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What to see and do in Santa Fe, N.M.
By Anne Chalfant, Special to the Times
Published February 26, 2008
Someone forgot to take down the gingerbread village.
Or so it would seem in Santa Fe, this city whose Pueblo-style adobes look oven-baked into a winsome village.
The softly curved corners of faun brown shops and houses seem to have mushroomed directly from the New Mexico dirt. And, actually, city code does dictate the style. Even government buildings here, in New Mexico's capital, don either Pueblo Revival or Territorial architectural styles to retain the look of this early western outpost on the Santa Fe trail.
But don't be fooled by rustic window frames, or flimsy-looking fences made of tree branches lashed together. This aw-shucks chic is carefully crafted illusion, dispelled by the shock that will hit the first time you turn over a price tag on a painting here - and the zeroes keep marching before you spot a decimal point.
Paintings and sculpture here rarely linger under $3,000, and with more than 250 galleries, there's plenty of inventory to outfit that second home.
But Santa Fe is not a pretentious town. How uppity can you get forking down cheese-dripping chili rellenos smothered in fresh red or green chilies?
That's not a pricey meal, nor does it cost anything to stroll up milelong Canyon Road's charming gallery row, friendly little Pueblos dolled up with bright blue doors and sculpture in the yards. Stepping inside a gallery costs you nothing, and the sales folks are low-key.
Winter you can warm to
Choosing a wintertime visit to Santa Fe reaps rewards. Though the town gets touristy in summer months, it's oddly slow in winter. The city boasts 300 sunshine days a year, and although blasts of wind or snow are possible, the bright blue bowl of sky generally appears the next day.
Also, bargains abound in winter. Hotel prices drop, and shopkeepers are willing to barter.
And there's always time to duck into a restaurant with a bright, blazing fireplace, then tuck into a plate of blue corn enchiladas. Many restaurants have either a blazing hearth or rounded kiva fireplace.
At the Inn on the Alameda, where I stayed two nights, the blazing hearth in the book-filled lounge invites sitting. I chose to hover close to my own kiva fireplace in my casita, a stack of firewood on its patio.
It's worth your while to book a hotel near downtown so you can alternate your laziness (flatland Floridians can blame the high altitude) with strolling the downtown shops or Canyon Road. Santa Fe is a small town; it's easy to walk to most places.
And walking enables you to see the ongoing light show that makes this a photographer's paradise. Shafts of sunlight play with shadows on the adobe walls. The sky is a bowl of unusually deep blue. St. Francis Cathedral, with its French Romanesque facade, catches ethereal light both in early morning and at sunset.
The High Desert landscape is like nothing else anywhere, and you'll notice a heightened sense of color and light reflected in galleries, shops and restaurants.
Heaven for shoppers
Houseware shoppers will find everything from oven mitts to handcrafted ceramic mugs in bright turquoises, yellows and reds. Colorful Navajo rugs and hand-woven clothing command good prices, and there are numerous talented gold and silversmiths in this town.
Cheap deals in a chili theme are found at the Five and Dime General Store on the Plaza. Chili-covered socks, dish towels, shot glasses - nothing costs much.
Here also is Santa Fe's best cheap bite: the Frito Pie for $4.15. They split open a bag of Fritos and pour chili into the bag. It's decadently good.
You can fork it up as you saunter across the Plaza to shop the crafts by American Indians, laid out on blankets in front of the Palace of the Governors. Some of the jewelry is high class - big chunks of polished silver in bold designs.
My passions run to international folk art, so I headed to Davis Mather Folk Art Gallery. I like his ceramic figurines and fanciful animal alebrijes from Oaxaca.
The papier-mache flowers at the Rainbow Man are a house-brightening bargain. Do also check out the Day of the Dead dioramas here - they're a hoot.
For folk art fans, Santa Fe's Museum of International Folk Art is the ultimate stop; its displays of village life and parades are enchanting.
