When you hear “Santa Fe,” most people immediately conjure up visions of art – and jewelry, as they should. Of course, that’s not all Santa Fe has to offer by a long shot. The city has certainly developed into a mecca of art with museums, galleries and even curated art collections within hotels.
The highest concentration of art can be found immediately outside of downtown Santa Fe on Canyon Road. A historic neighborhood with charming adobe dwellings and curved streets, Canyon Road has more than 100 galleries of all different styles. The gallery staff are happy to talk to you about the works of art, some of them their own. It’s a great experience to have the artist tell you what they were thinking and trying to accomplish when creating a work of art. One can walk between downtown and Canyon Road but the free shuttle also gets you there in minutes.
The village of Madrid pronounced with the emphasis on the Mad, is a historic mining and ghost town on the Turquoise Trail in the Ortiz mountains. It is now an artists colony and has a cute collection of shops and restaurants. One of the very popular hangouts is the The Mine Shaft Tavern. You can just imagine smudged up, exhausted miners bellying up to the stand-up bar (4 inches higher than normal so the men could stand up straight after being hunched over all day in the mines) to order a well-deserved drink. Today, we can get a well-deserved cucumber margarita, rimmed in chili salt and a beef brisket sandwich with cherry BBQ sauce.
The Madrid Old Coal Town Museum, adjoining the restaurant is fascinating. Find out what life was like and why Walt Disney found inspiration for Disneyland in this small town.
One of the most beautiful, artistic displays in all of Santa Fe may just be the stars. Out in the countryside, near the High Feather Ranch and B & B discover just how many stars there are in the sky with Peter Lipscomb of Astronomy Adventures. Whether you come as a group or meet up with others, Lipscomb’s telescope, totally awesome laser pointer and enthusiasm makes for a special and educational evening and makes you feel very, very small.
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