab built a three-story brick mansion for his wife Julia in 1882. The home was built in the French style and decorated with the finest European goods so that the European-born Julia would feel at home. Julia fell head-over-heels in love with her mansion. In fact, legend said that she never left. And, some people still claim that they see her spirit walking the halls of La Postada.
We were booked into a standard room, but I had the privilege of seeing one of the mansion’s original rooms (Room 101). This room is like stepping back into the late 19th century. Check out my Instagram video for a glimpse of this room.
In addition to boasting a convenient location and a storied history, La Postada also has an amazing staff who pride themselves on making all of their guests feel immediately at home. Beth Antognini is the hotel’s front office manager. She would share personal tidbits about Santa Fe every morning when I was getting coffee. I also shared some wonderful conversations with Blake Dauphinais, the night-time front desk employee. Blake speaks more than seven languages including Farsi, which is my native language. He also gave us a tour of the hotel, as well as Room 101. I also was so impressed with Lydia Medina and Thomas Kegal who are hotel security employees. We had so much fun with Lydia. She even saved us a spot during the Pet Parade so we could watch it with her and her family. Pet parade is held a day before saint francis parade since he was known for the patron of animals.
RESTAURANTS:
Restaurants in Santa Fe proved to be even better than what I was expecting.
Sazon: An outstanding restaurant by Chef Fernando Olea from Mexico City. At the beginning of the meal, they offer you six different moles to try. Each is homemade by the chef using different chiles, seeds, spices, nuts, and even chocolate. They can be defined by color, the town from which they came, and social class. The chef has a small rotating menu that is based on fresh local produce and allows him to channel his creativity. We ordered the chef’s signature soup, Coyoacan, which is shrimp enchilada with a creamy sauce of zucchini blossoms. And we also had Especiales del Chef which was fish.
La Plazuela at La Fonda: This restaurant is part of La Fonda restaurant. We had breakfast/brunch here. The atmosphere is cute and the food is great too. It is It is a wonderful spot to take a break from all the shopping and sightseeing that Santa Fe has to offer.
The Compound Restaurant: Offering a unique take on contemporary American cuisine, the Compound Restaurant is located in the heart of Canyon Road. Mark Kiffin, the chef and owner, creates award-winning seasonal dishes. The food was as sensational as we thought it would be. We ordered one main dish and a lobster pasta special. Both were so tasty. Our server, Sean, was amazing, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about every single dish. He also surprised us with an extraordinary selection of desserts.
Coyote Cafe & Cantina: This is another great location in the heart of downtown. At night, the Coyote Cafe and Cantina is fine dining, but during the day, it is a more casual option. There is also rooftop dining. The food was amazing. We had a quick lunch before heading to the airport. I had my first ever shrimp with corn pancakes and chile sauce. Yum, yum!
SIGHTSEEING:
There is no shortage of great sightseeing options in Santa Fe and the surrounding area.
Downtown: Downtown Santa Fe is full of shops and souvenir stores. The Georgia O’keeffe Museum, as well as a stunning cathedral, is another great downtown option!
Canyon Road: This famous road packs in more than 100 galleries and studios in a single mile. You could not ask for more art or sculpture. Just remember, if you are like me and you want to see every single art gallery, make sure to get coffee or juice or a snack before you start out. There is a coffee shop and juice bar at the start and end of Canyon Road, but nothing in between … with the exception of The Compound Restaurant. And, the restaurant closes in the afternoon to prep for dinner service.
Meow Wolf: This is one of the coolest experiences you could possibly have. The artists create an interactive experience for their audience, telling the story of a family who lost their son. The rooms are all connected and based on the imagination of the sister who is trying to find her brother. You can go inside and just get lost in the experience, or if you have enough time, you can try and solve the mystery of the brother’s disappearance. This was installed in 2016 with support from George R.R. Martin (Games of Thrones creator). There are two other locations, in Denver and Las Vegas.
Bandelier National Monument: This monument is approximately an hour away from Santa Fe. These amazing monuments date back almost 11,000 years. There are many stunning photo opportunities, but the main attraction is definitely the mountain caves. Make sure to check their website for hours of operation, shuttle service, and other alerts.
Jemez Springs: I was so excited for this part of the trip, but unfortunately we took a wrong turn along the way. We spent more than 2 hours driving, and then disaster struck … We got stuck on a mud and rock road. After 30 minutes of back and forth, we finally managed to get out of the mud. We parked the car and continued on foot. Glancing down at my cell phone, I realized we no longer had service. After 40 more minutes of hiking, we finally gave up. Don’t get me wrong; it was an amazing hike/walk. It was so quiet and peaceful. But, we were a little bit nervous without our phone to guide us, so we finally headed back to our car. Thirty or forty minutes into our drive back to Santa Fe, we finally saw the sign for Jemez Spring.
I can’t believe that we missed it. But, by that point, my sister and I were absolutely exhausted. We decided to save Jemez Springs for our next Santa Fe trip, and I am sure that we will be coming back soon.
TRANSPORTATION:
Airline: Southwest offers non-stop service to Albuquerque.
Rental car: From Albuquerque Airport, we drove to Santa Fe. The trip takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. It is an easy drive, as are trips to Jemez Spring and other local monuments.
Uber: In the evening, we took Uber from the hotel to local restaurants.
