Goodbye Santa Fe, for now

Steve in the brightly colored walkway outside the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

(By: Dinah and Steve)

Georgia Okeefe once said “If you ever go to New Mexico… it will itch you for the rest of your life”. New Mexico may be poor economically but we think it is one of the richest states in the country when it comes to landscape, culture, and people. And Santa Fe, as a city, feels like the jewel of it all.

The Chamisa hiking trail, a 10-minute drive out of town.

We relished the surrounding beauty and access to nature that literally spills to the cities edges. The core of Santa Fe is such an attractive town with soft, colorful Pueblo architecture and a comfortable feel (other than the LOUD MACHO cars). But we also kept running across special places in outer neighborhoods that to us, mean that Santa Fe is far more than its touristy center.

Rose hip and quinoa deliciousness at Native American forward La Luna @ La Fonda in Taos.

The art industry in Santa Fe is globally known .. how could this 90,000 person community have one of the top three art markets in the United States!? But that doesn’t really describe just how much art and craft permeate everything. Add in an amazing food scene (not just great New Mexican but one of the best Thai restaurants we’ve ever been to) and a vibrant and personal music scene focused on local voices and Santa Fe is a feast for the senses.

But most of all, we were genuinely entranced by the warm and gracious people of New Mexico and Santa Fe. It is hard to describe just how welcoming people are. Every encounter that we had, whether in a bar, store, or pickleball court resulted in a genuine and fun conversation. Combine that with the amazing mélange of influences from three primary cultures: Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American, and we felt a richness of place that seems quite rare.

We have that itch and we will be back .. it’s only a question of how many times.