Santa Fe, New Mexico

April 29, we left Bluewater S P and decided to bypass Albuquerque and head straight for Santa Fe. It was an easy 3 hour drive on interstate highways.

We decided to stay out of town and away from the city noise, so we picked a private RV park-Rancho de Santa Fe about 10 miles south of town. The facilities are nice and it’s quiet, but it is a bit dusty when the winds blow. The rabbits and birds keep us company when we aren’t out touring.

Santa Fe is certainly very upscale. We spent a lot of time in the downtown area. Everything is within walking distance. We took a self guided walking tour and visited some of the museums. We particularly enjoyed the Palace of the Governors (built in 1610) which is located on the central Plaza. Most of the activities occur here it’s where everyone gathers. Native Americans sit in front of the museum and sell their pottery, jewelry, and weavings.

John even took the tour of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum with Pris. O’Keefe lived in New Mexico for part of her life and the museum has the largest collection of her paintings.

We were amazed at the large number of upscale restaurants in Santa Fe. Of course we had to try as many as possible. We have particularly enjoyed the Southwestern cuisine. The chilies and sauces are milder and more to our liking than our Southern California Mexican food. In the south they ask you sweet or unsweet tea, but here it’s red or green sauce.

We took a break from eating and shopping and drove north about an hour to Los Alamos and visited the Bradbury Science Museum. They had interesting displays about the history of the Manhattan project and the development of the atom bomb. During the brief course of the Manhattan project (two years), all people who lived in Los Alamos could not refer to the name of the town. Everything was labeled Box 1663, Santa Fe NM. Even birth certificates carried this address!

We drove 15 miles south of Los Alamos and visited Bandelier National Monument. It contains preserved ruins of ancient Anasazi people who lived here between 1100 and 1550. The people built adobes houses on the canyon floor and in the cliffs above the canyon. At one point over 700 people lived in this area.

It is the beginning of May and we have probably jump started the touring season a little early. We are at 7,000 feet and it’s quite cool at night ( around 20 degrees). It’s sunny and in the 60’s during the day and pleasant for walking and touring.