Destination attractions things to do in santa fe

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Santa Fe is New Mexico's capital and offers many types of entertainment for tourists. The main vacation season runs from late May until early September, but there are always things to do year-round, including the skiing available from late November until spring.

The air is clean in Santa Fe and the climate is favorable with summer highs reaching the 80s and occasionally the 90s, and nights can be cooler. Winter sees temperatures of around 30 degrees. The city is 7,000 feet above sea level and is located in a mountain range, so although thoughts of "Santa Fe" and "very hot" are often synonymous in the minds of travelers, that just is not accurate for this city.

If your visit to Santa Fe is planned for the third weekend in August, be sure to make your reservations as far ahead of time as possible. That is when the Indian Market takes place and the hotels fill up rapidly. The annual Indian Market is the biggest event that is held in Santa Fe. Over a thousand Native American artists gather to show their art and craft work.

The Museum of International Folk Art is a museum offering over 130,000 artifacts housed in four wings. The Girard Wing is where folk art from over 100 countries is found in an exhibit called Multiple Visions: A Common Bond. More unique artifacts will be seen in the Hispanic Heritage Wing, The Bartlett Wing, and The Neutrogena Wing.

A few others of Santa Fe's many museums include The Museum of Fine Arts, The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, the Santa Fe Children's Museum, and Rainbow Man. Because they are so abundant in this city, be sure to know ahead of time which museums you would like to visit.

Tourists visit New Mexico for many different reasons. Some of these might include the great shopping, the life-changing and relaxing spas, the casinos, or the golf courses.

One notable thing about visiting Santa Fe and New Mexico is the food that visitors will be experiencing. The native cuisine of the state has been influenced by the food of four cultures. These include not only American and Native American, but also Spanish and Aztec influences. Santa Fe boasts many top quality restaurants for tourists to experience and choose favorites.

Something that visitors to New Mexico often do not realize is that the Pueblo people are still very active here. In fact, there are 19 pueblos in the state, with eight of them located near Santa Fe, and visitors are welcome at some of their events. Travelers should check ahead to see if there will be a Pueblo event (especially the feast day celebrations) that will be open to visitors. Feast days honor the patron saint of the pueblo and are held on the same day each year. Each pueblo offers dances and ceremonies with costumes and songs and any trip to New Mexico should include some kind of ceremony such as this.

Many visitors to this city will want to visit the Loretto Chapel and its "miraculous staircase." One of the mysteries that make the staircase "miraculous" concerns 360 degree turns on the staircase with no visible support. Legend says it was also built without nails, just pegs, and that St. Joseph himself may have been the carpenter. Tourists should be familiar with the legend before visiting the chapel.

If shopping for artwork is on your itinerary, a stop by Canyon Road is definitely needed for the schedule. This neighborhood in Santa Fe's downtown is home to more than a hundred art galleries offering contemporary art, Native American and Tribal Arts, jewelry, and other types of arts and crafts.

If a visitor's trip to Santa Fe is to include skiing, there are some great ski resorts near the city offering fabulous slopes during the season for this sport. Three of the resorts are Taos Ski Valley, Angel Fire Ski Resort, and Ski Santa Fe.

If the preferred sport is biking or hiking, try the Winsor Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest. The trail is two and a half miles in length. Another great place to see the splendid outdoors of Santa Fe and New Mexico is the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. The Trail is under National Park Service care.

Located at 334 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe, is the El Rancho de las Golondrinas. This living history museum covering 200 acres is where you will find guides in period costume and working the ranch life of early Spanish Colonial New Mexico. Hours for this museum are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., but only Wednesday through Sunday and June through September. (This is for the self guided tour. Arrangements need to be made for guided tours April through October.)

For a freight train ride through the desert, visitors can buy a ticket on the Santa Fe Southern Railway. The four-hour train ride tour from Santa Fe to Lamy allows riders to see some incredible countryside scenery and wildlife. Dinner tours are also offered on certain days.

Evening in Santa Fe also offers many things for the tourist. A stop by the planetarium at Santa Fe Community College is great for stargazers, and for a concert of music or a dance show or readings, etc., try Santa Fe's performing arts center, The Lensic, found at 211 West San Francisco Street.

Of course, for visitors desiring a night life that involves clubs, lounges, and other such activities usually found in exciting cities, Santa Fe offers those as well.