Sunny Sante Fe Would Be Nice

Taos was a beautiful place to visit and explore, but Sante Fe stole my heart and would have been a more convenient home base. I found myself there at least once a week and I never ran out of things to see or do. I really miss it already.

The airport is tiny and so old fashioned. You pretty much land in the parking lot and walk to the car. It is INSANE. I wish I had flown in to see the aerial view, but if you are flying rather than driving- do everything you can to fly to Sante Fe instead of Albuquerque.

The town square is adorable, the museums and galleries are so welcoming , and the architecture is exactly what you hope to see in the Southwest.

George RR Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, is a huge patron of Sante Fe. He owns a whole block right off the Sante Fe Railyard which is home to Beastly Books and the Jean Cocteau Theater. I’m not a big fan of any of his works, but I’m a huge fan of his complex. It was a really awesome afternoon walk. There is an excellent farmer’s market, two breweries, tons of galleries, and great shops.

There are a couple really famous hatmakers in Sante Fe. I didn’t have much luck in O’Farrell Hat Co or Sante Fe Hat Company. I really wanted to find a great custom hat and some awesome turquoise hat bands, but that was easier said than done. It took all of my willpower to leave behind the hot pink chevron hat band below, but $350 for an elastic beaded band broke my brain.

I discovered Thunderbird Hats at the Round Top Texas Antique fair. Dale’s booth was flooded with shoppers and really low on inventory so I made a mental note to visit the flagship store in Sante Fe. The Market at El Museo was my favorite shopping experience in Sante Fe. I met the most incredible vendors, scored the coolest treasures, and had the hardest time not walking out with half of the inventory from all of the vendors. Dale’s booth blew my mind. Between the hand painted hats, beaded brims, and vintage Pendleton blanket hatbands… I was entranced. That turquoise beauty came home with me, and I had to chase it down the highway after a particularly strong wind gust later that day. The whole experience was so fun, and everyone shopping was so impressed by the wearable art. I would highly recommend it to any one with even the slightest interest in unique hats.

Natural hot springs are pretty popular in New Mexico. Ojo Caliente is closed for renovations, but their sister property, Ojo Sante Fe, is a really beautiful and relaxing space. If you need to unplug and unwind, I’d really recommend a field trip here. Ten Thousand Waves is also supposed to be spectacular.

Georgia O’Keefe made the magic of the Southwest mainstream. She’s one of the most famous female American painters, and I’ve always had a soft spot for her work. She never married or had kids, but she traveled, pursued her passions, and made a lasting impact while living her best life. She is the OG #SpoiledSpinster, and I was so inspired experiencing her slice of life.

Sante Fe is home to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. It didn’t house any of her most iconic works and it was a little smaller than I expected, but it was a really interesting and unique collection of photos, the bones that inspired her, and her art. Timed tickets are pretty hard to come by, so if you want to go be sure to make your reservations as early as you can. (A stop at Herve Wine Bar for a flight is a great way to kick off your visit, and the Ghost Ranch Trail Ride past her favorite painting spots is required after.)

Hands down, the number one most unique and ridiculous thing you have to do on a visit to Sante Fe is Meow Wolf. George RR Martin also patronizes this exhibit, and the converted bowling alley in a non-descript strip mall defies description. It took 140 artists and 300 volunteers to create this multi-story interactive exhibit. It feels like a choose your own adventure, escape game, obstacle course, and acid trip murder mystery theater. There is a location in Vegas and one opening in Denver this fall, and if you have an opportunity to go to any of them, I really hope you will. 3 hours still wasn’t enough time to soak it all in. It was really crowded and overwhelming on a Saturday afternoon. New Mexico is really strict on their COVID protocols and masks are required the whole time, but I was still overwhelmed by how many people were crammed together trying to see everything. There were several portions of the exhibit I couldn’t get to, and I didn’t even try to do the QR Code story collection. I’d love to go back on a week day for another round. Buy your tickets after you book your travel, try for a week day, and plan for as much time as you can.