Vacation Living explores this Southwestern artists' haven. Nicknamed the "City Different," Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of the most artistic cities not only in the Southwest, but the world. Enjoy Vacation Living's tour of one of America's premier destinations.
Figure A--British writer D.H. Lawrence (1885 to 1930) said it best in 1924 when he wrote to a friend, "For greatness of beauty, I have never experienced anything like New Mexico." To get a feel for what he was talking about, click on this image to watch the slide show of some of Santa Fe's vistas, landmarks and architecture.
Figure B--While most people think of New Mexico as a desert, Santa Fe, which is located in the north central section of the state, is far from barren. The city is a valley formed by the Rio Grande--the "Great River"--and bordered on the east by the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains and on the west by the Jemez Mountains. Santa Fe is 55 miles northeast of Albuquerque and 70 miles southwest of Taos. It's literally positioned at the heart of New Mexico.
Figure C--The fabric of Santa Fe is woven from three major ethnic strands: the Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures. This was the land of the Anasazi (descendants are the present-day Pueblo peoples), the Navajo and other Native American tribes. The tribes made their homes in the region's high cliffs (seen here) and rocky pueblos as far back as the 9th century.
Figure D--Santa Fe was laid out in the time-honored Spanish urban planning tradition of having the city grow outward from a central plaza. Becky Ellis, the director of Santa Fe's Convention and Visitor's Bureau, says, "The plaza was used for a marketplace. It was used for social events such as parades. People would come to the plaza to exchange information, see old friends and visit with each other."
Figure E--The combination of native pueblo architecture and Spanish culture formed the Santa Fe look--Spanish Pueblo Revival. Adobe structures dominate the landscape of this unique city. For a concise explanation of this particular architectural style, watch our video (by clicking on this image), which is narrated by Vacation Living host Kathryn Carney.
Did you know?
- The readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine picked Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the best travel destination in the world. Santa Fe was one of only three cities in the United States to make the worldwide poll, and it was by far the smallest.
- At an elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,135 meters) above sea level, Santa Fe is at the point where the high desert meets the ponderosa pine and aspen forests of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, which rise to over 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) within a half-hour's drive of town.
- Although Santa Fe is the state capital of New Mexico, it is not the largest city. With a population of approximately 70,000 people, it still has some of the "small town" feeling.
- Santa Fe Mountain, with its 12,000-foot summit, has more than 1,650 vertical feet of prime skiing. Santa Fe's ski area is conveniently located just 16 miles northeast of the city.
- Santa Fe's altitude can be a problem for first-time visitors. If you feel like a strange flu is developing, drink lots of water and get some extra sleep--you most likely have altitude sickness. It takes time to become acclimated to the altitude and conditions.
- Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi.
Figure F--One of Santa Fe's most popular spots is the Palace of the Govenors, the first structure built in Santa Fe after its founding in 1607. It's the oldest public building in continuous use in the United States. It served as the capitol until after the 1860s, and today it's a history museum. Just outside, under the building's porch (seen here), Native Americans have been gathering for generations to sell their handcrafted goods. "It's a very special place, and a lot of visitors come through this area to get a little bit more of the history of Santa Fe and actually talk with some of the people that have lived here for many years," Ellis says.
Figure G--Since the 1800s, artists, photographers and writers have been drawn to this inspirational region to live and work. Stephen Early, a Santa Fe vacation homeowner who lives in California, says, "Santa Fe just has tremendous amounts of culture. It has great history. There are major museums here--art museums and the galleries. It's a very creative place."
Figure H--Enjoy our slide-show tour of one of the popular accommodations in Santa Fe--the Inn of the Anasazi. This unique hotel was built to reflect the area's cultural and architectural style.