Because I was gift-shopping on my December trip, I headed to contemporary, clever housewares at Design Warehouse. My best find was Clockie, a digital alarm clock that wheels itself off the bedside table and runs around emitting soft sirens until He Who Will Not Awaken catches up with him.
Highbrow, but earthy
This is a city that plays well with highbrow culture. The setting invites it: evocative purple swaths of sweeping landscape, the beaming blue sky, the rounded adobes you want to reach out and stroke.
The whole town is an art field, inspiring the summertime Santa Fe Opera, and numerous museums, including the Museum of International Folk Art and others on Museum Hill. From here you also get a lovely view of the High Plains.
However, it's the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum that is not to be missed. The avant garde artist was quick to understand New Mexico's enchantment. She explored the area as a painter in the 1920s and eventually made it her home.
The bold brilliance of her purples, greens, pinks and oranges give fame to her giant flower paintings. But it's the eroticism of the shapes that defines her boldness. Don't be fooled by the timidity of the audio tour at the gallery; look with your eyes.
The innocence of O'Keeffe's flower paintings is deceptive, much like Santa Fe itself:
You want a sweet gingerbread version of the Old West? It's here. But beneath the surface, culture and cuisine are cutting edge.
Anne Chalfant is the former travel editor of the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times.
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Getting there
Fly into Albuquerque International Airport, then either take a shuttle or rent a car. Santa Fe is a 65-minute drive by interstate.
Staying there
Inn on the Alameda, 303 E Alameda. This small Pueblo-style inn is a Southwestern haven, a little adobe home. Casitas have their own fireplaces. Complimentary breakfast is sumptuous. It's an easy walk to Canyon Road galleries or downtown. Rates: $125 to $390, lower in winter.Toll-free 1-888-984-2121; www.inn-alameda.com.
La Fonda on the Plaza, 100 E San Francisco St., is a historic hotel in the heart of Santa Fe. Guest rooms are spacious and beds are very comfortable. Folk art decor makes you smile. Rates: $219 to $549, lower in winter. Toll-free 1-800-523-5002; www.lafondasantafe.com.
Shopping for folk art
Pachamama, 223 Canyon Road, is fun, with both contemporary and antique folk art.
David Mather Folk Art Gallery, 141 Lincoln Ave., has Oaxacan goods and fun things to look at.
The gift shop at the International Folk Art Museum is also a good place for folk art.
Museums
Museums in Santa Fe tend to be blessedly small, so you can tuck in a few. Museum Plaza on Museum Hill includes the Museum of International Folk Art, The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, 217 Johnson St., is the place to head: An hour here sets you straight on what this painting pioneer was about. Closed Wednesday. Admission, $8. (505) 946.1000; www.okeeffemuseum.org.
Serene and sublime
Ten Thousand Waves, 3451 Hyde St., a short drive outside of town, is my favorite spa anywhere. A world of aromas and obsequious pampering. Get a great massage, or sit in a hot tub under cedars, $25 for a 55-minute soak. Join the communal outdoor hot bath for $19. www.tenthousandwaves.com.
Eating there
Santa Fe has lots of restaurants, some quite famous, and many charmingly set in Pueblo-style adobes. Ask the concierge for the latest fine-dining news.
La Plazuela in Hotel La Fonda is a delightful, skylit enclosed courtyard with vibrant folk art touches. Menu relies on fresh New Mexican ingredients for Latin and Southwestern cuisine. Guacamole made tableside is a treat, the margaritas a must. (505) 982-5511. www.lafondasantafe.com.
Maria's New Mexican Kitchen is a homestyle setting with basic Southwestern cuisine. It's the margaritas that will send you sailing - with 125 choices and 100 kinds of tequila. (505) 983-7929. Prices: moderate.
Cafe Pasqual's is an easygoing cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. This local favorite draws a big breakfast crowd with huevos rancheros, lots of omelet choices and great coffee. Organic and locally grown foods. (505) 983-9340. www.pasquals.com.
[Last modified February 25, 2008, 11:50:57]
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