Sante Fe

Breakfasted quite late and then set off to see the shops near the hotel.  Naturally, we both managed to buy something and got back to the hotel in time for our tour of the city at noon.


Being Sante Fe, the trolley bus was late, but I understand that this is quite normal.  We did, however make good time and were dropped off at the Plaza at the right time.  Sante Fe is the State Capitol of New Mexico and sits 7.000 ft above sea level.  Not far from here is where the Rockies start.

Doc and Friend

The start of the rockies

The tour took us around the Downtown, Canyon Road, and Guadalupe areas of the town.  In 1957 the town Council decided that in the Downtown area no new building could be taller than 35ft.  The only building that is taller was built before this law came into being.  When we passed the Plaza we met a character called Doc, who has starred in many films which have been made in Sante Fe and the surroundings and he told us a bit about this.  One of the films he was in was Easy Rider and he normally plays one of the drunks or a down and out.  He must be in his 80s and is still going strong.

A public building

Sante Fe  - New Condominiums

Most of buildings are in the pueblo or adobe style and any new buildings need to blend in with this.  At times the architecture is very Moorish and most of the buildings are beautifully kept.


There are two main churches in the town.  The Catholic Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and the Loretta Chapel with the stand-alone spiral staircase.  There is also the Scottish Rite Temple and Masonic Lodge, which is modelled after the Alhambra in Spain.  

Scottish Rite Temple

Catholic Basilica of St Francis of Assisi

Loretta Chapel

Circular Stairway in Loretta  Chapel

Canyon Road is very much the artists' quarter with many studios showing statues and paintings, as well as native art.  This area was originally farming area but slowly the people moved away and artists could move in, paying very little rent.  Now it is a very desirable area.

Mark Twain and me on Bronze Bench

Y with various statues

Children at play in sandbox (Bronze)

Bronze of Bison Hunt

Various totems

The Guadalupe area is a residential area with some of the houses being very old and in the old-time tradition - adobe style - with small widows to keep the heat out.




After leaving the tour, we needed sustenance and decided to go the Starbucks for a sandwich and coffee.  We then came back to the hotel and rested for a while.


This evening we went to dinner at the Cafe Coyote, which has a formal restaurant as well as a rooftop cantina.  We decided to go to the Cantina (as we hadn't booked the restaurant) and sat outside.  We started off with cocktails (as usual), with Y having a rum-based one and I had a Marguerita.  Both were wonderful.  The meal itself was excellent - not too spicy - but very very tasty.  Afterwards we decided to go walkabout to let the food digest and found and very nice place called Burro Alley Cafe for coffee.


We then walked back to the hotel.


Off to Flagstaff tomorrow.