Santa Fe: “The City Different”

Although Kathy and I seldom travel to urban areas as a vacation destination - simply because we prefer the great outdoors - Santa Fe is a notable exception. Being a history buff, a bit of a foodie, and an obvious outdoor lover, Santa Fe is ground zero for all three pursuits. It’s from among these qualities that earned the city its nickname; “The City Different”.

The 2010 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards rated Santa Fe as the #2 U.S. destination in the Relaxation & Spa category, #9 for Great Food & Wine, and #10 for Culture and Sightseeing. Also, a recent poll conducted by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine rated Santa Fe as the third most popular travel destination in the U.S.

Founded between 1607 and 1610, Santa Fe is the second oldest city in America. Sitting at 7,000 feet in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains, it’s also the highest and oldest state capital in the United States.

For almost 400 years the heart of downtown Santa Fe has been the Plaza where the rich history of American Indian and Spanish culture blends together. The Plaza was also the final destination for wagon trains making the 800-mile journey from Independence, Missouri along the Old Santa Fe Trail.

The Palace of the Governors on the Plaza was built by the Spanish as a government building in 1610, and remains the nation's oldest continuously used public building. Inside is an art and history museum, and under its historic portal Native American artists sell authentic art, crafts and jewelry, as they have been doing on an almost daily basis since 1939.

Just south of the Plaza, on East De Vargas Street, is purported to be the oldest house in the U.S. Although it was built around 1646, there are two other homes in the Northeast that claim to be older.

Our most recent visit happened to occur during the 298th annual Fiesta de Santa Fe, which celebrates the peaceful resettlement of the “City of Holy Faith” in 1692. The Fiesta includes ceremonies, parades, processions, entertainment, Masses, as well as the burning of Zozobra, or "Old Man Gloom", which is a 50-foot tall marionette that symbolizes the hardships and despair of the past year. Mariachi bands are also an important aspect of the four-month long celebration. We happened upon one at an outdoor café on Burro Alley one day as they sang a beautiful song in Spanish. Although neither one of us understood the words or the meaning, there was a woman sitting near the band that began to weep.

Santa Fe is, without a doubt, a gastronomical Mecca. In fact, I was looking forward to the food almost as much as I did the hiking. While in town we ate at the Guadalupe Café, The Shed, the Blue Corn Café and the Santa Fe Brewing Company. Although each restaurant fulfilled our lofty expectations, The Shed was just outstanding. If you ever have the opportunity to visit here, be sure to try the green chili stew.

The Blue Corn Café and the Santa Fe Brewing Company are both local brewpubs offering great Northern New Mexican cuisine and tasty brews, but the beer at the Marble Brewery Tap Room was the clear winner among the three. Both times we visited the Tap Room we watched the crowds attending the Fiesta below, while sipping oatmeal stouts and amber ales from the second story balcony that overlooks the Plaza. The brewery also serves pizzas from an adjacent restaurant, but we didn’t try any.

There were a couple of other restaurants that we had on our radar, such as Tia Sophia’s and Santa Luna, but we just didn’t have enough time or space in our stomachs.

The big question that’s asked at many restaurants in this part of the country is whether you prefer red or green chile. If heat intensity is an issue, note that green is generally hotter, but red is a little earthy or pungent tasting, and usually not as hot. If you’re undecided you can always just go Christmas, meaning you would like both on your dish.

Within close proximity to Santa Fe are many outdoor opportunities; including cycling, rafting, horseback riding, fishing, as well as skiing at several nearby resorts. Numerous hiking opportunities also abound in the Santa Fe National Forest, Bandelier National Monument, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, as well as the 1.5 million-acre Carson National Forest which includes the highest point in New Mexico – the 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak.

If you’ve never been there, Santa Fe is an awesome destination for many reasons. You could easily spend several days to more than a week there, and never do anything more than once.

Fodor's Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque - features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.

Santa Fe: The City of Holy Faith

Over the centuries the history and culture of the city of Santa Fe has been profoundly influenced by the Catholic faith. Embedded in that history are the Spanish missions and churches in the old town plaza and surrounding region.

Below are a few photos and short explanations of the historical significance for some the most important churches in Santa Fe.

San Miguel Mission:

The San Miguel Mission is considered to be the country's oldest church. It was built by Tlaxcala Indians between 1610 and 1628. It’s estimated that roughly 300 Tlaxcalan Indians are buried under the floor near the church alter. They chose this burial spot in belief that they would be forever remembered in the prayers of those who attended Mass.


Behind the alter is a carved wooden statue of St. Michael brought from Mexico in 1709, and on the wall hangs a buffalo hide painting of Christ from the 1630s.

Although 400 years old, Mass is still celebrated at San Miguel each week.


Loretto Chapel:

The Loretto Chapel was built for the Sisters of Loretto (from Kentucky) between 1873 and 1878. The chapel is the first Gothic-Revival style church west of the Mississippi, and is modeled after King Louis IX's Sainte Chapelle in Paris.

The chapel is best known for its choir loft staircase, which is considered to be miraculous due to its two complete spirals without center or side supports, thus defying engineering logic.

Today the church is a private museum and a popular site for weddings.


Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi:

The Saint Francis Cathedral was built between 1869 and 1886, and was designed in the French Romanesque Revival style.

The now attached La Conquistadora Chapel was built in 1714 in honor of La Conquistadora, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was originally brought to Santa Fe in 1626. The statue was named “Our Lady of the Conquest” in 1693 after Spanish settlers were allowed to peacefully return to the city after the Indian revolt of 1680. Afterwards, the name came to represent how she was able to conquer hearts after her intercession allowed the Indians and Spanish colonists to reconcile their differences. The statue is thought to have been made in the 14th Century - or possibly even earlier.

In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI officially elevated the church to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The backdrops you see behind the alters in many of the churches in this region are known as “reredos”, or alter screens. They’re essentially Spanish murals that reflect carvings, statues and paintings of religious icons.


San Francisco de Asis Church:

The San Francisco de Asis Church, about four miles southwest of Taos in Ranchos de Taos, was made famous through the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe and the photographs by Ansel Adams.

O'Keeffe described it as, "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards."

Construction on the church began around 1772 and was completed in 1815 by Franciscan Fathers, whose patron is Saint Francis of Assisi. The church is best known for the graceful adobe buttresses and the four-foot thick adobe walls.



San Francisco de Asís was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970, a World Heritage church in 1992, and is one of the most painted and photographed churches in the world.

The church, which still holds Mass each week, does not allow photographs of the interior, but visitors are still welcome to step inside.

Across the short alley from the church is the Ranchos Plaza Grill. This is a not-to-miss restaurant if you’re anywhere in the area. You can dine on the Northern New Mexican fare in a beautiful Al fresco setting, or step inside the historic building which was built around the same time as the church.

Two other historically important missions to check out in the region are at Pecos National Historical Park, and the Chapel of San Geronimo at Taos Pueblo.


Historic New Mexico Churches - Churches have played a major role in New Mexico's culture and history since the earliest days of its colonization. Lavishly illustrated with more than 100 photographs by Daniel Nadelbach, Historic New Mexico Churches tells the story of New Mexico through its churches: their history and legends, and the people who built them. From the massive mission churches built by the Franciscan friars during the days of the conquistadors, through the smaller adobe chapels lovingly created by Spanish settlers, to the grand Gothic and Romanesque edifices erected by New Mexico's first bishop, the book leads readers on a journey through war and famine, growth and expansion, rebellion and reconciliation.