Being in the United States, Santa Fe’s language and culture are very similar to the rest of the country, but with one exception. Native American culture is unique and impacts the area in important ways. A very large amount of the land around Santa Fe is on reservations, and this land is not under US jurisdiction. You need special permission to access the lands; either by a tribal ID card or by special invitations. Even if you can enter the reservation, often you are not allowed to bring cameras or even cell phones. The native American culture is very private and are they serious about protecting their sacred places, rites and celebrations. We were never able to enter a reservation during the time we were there, but much of that was because they were being very careful with COVID precautions. Even before then, though, we were told that being able to go onto a reservation was rare and considered an honor, and there were few days and times that the general public was invited. If you are able to go, it’s very important to be respectful and honor their customs and their requests.

When to Go

Santa Fe is best in the fall. The fall is dry and temperatures are comfortable, and you also can see the beautiful aspen trees on the mountains as they change color.  The fall calendar spans both the huge Zozobra festival and the world’s largest hot-air balloon festival.  Winter could be an option for those who like to ski – Santa Fe sports it’s own small ski mountain.  We do not recommend spring and summer.  In the spring the area is beset with high winds that makes hiking and outdoor activities less enjoyable, as much of the terrain there is sandy. Summer is hot and crowded.   

How to Get There

Santa Fe has a small regional airport, and there is a larger airport an hour away in Albuquerque, . We drove our car to this nest, which is something you might want to consider as you will benefit from a car during your stay.

Grocery Shopping

There are plenty of chain grocery stores in Santa Fe, as well as a bustling farmer’s market in the rail district every Tuesday and Saturday.

Other Shopping

On the plaza, in front of the Palace of the Governors, native Americans gather daily to sell their crafts. They have to be certified as being native and using authentic materials in order to set up there. Their prices are generally a little bit less than you’ll find in the shops, and you know that you’re getting the real thing.

The Gift Shop at the Museum of International Folk Art as well as the one in the Indian Arts and Culture Museum have some interesting items at reasonable prices.

In the Railroad District, there’s a huge thrift shop that sells everything from boots to dishes. Called Double Take, it’s fun to wander through. I got a great hat there.

On Cerrillos Road, there’s a huge complex called Jackalope, filled with many vendors selling everything from lawn ornaments to jewelry. It’s a good place to go for knickknacks and little gifts.

Near Taos, there’s a roadside rest stop and park by the bridge crossing the Rio Grande. You can walk across the bridge and look down from a dizzying height – that’s worth the trip all by itself.  But a local secret is that a corner of the park adjacent to the bridge is actually in an Indian reservation. There , you’ll find lots of people with tables  selling locally-made items. No sales tax, the prices are generally good, and there’s interesting things there to buy, from chili powder to really nice jewelry. Changes daily.

Connecting with the Local Community

We recently joined Rotary, and have found it to be a wonderful way to connect in the towns we visited. Santa Fe was no exception – there are three Rotary clubs in this small town! We were able to participate in a service project in a community garden and also in a bicycle poker rally. We went hiking and out to dinner with friends we made through those connections.

The library and history museum also offer activities that help connect nesters with the community.  Also, Santa Fe hosts many organizations centered around similar interests such as hiking and biking.  Check them out. 

Subscribe to the “The New Mexican” newspaper.  It’s very cheap and includes daily emails about happenings and organizations.  Great opportunities to check out interesting experiences and connect with others.

Favorite Restaurants

There are some very highly rated restaurants in Santa Fe but they come with very high prices as well. Those were not the restaurants we visited. We were very happy with some of the local places we found that don’t cater to tourists with big budgets.

The one possible exception to that rule was the incredible, and somewhat pricey, Izanami restaurant in the Ten Thousand Waves resort. It’s a fusion Japanese restaurant with a delicious and creative menu and a huge variety of sake. For an even more wonderful experience, book a hot tub and maybe even a massage before your meal. The tubs are very private but mostly outdoors and are the perfect way to relax before a terrific meal. But book well in advance – reservations for the restaurant and the hot tubs fill well in advance..  You can craft a perfect evening for a special person or guests — watch the sunset at the top of the mountain just above Izanami, then drive down to the Izanami to enjoy the hot tub (perhaps while sipping sake), finish with a final massage and then walk to dinner there.   

The absolute best place in town for breakfast is Clafoutis, a little French café on Cordova Road. Incredible pastries, fantastic omelets, and everything else you can imagine. It’s very popular with the locals, so get there early.

If you’re walking down Canyon Road visiting the art galleries, towards the end you’ll find the Teahouse in an old adobe house surrounded with gardens. A huge selection of teas, but there’s really nice salads and omelets as well. It can get very busy with the tourists, but it’s a really nice place and away from the downtown bustle.

If you’re looking for great, fresh and affordable food you can’t do better than Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill. Mostly a takeout joint, it does have a dining area. Although it’s not far from downtown, it doesn’t seem to be discovered by the tourists, yet it’s very popular with the locals. The service is fast and friendly though, so you don’t usually have to worry about crowds.  Surprisingly, they are very amenable to tailoring their food for special dietary requests, including keto.

