We stopped in Santa Fe for 13 days with the intent of getting to know the city and determining whether this would be a place we might like to live when our AirStreaming days are over. We drove around town to see the city and familiarize ourselves with various neighborhoods. We visited downtown to get a feel for the retail businesses, museums, and art galleries (for which Santa Fe is famous). And since there were six ski resorts within 106 miles, we wanted to visit several of them to acquaint ourselves to what they offered. Finally, I did a fair amount of hiking in and around the city. This gave us a great after-hike oportunity to locate good breakfast joints and coffee shops. We weren’t disappointed on either account.
We arrived on 12 September to comfortable seasonal weather. The nights were chilly, the days were warm, and it was sunny most of the time. Santa Fe typically averages 325 sunny days per year, compared to a U.S. average of 205. The city sits on a great semi-arid plain at 7,000 feet with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Jemez Mountains to the west. Our excursions took us mostly east and north, and these pictures highlight the scenery.
Santa Fe boasts a mixture of Victorian, Italian, and Spanish architecture. Most buildings and homes we saw looked like adobe, although we suspect it was really stucco over masonry. Either way, old and new, there was a strong colorful Spanish-Native vibe wherever we travelled. We found the design details very fascinating. Even late in the year, there was also an abundance of blooming plants, which added to the calm, pleasant, and homey feel.
We reserved a time slot, toured The O’Keefe Museum, and saw her life’s journey in paintings and photographs. But the city also has over 250 galleries with many art pieces placed outside along the sidewalks.
During our walk downtown, we were hit by the urge for a mid-afternoon coffee. Using google maps I found we were near “Downtown Subscription” coffee bar and news stand. To reach it we strolled through a typical residential area, where most houses were hidden behind walls with varied and interesting gates. I just had to take pictures.
The closest ski area to the city is Ski Santa Fe only 16 miles northeast. MFI learned there is free round-trip public bus service from downtown, and a weekday lift ticket is only $15 for those aged 72+. We drove to the mountain and were impressed with the facilities and beauty of the area. Base elevation of the resort was 10,350′; vertical drop was 1,725′; and there were 7 lifts with access to 88 trails for all skiing abilities. We’re considering returning to Santa Fe during February or March 2023 to try out some winter camping and local skiing.
The premier area resort is Taos Ski Valley, located a 2-hour plus drive 105 miles north. We took a day trip to check it out and see several nearby sights. The base of the mountain was 9,200′; vertical drop was a whopping 3,281′; and there were 14 lift options supporting 105 trails for all skill levels. The average annual snowfall was reported at 300′. There was a substantial retail village at the base of the resort along with a significant number of high-end residences and rental properties, none of which existed when I skied there decades ago. A pre-purchased weekday lift pass for the 2022/23 season cost $125 for seniors or military, plus we’d still require rental equipment. Cha-ching $$$$$
On the way to Taos, I saw a road sign pointing to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Had no clue as to what this was all about, so we decided to do a slight side trip to check it out. We had an initial, pedestrian distant view of the gorge on our drive to Taos, but weren’t fully aware of what we were looking at or the spectacle we would see. Mind you, the source of the Rio Grande River is high in the mountains of Colorado (which we didn’t know), and this was the same sorry looking river we first saw in Alamosa, CO. Similarly, the river is equally sorry where it dumps into the Gulf of Mexico, and has on occasion had such low water that it flowed backwards.
While the pictures are great, these videos provide an improved perspective as to just how spectacular the river and bridge are at this location.
We stayed long enough to really get the personality and layout of the city. Saw a lot of neighborhoods and ultimately went to look at one listing. We also, as always, scoped out coffeehouses (after learning the Starbucks locations), and a collection of preferred breakfast joints. As you may surmise, there were plenty of mexican restaurants. We returned several times to two called Tune Up and Plaza Cafe South. Our favorite coffee stops were Agape Coffee (parking lot drive-thru-only Seattle vibe) and Iconik Coffee Roasters.
Went toured downtown on only one occasion and tried to cram all the standard tourista sights/sites in a day. We made it work! The City’s historic central plaza and cathedral were on the list, so we walked by each, and I grabbed some final pictures. We departed with really good feelings about a possible permanent residence here in the future. But we still have great expectations for much more travel before settling down. Lots of things could change between now and then, as well.
