Sen & I have been working hard on Evolusen and finally planned a road trip back to Los Angeles from Tulsa to see our families during the holiday season.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, had been on my list to visit for quite some time now, and we decided to make our first short visit on this trip.
I added the City of Santa Fe to my list of places to go because of its unique architecture, rich history, and beautiful hiking trails and nature. Due to our work schedule, we arrived in Santa Fe on Sunday afternoon and left on Tuesday morning. Most museums, historic sites, and the Cathedral I wanted to see are closed on Mondays, so we missed seeing many of them. I am sure we will be the last ones to visit this city on Mondays and lucky for us, there are plenty of other things to do.
Here is the list of things we did for you:
Where to Start:
Santa Fe Visitors Information Center
A city's visitors' information center is the best place to start, especially if you need some last-minute recommendations on where to go. The team there knows the city very well and can provide valuable tips on where to go, and the center has a lot of free resources like a visitors guide, maps, and attraction brochures to take with you.
For Santa Fe, you can also purchase a physical copy of their paper Margarita Trail pass, get a discount and stamps on participating restaurants, and get Margarita prizes based on the number of stamps you get.
Where to Visit:
It was such a fantastic experience walking through Meow Wolf Santa Fe. It all starts from a dark alley to what seems abandoned house. The house is a front to what turns out to be another world of exploration. Kind of like what looks like everyday life vs. what our minds look like, just with lots and lots of art, lights, and craziness. Not an experience that words or images can describe. Go check it out yourself!
Also the oldest church in the United States!
The chapel is next to the Oldest House Museum, so check both out on the same trip! This chapel has a large bell close to the entrance you can ring. The staff told me that ringing the bell means you will always return to Santa Fe. There is a very good chance this will come true!
A tiny house that is attached to a gift shop, "Oldest House Indian Shop," that's bigger than the house museum itself.
Where to Eat (Ranked by Favorites w/Reviews):
It's a taco truck hidden at the end of a parking lot. Sen & I often look for burrito places on our road trips, and we are so glad we found this place!
We got the Asada Burrito and Shrimp Burrito. The sauce, amount of protein, and flavor were super on point. The size is pretty large as well. My shrimp burrito broke mid-way, and I had to use a spoon! We highly recommend this place if you like burritos!
We stumbled upon this place while looking for a restroom in Downtown Santa Fe. It's located in the Paso de Luz building, which houses the Santa Fe Visitor Information Center, right across the street from Santa Fe Plaza.
It wasn't time for a meal, but we are always down for Chinese food. We ordered beef noodle soup and steamed pork buns. The flavor was on point, Sen enjoyed the buns, and I enjoyed the noodles and soup.
We will be back to order more food when we are in Santa Fe City.
After checking in to the hotel, this was our first stop in Santa Fe. They have a covered area that's pet friendly.
Sen & I each got a local brew. Sen got the Smothered Crawfish Po'Boy which was just ok. I got the Chicken Wings; their Korean sauce was really, really good!
This was not my favorite place to dine in Santa Fe, but I would return for the local brews.
We had dinner here the first night. I was looking for restaurants in Santa Fe that serve Mexican food from a local restaurant. This location was close to our hotel and had great reviews; some even said not to judge it by its exterior. All sounds amazing. The restaurant decor was really cute, and there was no wait when we were there. However, the food was just ok.
We ordered Ostiones Frescos or fresh oysters, which were not the freshest. Tostada de Ceviche, a little dry. Discada Mar y Tierra, for one, the portion was large and yummy. And the Strawberry Margarita Grande, my first time trying it with Agave wine instead of tequila, I enjoyed the flavor, and now I know I enjoy the ones with tequila better.
Where to Drink:
This bar is in the " basement " in downtown Santa Fe, in the "basement." It was a cute bar, the bartender was super friendly, and we made friends with the staff and put up holiday lights together. A very awesome experience. FYI, they are cash only! There's an ATM in the bar, but don't pay the fees as we did!
Float Cafe at Meow Wolf Santa Fe
This is located in the Meow Wolf experience in Santa Fe. It was SO cute, especially the light fixtures. We got a couple of drinks and spent some time there after the experience to enjoy our time at Meow Wolf a bit longer. The drinks were yummy and so cute. I highly recommend it!
Where to Stay:
There were so many hotels in Santa Fe. We ended up choosing Hyatt Place Santa Fe because of the cost. It's located just 6 miles, or about 18 miles drive away from downtown Santa Fe, and in total only cost us 13,000 points + a $75 pet fee for two nights the week before Christmas, where hotel room fees were well over $200 per night + tax. Well worth the distance, especially since we were spending only some of our time downtown.
Where I want to go next time we are in Santa Fe:
It's open from June 1 - Oct 27, 2023.
The museum is dedicated to the history, heritage, and culture of the 18th and 19th centuries of Nex Mexico and was opened in 1972.
It's a living museum, meaning some villagers are clothed in the styles of the times showing how life was lived on the frontier in early New Mexico with special festivals and weekend events during the visit!
It seems like a great place to spend a few hours relaxing in a hot spring!
New Mexico Capitol Art Collection
This art museum has a permanent collection of contemporary art by artists from New Mexico.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
The Cathedral was built between 1869 and 1886 in the French Romanesque Revival style and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Located in downtown Santa Fe, we saw the outside a few times and would love to visit the inside.
This is outside Santa Fe, but it looks like a fantastic place to spend a day exploring the hiking trails and museums and see the mountains.