If you’re in the vicinity of Meow Wolf (described later), you may want to try Dr. Field Goods Kitchen on Cerrillos Road. A non-descript joint in a strip mall, it’s been showcased on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and is famous for its over the top BLT. I had great fish tacos there.

Out of town a bit is The Hollar in Madrid, down the Turquoise Trail. (Rt. 14) We visited it a number of times and always had a great experience. Amazingly, when we got home to Virginia, we found out that the owner is a cousin of a neighbor of ours. They have great fried green tomatoes and really tasty burgers.

One of the very best dining experiences we had in the Santa Fe area was the Rancho de Chimayo in the little town of Chimayo. You can’t get more authentic than this. It’s in a beautiful adobe house, and is run by the same family that first build the place. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is wonderful and it’s as original as it gets.

And although it’s not a restaurant, if you’re a foodie, you will probably want to try out a few cooking lessons at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. We took two classes and also a walking tour of some of the restaurants through them. We especially enjoyed the Traditional New Mexican I class. You can take demo courses or courses where you cook yourself. (I felt I learned more in the demo classes – you get more recipes.)

Festivals and Events

One of the best reasons to visit Santa Fe in the fall is for the Zozobra Burning, which takes place over Labor Day weekend every year. The festival began in 1924, and the highlight is the burning of “Old Man Gloom.” People are invited to stuff a 50 ft high marionette with notes that recount their regrets, bad experiences and sorrows of the past year, and it is set on fire, to dramatic effect. It’s an absolutely unique Santa Fe event!

Of course a not to be missed festival is in nearby Albuquerque, which is the International Balloon Festival. It runs for a week, but the best days to go are the ones that feature the morning launches. You have to get there very early – probably about 5am – but it’s spectacular to watch. It’s possible to see the balloons launch from outside the fairgrounds but if you purchase a ticket, you can walk around the balloons as they get ready for flight, and you might even be asked to help by a team. It’s also possible to buy tickets to ride in a balloon, but they sell out quickly and you need to buy them well in advance. Don’t bother buying tickets for the elite viewing areas –Pretty much all that gets you is a table and chair to sit by and shorter bathroom lines. You can see everything from everywhere at the show.  For the evening, a great tip is to book a table at VARA vineyards, which is adjacent to the fairgrounds. You can sit comfortably, drink some great wine and watch the balloons or the fireworks that night.  Oh – you can park there too and then walk into fairgrounds, saving time and avoiding traffic.

There are a number of craft and art festivals during the summer months, including the famous Santa Fe Indian Market in mid August, and the International Folk Art Market in July.

Weather

Santa Fe is pretty far south, but don’t let that fool you as far as weather goes. It’s got an elevation of over 7,000 ft which keeps the temperatures moderate. We arrived the last week of August and although our house didn’t have air conditioning, we didn’t miss it. The evenings can get cool – this is the “high desert.”  So you will want to bring warm clothing for the evenings, especially if you want to travel to Chaco Canyon and do some camping. Springtime is very windy and not as enjoyable to hike. Falls are really the clear winner for nesting here, between the weather and the festivals.

Discount Tips

We highly recommend the MNMF card for museum entrance. You get free, unlimited entrance to four museums in Santa Fe, plus seven sites statewide. The museums in Santa Fe are The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, The Museum of International Folk Art, The New Mexico History Museum and The New Mexico Museum of Art. You also get 10% off in any of their gift shops and the restaurant on Museum Hill. The cost is $75 for two, or if you are a senior, $67.50 for two. They also have a reciprocal agreement with other states that gets you discounted or free admission to hundreds of museums around the country.

We also recommend you get a library card.  A card will alert you to special activities and also enable you to access free videos and other content online.  Ask your landlord for a printed lease – it can be just one page – and bring it to the library with you to show you are not a short-term tourist.

Hiking and Camping

One of the best things to do around Santa Fe is hike. There is actually a national forest that touches the town’s borders! The terrain is very different on the east and west side of the city. You can hike in desert, searching for ancient native American petroglyphs or you can hike up the mountain into beautiful Aspen forests, all just outside of the city.   We found that the “All Trails” hikers app worked well in this area.

Here are some of our favorite local hikes that can be reached in minutes:

• Dale Ball Trails.  This is out East past the Tea Garden restaurant and has a trail head near the Audubon Society. 
• Winsor Trail – this trail starts at the top of the ski mountain so it’s mostly downhill.  It ends at a resort that has two restaurants open to the public with great seating.  Take the free city bus up to the trailhead.  Great for mountain biking too.  Not too busy.
• Sun Mountain – absolutely a favorite for the views.   Highly recommend you hike this at least once to see the sunrise and once to see the sunset.  Very memorable experiences.  Some vertical near the summit, but very accessible.
• La Cuchara Trails.  The West side of town sports it’s own set of trails that are less vertical, but also provide wonderful views.

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We also enjoyed some day-trip hikes not far from Santa Fe

• A spectacular place to hike was the Caldera up by Los Alamos. Over a million years ago, a volcanic eruption blew the top off of a mountain and created the Parjarito Plateau. You won’t seen anything else like it in New Mexico.
• One of the best trails we found was near Taos, La Vista Verde. We saw bighorn sheep, petroglyphs and a beautiful view of the river.