Santa Fe, New Mexico – Known as “The City Different”

A Tauck Tour had been on my Bucket List for many years. They are pricey because they stay in the best hotel in each location. Just once, I thought I would like to try it and so I did. I chose the 8-day New Mexico: Land of Enchantment tour. The final stop was Santa Fe. Read about the Pueblos here and Albuquerque and Taos here.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, sits in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. It’s renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and as a creative arts hotbed. Founded as a Spanish colony in 1610, it has at its heart the traditional Plaza. The surrounding historic district’s crooked streets wind past adobe landmarks including the Palace of the Governors, now home to the New Mexico History Museum.
Situated at 7,000 feet in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains, Santa Fe is the highest and oldest capital in the U.S. Founded between 1607 and 1610, it’s America’s second-oldest city. 

Eldorado Hotel and Spa, Santa Fe

Our hotel in Santa Fe was the Eldorado located just steps away from the historic Santa Fe Plaza.

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Somers Randolf, Santa Fe Stone Sculptor

We visited the home and studio of Somers Randolf. He has live in Santa Fe since1997.

Somers Randolph’s sculpture is deceptively simple. The vibrant spirals, continuous knots and woven curves awaken our innermost selves. His forms resonate on a subconscious level. After three decades of chipping, sawing, sanding, and polishing stone, his works are in major collections and museums worldwide.

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He said, “I am spoiled now, I carve what I like and if someone wants it, they buy it. I’ve been fortunate all along that people want what I like to carve.”

Ghost Ranch

Ghost Ranch is a 21,000-acre retreat and education center located close to the village of Abiquiú in Rio Arriba County in north-central New Mexico, United States. It was the home and studio of Georgia O’Keeffe and the subject of many of her paintings.

Did Georgia O’Keeffe live at Ghost Ranch?

She maintained two homes in Northern New Mexico. Her summer house, twelve miles from Abiquiú (pronounced A-bih-cue), sits on 12 acres at the edge of a 21,000-acre property called Ghost Ranch.

An American Artist

Georgia Totto O’Keeffe was an American artist. She was known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. O’Keeffe has been recognized as the “Mother of American modernism”. 

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Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology

The museum is named for the late Dr. Florence Hawley Ellis, a long-time professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr. Ellis initiated and led Ghost Ranch archaeology excavations from 1971 until 1990. Excavations continue on two sites located on Ghost Ranch property.

The Ruth Hall Museum of Paleontology at Ghost Ranch

The museum focuses on the fossils and the environment of the late Triassic Period between 200 and 220 million years ago at the Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs. The Coelophysis Quarry is a National Natural Landmark as designated by the National Park Foundation.

Rio Grande Float Trip

We had a float trip on the Rio Grande with a native Pueblo interpreter guide. Following this, there was a traditional Pueblo Indian family-style lunch on the banks of the river.

New Mexico History Museum – The Palace of Governors – Santa Fe

The Palace of the Governors is a beloved icon, complex symbol, and anchor for the New Mexico History Museum. Dating back to 1610, the Palace is the oldest public building in continuous use constructed by European settlers in the continental United States. Built by the Spanish for colonial administration, the Palace is best known for its block-long portal where Native American artisans sell handmade jewelry and other crafts. Behind the adobe walls, visitors can find interpretive galleries, the Palace Press, and a large courtyard connecting with the museum campus. 

The Harvey Girls

I spotted an exhibit in the museum about the Harvey Girls and read every word. I was amazed that I had never heard of them before. After I returned home, I read several books about them and now have the greatest respect for these adventuresome women.

From the 1880s to the 1950s, The Harvey Girls went west to work in Fred Harvey’s restaurants along the Santa Fe railway. At a time when there were “no ladies west of Dodge City and no women west of Albuquerque,” they came as waitresses, but many stayed and settled, founding the struggling cattle and mining towns that dotted the region.

109 East Palace, Santa Fe

From January 1943 until the end of World War II the United States Army used this building as a check-in point for the military men and women who worked on the top-secret Manhattan Project at Las Alamos.

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Santa Fe School of Cooking

Located downtown in the heart of beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Santa Fe School of Cooking is an internationally acclaimed, recreational culinary school and Online Market, specializing in foods of the American Southwest for over 31 years. 

Ours was a chef-hosted presentation of American Indian, Spanish and Mexican flavors. The best part was that we got to eat the food for lunch at the school.

 A highlight of our visit to Santa Fe.

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Red or Green?

Here we learned all about the red and green chili peppers. Everyone seems to have a preference when asked “red or green” before a meal.

Altitude Sickness

I have been to the Alps, the Canadian Rockies and skiing at Vail in Colorado. So, when I suddenly could not catch my breath on a walking tour of Albuquerque, I had no idea what was happening. I stopped and leaned against a light pole until I could breathe a little better. The restaurant the group was heading to was up a flight of stairs but I knew I could not make it. We found a back way to enter without stairs.

The problem continued in Taos, then Santa Fe. I was scared but not enough to go to an emergency room because I thought it was temporary. I was 70 and had never had any health problems. This made me wonder if this was the beginning of my decline.

The Oxygen Bar in Santa Fe

As I slowly, very slowly, walked in Santa Fe, I noticed several storefronts advertising “Oxygen Bar”. Apparently, I was not the only one experiencing shortness of breath! As a nurse, I figured it was worth a try.

I felt as though I was entering a spa. Comfortable sofas, soft lighting and a juice bar. An employee explained that the cost was $1.00 a minute with a 20-minute minimum. She also said that 20 minutes would not be enough. I would need at least 40 minutes. So, I purchased 40 minutes.

I would like to say that I was cured but it was not to be. I felt the same afterward.

Followup

I saw my doctor upon return home. She referred me to a pulmonologist. Unfortunately, I could not get an appointment for 6 weeks. I figured my breathing would be back to normal long before that, but no, it went on for 4 more weeks!

Tests

By the time I saw the pulmonologist I was breathing normally but I kept the appointment. He ran tests and told me they were normal. He also told me I should have left the area immediately as I could have died! But how could I leave when I was with a tour group? He also said not to ever fly into a high-altitude area but to drive in to slowly acclimate. Not to worry. I am never going to a high altitude again. Now, I check the altitude of places I plan to visit before I leave home!

And Finally…

If you can take an elevation of 7,000 feet and 320 sunny days per year, then Santa Fe may be the city for you. As a City Different, it is definitely one you will not forget!

Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel at Sandy Over 70!