Yesterday I received a Christmas card from a friend bearing that exact greeting. Little did she know that her holiday correspondence would serve as inspiration for a travel blog. As I stared at the card and the photos she included inside it made me wonder how much people know about New Mexico’s state capital. Sure, its popular ski resorts get a lot of press, but what about the other attractions the sunny city has to offer?
If you have never visited Santa Fe then you might not know that it averages 300 days of sunshine a year, which means that on a typical winter day you can ski in short sleeves in the morning and tour a world-famous art museum in shorts during the afternoon.
The city has a population of about 75,000 residents and offers a cultural experience like no other. The area is home to elite regional and international art collections, exquisite Southwestern dining and world-class skiing.
Angel Fire Resort consistently ranked among the top 10 affordable ski resorts in the country. It soars to nearly 11,000 feet and fresh powder covers its 67 ski trails along with New Mexico’s lone half-pipe.
When you’re done shooshing down the mountain you can refuel at one of the area’s award-winning restaurants. Places such as Aqua Santa, which offers exotic delicacies, including truffle-infused halibut and braised shepherd’s lamb is considered the place to be seen, especially if you are one of the many A-list celebrities who travel to the city to escape the chaos of L.A.
Another Santa Fe eatery Trattoria Nostrani was recently named one of the top 50 restaurants in America by Gourmet magazine. Though, if you visit make sure your wallet isn’t as empty as your stomach. Entrees at the restaurant regularly exceed $40. Also, the award-winning eatery has a strict no-scent policy, which means you can forget about splashing on your favorite cologne before you treat your beloved to a romantic meal. In addition, smokers take note–lighting up is banned in all businesses and public places, including bars.
From food to fabulous artwork, Santa Fe has it covered. There are few tourists who don’t spend at least a couple of hours touring the city’s famous Palace of the Governors. It is considered America’s oldest public building that’s still in use. The adobe structure was founded in 1610 and used to serve as the government headquarters for the entire Spanish colony of Nuevo Mexico, spanning from modern-day California to Colorado. Today it houses the state history museum and construction is under way next door on the New Mexico History Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2009.
Another popular tourist attraction is the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which features more than 1,000 of the namesake artist’s most viewed works. Through January 13, 2008, the world-class museum is featuring an exhibition of the works of female artists who inspired O’Keeffe and led to her emergence early in the 20th Century.
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