Welcome To Sante Fe
With 300 days of sunshine a year baking 400-year-old adobe walls, year-round skiing in short-sleeves, and world-renowned art museums dotting the Georgia O'Keeffe Trail, it's easy to see why Outside Magazine selected Santa Fe, N.M., as one of the 30 Best Towns in America.
New Mexico's state capital, with 75,000 residents, offers an earthy blend of elite regional and international art collections, Pueblo dances, exquisite Southwestern dining and world-class skiing:
SkiingPhoto Essay: Santa Fe
Museums
The Palace of the Governors is America's oldest public building still in use. Founded in 1610, the adobe palace served as the government headquarters for the entire Spanish colony of Nuevo Mexico, spanning from modern-day California to Colorado. Today it serves as the state history museum and construction is under way next door on the New Mexico History Museum, slated for a 2009 grand opening.
Opened in 1997, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum features over 1,000 works - in all media - of the namesake artist. Through Jan. 13, 2008, the world-class museum is featuring an exhibition of the works of female artists who inspired O'Keeffe and led to her emergence early in the 20th Century.
Though most Santa Fe art museums focus on regional talents, SITE Santa Fe has garnered international acclaim for its global exhibition entitled, "The Disappeared." The collection showcases pieces from 27 contemporary artists who lived through military dictatorships, where their work would not otherwise be seen. Visitors should note, however, that SITE is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Restaurants
Trattoria Nostrani was recently named one of the top 50 restaurants in America by Gourmet magazine. Top chef Nelli Maltezos dazzles with local specialties though visitors must come ready to splurge as entrees regularly exceed $40. Visitors should go easy on cologne as the restaurant stringently enforces a no-scent policy. Smokers take note that lighting up is banned in all businesses and public places, including bars.
By Karl Moats