After leaving Asheville, North Carolina, I was ready to head west.
I did make a quick stop in the Franklin, Tennessee area to visit some family and to really talk to people who have lived in Tennessee for a while to get their thoughts on living there. I am happy to say that both sets of cousins love Tennessee, so if I decide to relocate I will have some family in the area.
I drove through Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Oklahoma City, OK but did not stop to see any sights as I was excited to get to Santa Fe, NM.
I absolutely loved Santa Fe! I got there on Monday, October 10th which was Columbus Day, so they had all kinds of vendors in the town square, as well as Native Americans giving a performance, and the town was very busy as it took me sometime to find a parking spot. I had the best salad and steak at Thunderbird Bar and Cafe, then of course I stopped at Häagen-Dazs for an ice cream cone…delicious!
I stopped into Wind River, as I was in the market for a turquoise bracelet, and they had a huge selection of some amazing turquoise jewelry. I found the perfect bracelet, made of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, mined in Globe, Arizona. What I didn’t know at the time I was looking at the bracelet is that the mine where the turquoise was being mined closed in 2012. Not only was the mine closed, the turquoise was also not being mined anymore, due to new ownership, even when the mine was open, which means my type of turquoise is a great investment.
Ten things I learned about Santa Fe:
- Santa Fe is very popular for their Opera House performances that have taken place every year in July and August since 1957.
- Santa Fe is the oldest State Capitol in the United States.
- Santa Fe is the highest State Capitol in the US sitting at 7,000 feet above sea level.
- Santa Fe is home to the third-largest art market in the country.
- Santa Fe is the home to a Margarita Trail.
- Santa Fe is home to the Oldest Church in the United States called San MIguel Chapel.
- Santa Fe has America’s oldest government building.
- Santa Fe has a rich Native American heritage.
- Santa Fe was the country’s first UNESCO-designated Creative City.
- Santa Fe is the perfect location for sun lovers as the city gets around 310 sunny days every year.
Also an interesting fact about Santa Fe…. it’s full name is La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis – the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The picture below is the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, which is located right in the main square.
Santa Fe was the perfect ending to my wonderful trip. It is definitely a place I could visit again to wander the shops, enjoy the food, and experience the culture of this little gem of a city that has always done things a little differently.
