Santa Fe Journals

Four Days in Santa Fe

A February 2004 trip to Santa Fe by jbarr08

Quote: This was a brief visit to get the feel and flavor of life for native Santa Fe-ans, as I may want to live here in a few years.

Four Days in Santa Fe

Overview

Quote:
Beautiful scenery, wintry weather, outstanding skiing, amazing cultural heritage, and great food are some of the memories I will take with me as I narrow down my list of places to live after leaving the Army. I'll also remember some bad Mexican food and a downtown plaza torn up for construction, making navigation very difficult.Quick Tips: Best Way To Get Around: The heart of downtown is very navigable on foot, with much to see in the way of museums, galleries, cultural centers, and historic churches. If you're wanting to get out from the center a bit more, biking is very much an accepted practice here, with bike lanes on all the major streets. However, the weather may be prohibi...Read More

Anasazi Restaurant

Restaurant | "The Pink Adobe"

Quote:
The Pink Adobe has been a fixture in Santa Fe lore for many decades now, and understandably so. Its clientele has included heads of state and movie stars, whose pictures are hung on the walls of the entry foyer. Once inside the restaurant, which is a converted 300-year-old adobe residence (hence the name), the ambiance is created by candlelit tables and fireside chairs. The wine list is extensive, in contrast to the menu, which focuses on a few dishes that they do extremely well. The Steak Dunigan is their signature--a New York Strip topped with sauteed mushrooms and green chiles and served with a browned potato. Simply amazing. Appetizers include lobster cakes and cold artichokes, among othe...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 7, 2004

Anasazi Restaurant
113 Washington Ave
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(505) 988-3236

El Parasol

Restaurant

Quote:
Voted some of the best Mexican food in the country by Sunset Magazine, El Parasol doesn't disappoint. Serving take-out only allows more people to stop on their way to work in the morning and pick up a stuffed-to-bursting breakfast burrito filled with potatoes, eggs, and chorizo and covered in a red chile sauce (or green, if you prefer) for only $3.50. Lunch is even better, with beef or chicken tacos served with homemade salsa for only $1.50 a piece. If my wife had been accommodating, I would have eaten there every meal we had over our four days here. Outstanding.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 7, 2004

El Parasol
1833 Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
(505) 995-8015

Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery

Restaurant | "Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery"

Quote:
The Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery is a great little restaurant and bar, perfect for a business lunch or unwinding after work. Being a brewery, it provides many options in the way of beers, both familiar and microbrews. The most interesting of the latter include a chocolate porter and a java-flavored stout. The food is great, with options for any appetite, including vegetarians. Most of the dishes have a Southwestern flavor to them, with liberal use of chiles and some garlic thrown in. If you're not a drinker, the prickly pear iced tea is good stuff.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 7, 2004

Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery
133 W Water St
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(505) 984-1800

Ski Santa Fe!

Attraction | "Ski Santa Fe"

Quote:
Being only 15-20 miles outside of town makes this a very convenient trip. The road up is full of twists and turns, but it's well-maintained. It's plowed from 5am to 5pm every day and sanded liberally, so there is no buildup of snow, providing excellent traction. The slow going up the mountain provides amazing views of the surrounding area. The resort itself is located over 10,000 feet above sea level, with the highest lifts reaching to around 12,000, allowing for even more great vistas and sunny skies. It is VERY cold, so be sure to bundle up. My wife and I got to the top at around 9:30 in the morning, half an hour after the resort opens, and it was a brisk 9 degrees, warming up to 12 by noon...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 6, 2004

Ski Santa Fe!
2209 Brothers Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
+1 505 982 4429; +1

St. Francis Cathedral

Attraction | "The Cathedral Church of St. Francis of Assisi"

Quote:
A beautiful cathedral with a rich history. The original church was built on the current grounds in the 1600s, with the present building being erected in the mid-1800s. Many former archbishops of the Santa Fe diocese are interred in the crypt under the cathedral. A unique baptismal font graces the center of the sanctuary, while vaulted ceilings and one-of-a-kind paintings of the stations of the cross add to the quiet reverence of this holy place. Masses are given daily, with confessions being heard on Saturdays.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 7, 2004

St. Francis Cathedral
213 Cathedral Place
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
+1 505 982 5619

Santa Fe Southern Railway

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Santa Fe Southern Railways"

Quote:
Oh my goodness, I wanted to shoot myself. Everyone knows about train travel, or at least imagines they do. It's so romantic and quaint, a wonderful way to think about the days gone by. Well, let me tell you, you can skip this one if you want any of that. I looked this one up on the Internet prior to coming down here, in order to surprise my wife with a little tour up through the mountains to the little railroad-stop town of Lamy, NM. Granted, I could have done some more research before booking, so it's partly my own fault. If I had looked, I would have realized that Lamy is only 12 miles from the train depot in Santa Fe. This is a four and a half hour tour. You do the math. This train ...Read More

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on February 7, 2004

Santa Fe Southern Railway
410 South Guadalupe St
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
+1 505 989 8600; +1

Random thoughts

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:
First of all, this is a great little city. Only 70,000 or so in population, but seemingly much larger due to the influx of tourist bodies and dollars that happens year 'round. During the winter, there's skiing (boy, is there ever skiing) at quite a few resorts around town. Also, there's snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the national forest above the city. Keep in mind that the city itself is at 7000 feet, so you'll get winded climbing a flight of stairs. If you plan to do anything in the mountains around town, plan to spend a few days to acclimate. A great place to learn the lowdown on local winter sports is the Skier's Edge, a family-owned ski shop located at 1836 Cerrillos Road. They...Read More