• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
November 8, 2011

Views of Magical Santa Fe, New Mexico

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

When I told my husband that I would be visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico he spoke about his visit some years ago and how magical he felt it all was. The most I had heard about Santa Fe was how incredible the spas were, and what a great artist community it had, but not much else.

So, for example, I was surprised to learn that at the time of my visit I would have put away my shorts and tank tops and pack sweaters, long warm pants and jackets instead. This is because Fall in Santa Fe is actually cool and can even get really cold. When we arrived to the Santa Fe area, by way of Albuquerque airport at 1AM, the temperature was a very brisk 40 degrees.

I also didn’t expect how great the light would be, and how fresh the air would feel, and how impossible it would be to take a bad picture with all the colors surrounding me all the time. My desire to capture the beauty, especially on Hyde Park road towards the Natural Forest led to endless photography, but I have to say even while looking through them all, I failed to do it justice.

I went with my girlfriend, Sandra. I thought Santa Fe would be a perfect spot to visit with a good girlfriend and it really was. We stayed in La Posada, A RockResort.

Visiting the downtown area is a fun way to admire the architecture, shops, and vendors selling original, indigenous jewelry and other merchandise. I loved exploring through the old streets, with vintage shops, both historic in merchandise and in their foundation, and I really enjoyed visiting one of the town’s historic sites, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.

But it’s also a great place to get some drinks and good eats. A few of our favorite stops where:

The Bell Tower Bar at La Fonda hotel – Overlooking downtown Santa Fe, it’s a beautiful place to relax, have a few drinks, and catch a breathtaking sunset. The hotel itself is great to walk through and the ambiance at the bar is pretty friendly. We went for afternoon drinks and had a blast.

Tia Sophia’s – We came here by recommendation of a local (always ask a local for the best places to eat), and it was definitely favorite hangout. We arrived after a morning workout, in full post-workout gear and look, so the laid back atmosphere of this place was perfect. We even got to meet a couple who was more than happy to suggest what we should order while sharing their love story with us. I just adore places like these where I can connect with locals, who are often more than happy to connect with me in turn. Tip: when ordering eggs, or pretty much anything, you will be asked if you want red or green sauce. Say you want “Christmas” if you want to try both and don’t have anything against hot (green) sauces. I prefer the green myself, but loved being able to try them both at once.

La Boca – A more upscale tapas bar, but still fun and relaxing. The food here was incredible. Sandra and I tried a few things and I can’t think of anything bad to say about any of it. But, make a reservation. It was pretty packed when we got in, and they were unable to sit us when we arrived 30 minutes early for our reservation. A bit pricey, but for a night out on the town, totally worth it.

The Farmer’s Market – Sets up shop by the Santa Fe Railway around 8AM Tuesdays and Saturday mornings till 1PM all year round. It’s not huge, but it certainly is not small and has a great selection of produce, cheeses, fresh breads, chiles, and lots more, including what I swear was quite possibly the larges celery I have ever seen in my life!

When looking to feed the need for more beautiful art work, Santa Fe offers a wide range of galleries, museums, and art exhibits to check out – from the Georgia O’Keefe Museum to the Institute of American Indian Art.

There are tons to do in Santa Fe, no matter what the weather and whether you come as a couple, in a girlfriend’s getaway (as we did), or with kids in tow. From river rafting, to hiking, to local tours, children’s museums, train rides and  parks, I was truly impressed with how much this “small” town has to offer its visitors.

It’s an affluent town and though not everyone you meet will be so, and this will be evident as you walk through it. But the people who live here love it, and their ability to just sit back and enjoy the day is pretty great to watch and experience, no matter what their background. The history, culture and art runs deep, as well as the pride of those who call Santa Fe home.

Sandra and I chose to take it easy on our trip, which is not hard to do. We met some incredible people, had some great laughs, and because we were there around Halloween, we also got a glimpse of Santa Fe’s festive side as well. Check out this couple we met right outside La Boca as they made their way in for dinner, in full gear (the guy didn’t remove his mask during dinner, not once. It was awesome).

