Santa Fe is an intriguing mixture of the very oldest American Indian and the very newest arty Southwestern cultures. It takes a little effort to get there, as the nearest airport is Alberqueque, NM., 70 miles away, but it's worth it. As with most American cities, you can pay a lot to stay in the old centre (e.g at The Inn of The Governers hotel $195+) or much less to stay on the "hotel strip" a couple of miles out (e.g. at The Best Western Turquoise Inn - $125).
Santa Fe is a real paradise for art and local culture seekers. There is an art gallery or local craft shop (mostly Pueblo Indian jewellery, furnishings and clothes) every few yards. It's not cheap, though exquisite silver jewellery can be had for a reasonable price compared to the UK.
There are dining options of every kind, from fast food from every corner of the world to "fine dining" mainly from Mexico and the American Southwestern traditions. But the standard is high.
There is much to see from the old Indian (that's PC here, by the way!) way of life, including the time-warp town hall and museum, outside of which a hundred Pueblo Indian craftspeople sell their wares from blankets on the ground as they have done for 200 years and more. The museum itself is very good, being full of relics from AD 600 through the times of the Conquistadors to the "wild west" era.
Make sure you visit the cathedral (in the centre) and the the oldest church and house in the continental USA - they date from 1690 and are next to one another, some 1/4 mile from town - an easy walk.
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Advantages: Beautiful small city in a dramatic desert and mountain landscape Disadvantages: Expensive and somewhat pretentious, having lost the laid-back attitude of the past
BawBaw 29.12.2003 (17.01.2004)
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Review of Santa Fe
Advantages: Beautiful small city in a dramatic desert and mountain landscape Disadvantages: Expensive and somewhat pretentious, having lost the laid-back attitude of the past
BawBaw 29.12.2003 (17.01.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Santa Fe
Jul 30th, 2000
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