New Mexico - Big Sky Country

Many people consider Santa Fe as the art capital of New Mexico, even the entire southwest, with a lot of rich cultural history. There are many famous museums and galleries here showcasing the native culture. The town is home to many affluent residents. Just the other day, I was window shopping along Canyon Road, the famous street in town lined with galleries. An unassuming old lady came out of a shop; the shop owner was helping her with the purchases, and he addressed her as countess.

The Santa Fe Plaza area is where most of the attractions are. It’s kind of the high rent district lined with galleries, historical buildings, museums and churches. Many of the buildings follow the southwest adobe style. During the summer, the town frequently closes the plaza streets to cars and bring out various art markets. The largest and most famous one is the India Market in August, one can find lots of native American art work like rugs, potteries, and sculptures.

Not far away from the Santa Fe Plaza are the Canyon Road galleries. The shops here are quite diversified in styles. We spend an afternoon here just to go into all the shops. A well worthwhile experience, only wish we can buy some art pieces also.

Santa Fe is situated at a higher elevation than Albuquerque. On a hot summer weekend, locals from Albuquerque will come up to Santa Fe for a one-day visit. We’ve found the Road Runner Rail to be a convenient alternative to driving, and the train fare is very very reasonable ($10 for a day pass as of 2017).