All photography is copyright and property of GirlGoneTravel.com. May not be used without permission of owner.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, close to home or farther away. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and CEO of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications management, and brand development agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She splits her time between her homes in New Jersey and Finger Lakes.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
2 Comments
  • Brian Searl
    November 12, 2011

    These are some really great pictures. I have fond memories of Santa Fe and that entire area when I was younger and driving across the country to Arizona with my parents. I hope to make it back one day as soon as my schedule allows. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Brian Searl
      November 12, 2011

      Thanks Brian! I was in awe of how incredible it was every time I took a shot. Just perfect weather and light. Great place for sure. Hope you get back soon!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
La Posada de Santa Fe, New Mexico
Next Post
Christmas Tree Hunting at Hidden Pond Tree Farm, NJ

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am a communications professional, an award-winning travel blogger, a public speaker, CEO of a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency, a wife, and a mom of 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America313 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Today we found out that Centerway Square, Corning, Today we found out that Centerway Square, Corning, NY’s public square was voted Best Public Square in the U.S. 2021 by USA Today @10best.

It felt appropriate to go and enjoy it on this beautiful evening. The added treat however, was in the amazing food and wine experience at the newly opened @thequincyexchange bistro only steps away!

The ambiance, the food, the service, the wine. 😚👌🏾

There’s so much awesome happening in the region, and I love how Corning is catering to both the local and visitor experience.

Make sure you stop here when visiting our beloved NY wine country.
.
.
.
#myflx #corningny #winecountry #fingerlakes #roadtrip #bestintheUS
Another snowy day. I do have to say, I love them. Another snowy day. I do have to say, I love them. I think they are blissful and pretty, and inspire me to want to make the yummiest dishes.
Started our day in nature and all is right with th Started our day in nature and all is right with the world.
.
.
.
#fingerlakes #myflx #countryhouse #naturelover #snowday
Our very first Valentine’s Day together was our Our very first Valentine’s Day together was our second date after we met. Up until that moment I never celebrated the holiday, even if I was seeing someone, except with girlfriends which was the only way I tolerated any of it. But this time, it felt like a thing to do because I had just met this guy that I really, REALLY liked and he had planned a night out. 

I was a single mom, and my oldest (then 4) was supposed to be with his dad - who called last minute to say he would be late. So, I had to bring him to the restaurant with me, on our second date (!) because reservations were tight (we were also going to watch a concert after).

As we were ordering dinner (to go for my kid), my ex shows up and instead of taking my son and leaving, he decides to pull up a chair and sit and embarrass me in such awful ways. After dinner, as we paid the bill, he got up, took our son, and said goodbye, pretty convinced he had done the damage he came to do.

I quietly got in the cab with @travisjcain and just broke out into ugly crying. Convinced this really nice guy, that I really liked, had seen enough and would never call again.

But he did. And he never left my side. And though on that night we both agreed that Valentine’s Day is the worst, what we had was not and it has only gotten better since. So, though we don’t celebrate, that is the V Day love story that always makes me love him more. Happy Valentine’s Day, you crazy kids. Live life never doubting you are deserving of love and kindness, however it may come your way.
.
.
.
#ValentinesDay #LoveStories #coupleselfie
Escaped to further seclude ourselves in nature and Escaped to further seclude ourselves in nature and found an even more wintery wonderland.
.
.
.
@theflxcottage #farmhouse #vineyards #fingerlakes #myflx #upstateny #winterwonderland
Travel scenes. I remember taking this photo quickl Travel scenes. I remember taking this photo quickly before any one of them noticed because I wanted to capture the realness of it. So much of our travel experiences have been this: waiting for planes, trains, buses, taxis, boats. And it is the realness of all of it that I like showing the most because the more real we can show travel to be, the more accessible it feels. The more our travel moments can become an inspiration for somebody else’s travel moment. 

In an industry so deeply steeped in privilege, exclusivity, and wealth, it’s nice to just be able to say, “Hey. So, we saved up our pennies for a road trip through France. It took us two years and then when we got there here are they ways we saved some money...like, not renting a car for when in Paris and taking public transportation.”

It’s nice that my family and I have been able to travel. It’s nicer if those stories inspire another to do the same.
.
.
.
#travelstories #travelmemories #parisfrance #travelstyle #familytravel

Copyright © 2021 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice