Santa Fe and More

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On our way to Chama, New Mexico to family for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are spending a day and night in Santa Fe. Santa Fe is one of our favorite towns, for many reasons. We like the food, the southwest atmosphere, the proximity to Albuquerque, and the old town charm. We are also stopping here on the way back on Saturday and Sunday night as well.

It is hard to believe that Santa Fe is America's fifth most popular city for travelers. Santa Fe was actually settled thirteen years before Plymouth Colony was founded by the Pilgrims. It is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi River. But please do not confuse south western cuisine with Mexican food. You will be severely reprimanded here if you do.

Santa Fe is the site of both the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors and the nation's oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, established in 1712 to commemorate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in the summer of 1692. Don Pedro de Peralta (who really settled Santa Fe) and his men laid out the plan for Santa Fe at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the site of the ancient Pueblo Indian ruin of Kaupoge, or "place of shell beads near the water."

Despite only 70,000 people, Santa Fe is a recognized center for arts and culture. It ranks as our country's third largest art market, with nearly 300 galleries and dealers. Of course, my favorite museum is the Georgia O'Keefe Museum just a block or so off of the zocalo or town square. There are thirteen museums in this tiny town. And bunches of tacky southwestern gift and souvenir stores. While you are here, have a custom pair of cowboy boots or Native American belt made. Just kidding!

When we were last here, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, it was very cold but clear here. Santa Fe averages 300 sunny days per year, with 14 inches of rain and 17 inches of snow annually. The hottest days arrive in June, when temperatures soar into the high 90s. Because of the altitude, temperatures can change by 30 degrees in a single day, and sometimes all four seasons seem to pass through in a 24-hour time period. The air is dry making for good powder skiing conditions in nearby Taos. We also had to get a humidifier last time just to make the nights bearable.

Though we are only here for a night now and on yje weekend, we will enjoy Santa Fe. A nice dinner at Maria's, followed by breakfast at Cafe Pasqual. It is a must stop if you visit here. Then a little window shopping before the drive over to Chama. Oh, and do not forget that great shoe store, called Goler. Last time here, we bought four pair of shoes! I think they know we are visiting again. Did you hear that, Ingrid!

We are staying at the Inn on the Paseo, located right on Paseo de Peralta. Last time, we stayed at La Posada de Santa Fe, at about triple the price. And for Thanksgiving dinner at La Posada, we received the entire bird. They carved it at our table, stored it in their kitchen until we wanted left overs, and paid dearly for it. In between, are many authentic southwestern style inns and hotels, at all price ranges. Most are walking distance to the zocalo, shops, galleries, and museums.

A highlight of our trip to Santa Fe is usually a stop at Cafe Pasqual at 121 Don Gaspar, about a block or so from the main zocalo. Cafe Pasqual is named for the patron saint of Mexican and New Mexican kitchens and cooks, San Pasqual. The dining room has hand painted tiles, and murals by the renowned Mexican painter, Leovigildo Martinez. But the food is distinctly south western, not Mexican.

Though the place only seats fifty people, they turn out an enormous amount of food on a daily basis. Lines form outside soon after opening. We always get there when it first opens in the morning. But they still bake their own bread, make chili sauces from scratch, and hand chop the vegetables for the salsas.

Their cookbook is very popular with locals and tourists alike. Perhaps their three most famous dishes are: the chorizo breakfast burrito, grilled salmon burrito with goat cheese and cucumber salsa, and pollo pibil with saffron rice and fire-roasted balsamic marinated vegetables.

Cafe Pasqual has been here for over thirty years. In 1999, they won the James Beard America's Regional Cooking Classics Award for a "timeless, grassroots restaurants that serves memorable food and is strongly imbedded in the fabric of the community". Dinner is served from 5:30 pm each evening. Breakfast and Lunch are served from 8am to 3pm daily with brunch on Sundays. Simply, you must go!!!

Last night's dinner at Maria's was a real treat. Our friends David and Cheryl are from this neck of the woods. They highly recommended this "hole in the wall". Good thing we had a res. The place is huge, but locally owned. In fact, Maria in her 90s, just passed away on the 20th.

But fantastic fajitas and salad. The place turned out to be huge, wih tons of cars parked out back. Many people were waiting for tables when we arrived. It is located on Cordova Street, across from Trader Joe's, just off of St. Francis.

So, we left Chama a day early, had a wonderful tour at Ghost Ranch, and landed back in Santa Fe around 4pm. After opening our bottle of champagne, and sharing with JoyLee, our innkeeper, we drove over to Jinja on the other side of town.

On our last visit here a couple of years ago, we ate their several times. But on this visit, it did not seem to measure up to our expectations or our fond memories. But we were glad to have gotten out before the snowfall.

So, this morning, with a light dusting of powdered sugar over the cityscape, we are enjoying our breakfast here at the Inn on the Posada. I highly recommend this place to any future visitors. It is very reasonably priced, friendly, and just two blocks from the main town.

Today, we will don our heavy coats, gloves, hiking boots, and new alpaca scarves for a heavy day of shopping and lunch. It definitely feels more like the holidays now, with the decorations and the snow.

Tomorrow, we head back home, to warmer weather, and our little Buddy. We are home for a few days, then off to Vegas for my Mom's family birthday celebration.

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