Few cities in America are different enough from your own to make you feel you've set foot in a foreign country when you arrive there. Santa Fe is one of them.
Visiting Santa Fe provides a multicultural experience on a par with visiting a foreign country.On the streets of Santa Fe, you'll hear not only Spanish, but Tewa and Keresan, the languages of local Native American tribes. Combine this babble of tongues with an exciting Southwestern cuisine, beautiful adobe architecture and gorgeous natural scenery and you can easily fantasize that you are in a foreign country.
A big part of the city's allure is its history. The present Native American groups of the Santa Fe region were well-established here by the middle of the 13th century. The first Spanish settlers came in 1609, before the Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock. Pioneers trekked here along the famed Santa Fe trail 150 years ago.
Culture also is a strong part of Santa Fe's attraction. Artists began flocking to Santa Fe almost 100 years ago, well before tourists did. The concentration of first-rate artists and galleries makes this city the Florence of the United States, but with a Southwestern flavor.
The summer opera season is world-renowned. The Santa Fe Opera, in July and August, draws visitors from around the world.
The best way to see Santa Fee is on foot because its congested streets make a car a definite impediment. Do a self-guided walking tour or consider taking one of the twice-daily guided walks offered by Waite Thompson, author of the "Santa Fe Guide." Call Santa Fe Walks at (505) 983-6565 for more information.
The Plaza is the historical, commercial and governmental center of town. At almost any time, the Plaza is a wonderful place for parents to take a breather while their children run off energy chasing pigeons. You might also catch a free mid-day or evening concert. Call (505) 438-8835 for a schedule.
Several times each summer, the Plaza becomes the venue for a festival, replete with strolling musicians and street vendors. We visited last year during the fabulous Spanish Market, scheduled this year for July 25-26. During this celebration, artists from the Southwest present the best of classic and contemporary Spanish arts.
The Indian Market, the weekend of Aug. 22, is the nation's largest and most prestigious Native American art show. (Please see our Regional Travel Calendar on S5 for a list of New Mexico events.)
From the Plaza, you can stroll over to inspect the handwoven blankets, pots and exquisitely crafted silver and turquoise jewelry that Native Americans display for sale in the portals of the Palace of Governors.
The Palace of the Governors, built in 1609, is the oldest continuously used governmental building in the United States and houses a major museum of Southwest history.
The old print shop has working presses where you can watch while books are printed and bound. The museum shop carries a good selection of quality crafts and regional books, including Anne Hillerman's "Children's Guide to Santa Fe."
Children under 16 get into the museum free. Adults should consider purchasing a special pass that provides admission here and to several other museums.
The nearby Museum of Fine Arts offers art workshops for children. Call (505) 827-6480 for details. A concert hall here is the venue for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and youth concerts. Call (505) 983-2075 for a schedule and for information on how to attend one of the free morning rehearsals.
Other Museums: Be sure to visit the Santa Fe Children's Museum, (505) 989-8359, on Old Pecos Trail. It's the only children's museum in New Mexico and a wonderful space for kids of all ages. On Saturdays, children can work alongside a Santa Fe artist. On Friday evenings there's live entertainment, and on Sundays scientists help kids take part in challenging scientific experiments.
Exhibits include a 16-foot-high climbing wall, a maze for toddlers, bubble makers and live animals.
A cluster of outstanding museums is located on Camino Lejo, a short drive from the Plaza. The Museum of International Folk Art has the largest folk art collection in the world and displays it in absolutely dazzling fashion. Ask a docent for materials to help your children engage in a folk art scavenger hunt. You can call ahead (505) 827-8350 to register for workshops with folk artists, including the Junior Globetrotter sessions.
Next door, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, (505) 827-8941, has outstanding displays of jewelry, pottery, basketry and weaving. The Resource Center allows children to spin wool, weave on a Navajo loom, use a Pueblo drum, grind corn and wear Indian masks. Special programs for children 8 through 18 are offered, and a special Family Day in early summer includes fun runs, a special exhibit for children, an Indian feast and Indian dancing.
The last in this triad of museums is the Wheelwright Museum, (505) 982-4636, housed in a building shaped like a Navajo hogan. Don't miss the trading post in the basement. Joe Hayes, a New Mexican storyteller without parallel, tells Anglo, Hispanic, and Indian folktales on summer weekend evenings.
Galleries and artist's studios line Canyon Road for miles.
Even if galleries don't normally excite you, take the time to wander through a few to get a sense of the vitality of the arts in Santa Fe.
Attractions Nearby: To get away from the city for a short walk in the surrounding hills, continue to Upper Canyon Road and find the Randall Davey Audubon Center. The center has a small wildlife refuge and nature center. Call (505) 983-4609 for information on children's programs and activities for families, including morning bird walks.
El Rancho de las Golondrinas ("The Ranch of the Swallows") is another family favorite. The ranch, 11 miles south of the city, has been a working ranch since 1710 and was the last stop on the 1,000-mile-long El Camino Real from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Today it is a living history museum.
On Wednesdays through Sundays in the summer, the museum's costumed interpreters demonstrate the arts and crafts and carry out the daily activities of an 18th-century ranch. Special festival weekends are held in the summer. Call (505) 471-2261.
Plan to devote at least a day to exploring the nearby Native American pueblos. The Northern Pueblo Council's Artists' and Craftsmen's Fair is held in mid-July. Call the Pueblo Council at (505) 455-3549 for details.
Walking tours are available at Santa Clara Pueblo, famous for its pottery. Above Santa Clara are the spectacular Puye Cliff Dwellings, which were inhabited 240 years before Columbus even set foot in this hemisphere. Adventuresome family members will want to climb the ladders to the top of these ancient Anasazi dwellings.
Santo Domingo Pueblo has a Tribal Cultural Center, and its August Corn Dance is one of the best pueblo ceremonials, with more than 200 dancers.
Farther afield is Taos Pueblo, (505) 758-3212. It is the northernmost and the best-known of the pueblos and contains the oldest continuously inhabited structures in North America. If possible, plan your visit so you can include a horseback ride or a hay wagon cookout with storytelling and Indian dances.
Bandelier National Monument, (505) 672-3861, is the nearest major prehistoric site. For those interested in the early Native American cultures, it is a true gem, with ruins set in a spectacular canyon and mesa wilderness. National Park rangers offer children's activities at the visitors' center.
Accommodations: Santa Fe has a large assortment of hotels, motels and bed and breakfast accommodations. Even so, lodging can be hard to come by in the peak summer season. Call Santa Fe Central Reservations at (800) 982-7669.
Three of our personal favorites represent much of the range in settings and atmosphere.
- Bishop's Lodge Resort, (505) 989-8739, is a few minutes from the center of town in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This luxury resort offers a summer children's program with horseback riding, swimming, hiking, fishing, tennis and arts and crafts.
- For families with children over 7, Grant Corner Inn, (505) 983-6678, is a bed and breakfast in a beautiful Victorian house a short walk from the Plaza. Its breakfasts are legendary.
- La Posada de Santa Fe, (800) 727-5276, in a historic old house a short stroll from the Plaza, offers many family-sized suites with kitchens and has a pleasant pool.
For general information on Santa Fe, call the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 777-CITY.