Santa Fe Monthly Climate Conditions
High Fahrenheit/Celsius Low Fahrenheit/Celsius
January: 40F/4C 19F/-7C
February: 44F/7C 22F/-6C
March: 51F/11C 28F/-2C
April: 60F/16C 35F/2C
May: 69F/21C 43F/6C
June: 79F/26C 52F/11C
July: 91F/32C 57F/14C
August: 91F/32C 56F/13C
September: 74F/23C 49F/9C
October: 63F/17C 38F/3C
November: 50F/10C 27F/-8C
December: 41F/5C 20F/-7C
* Note: Santa Fe has more than 300 days of sunshine per year. The average relative humidity of 50 percent during the warm months makes for a "dry heat," which is far less draining and more tolerable than a hot day filled with humidity. Similarly, the winter months have a dry cold, which makes the snow typically light, airy and perfect for skiing.
Figure I--There are more than 200 shops, galleries and museums dedicated to the arts in Santa Fe. In fact, one out of every six people living in this artistic city works in this field. The area's nature and beauty have inspired many painters and sculptors. The most popular and legendary of this group would be Georgia O'Keeffe, who lived in New Mexico from 1949 till her death in 1986. The spectacular horizons and arid landscapes of her beloved New Mexico influenced O'Keeffe's work. For more information on timeless artists, see the Resources section, below. For a behind-the-scenes look at how a sculptor works, watch this video by clicking on the image, which features Estella Loretto, who has created some of the more interesting sculptures seen in and around Santa Fe. One famous piece, "Earth Goddess," stands before the state capitol building.
Resources Inn of the Anasazi
Inn of the Anasazi
113 Washington Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
USA
Phone: 505-988-3030
Toll Free Phone: 800-688-8100
Fax: 505-988-3277
URL:
www.innoftheanasazi.com
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
PO Box 2087 (mailing address)
710 Camino Lejo (physical address)
Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087
USA
Phone: 505-476-1250
Email:
info@miaclab.org
URL:
www.miaclab.org/index2.html
Santa Fe County Chamber of Commerce
Santa Fe County Chamber of Commerce
8380 Cerrillos Rd., #302
Santa Fe, NM 87507
Phone: 505-983-7317
Fax: 505-984-2205
Email:
info@santafechamber.com
URL:
www.santafechamber.com
Santa Fe Information
Santa Fe Information
Email:
information@santafeinformation.com
URL:
www.santafeinformation.com
Santa Fe Trail Association
Santa Fe Trail Association
Email:
trailassn@larned.net
URL:
www.santafetrail.org
Sante Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau
Sante Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau
PO Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
USA
Toll Free Phone: 800-984-9984
Sweeney Convention Center
Sweeney Convention Center was the site for the 1998 and 1999 Santa Fe Doll Art Symposium. The 2000 Doll Art show was exhibited at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Sweeney Convention Center / Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau
PO Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
Toll Free Phone: 800-984-9984
URL:
www.santafe.org/destination/sweeney.html
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
The museum houses a permanent and very large collection of one of the signature artists of the Santa Fe area--Georgia O'Keeffe's art.
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
217 Johnson St.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
USA
Phone: 505-946-1000
Email:
contact@okeeffemuseum.org
URL:
www.okeeffemuseum.org
The Palace of the Governors
Once home to both Spanish and Mexican governments, this building later served as a fortress defending the city. Today the "palace" is home to the Museum of New Mexico. It is distinguished by being the oldest public building to be in continuous use in the United States.
The Palace of the Governors
105 W. Palace Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-982-3016
Website:
www.palaceofthegovernors.org
Guests Joyce Begay-Foss
Navajo Weaver / Director of Education, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-476-1272
Email:
jbegay-foss@miaclab.org
Becky Ellis
Executive Director, Sante Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau
PO Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Toll Free Phone: 800-984-9984
Estella Loretto
Sculptress
36 Wildflower Way
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-989-4793
Jeff Mahan
General Manager, Inn of the Anasazi
113 Washington Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-988-3030
Toll Free Phone: 800-688-8100
Fax: 505-988-3277
URL:
www.innoftheanasazi.com
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REAL VIDEO
