Santa Fe, New Mexico is one of the oldest cities in the country with one of the richest histories. We spent two August days right in the heart of Santa Fe and were greeted with perfect weather with highs around 84 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny skies with perfect painted looking white fluffy clouds as far as the eye could see. Santa Fe is the highest state capital in the United States with Denver, Colorado being the next highest. Although, Denver may be higher now since Colorado’s legalization of marijuana. If you ever get the chance to visit the beautiful city of Santa Fe, here are a few things to see while you’re there:

Canyon Road

Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, running parallel to the Acequia Madre is Canyon Road. Canyon Road is an art district only second to New York City. In just a half-mile there are over 100 art galleries and studios featuring sketches, paintings and my favorite, the sculptures. The art ranges from Native American art and jewelry to contemporary art and even some international folk art.

Turquoise Trail

75 to 150 wagons use to make the trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Anytime a wagon train arrived with goods the city of Santa Fe would throw a 3 day long celebration commemorating their months long trip. Enjoy a breathtaking view from atop Sandia Crest, then drive back into history through the mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos, now coming alive with art, crafts, theater, music, museums and restaurants.

The Plaza

For almost a hundred of years the local Native American tribes would come every morning to the Plaza in the heart of the Historical District of Santa Fe to sell their jewelry. In more recent years the city has placed some regulations on their daily sales. They must meet every morning at 0700 for a “lottery” during which they draw names and only the names drawn are allowed spots to sell at the Plaza that day due to a limited number of spaces. Under a shaded overhang the Native Americans set out blankets and lay their jewelry out to present to potential buyers. According to city regulations, in order to sell at the Plaza you must be from one of the thirteen local tribes and all of your merchandise must have been handmade by either you or a family member. If you do go to the Plaza and see a piece of jewelry you like, make sure to buy it because there’s no guarantee that vendor will win the “lottery” the next day and be allowed to sell.

Loretto Chapel and the Miraculous Staircase

The Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878 and inside was constructed a breathtaking spiral staircase deemed the Miraculous Staircase. It was named that for a few reasons. When constructed, it was built with no railing, without the use of nails and simply looked like a floating staircase, so the physics of its construction was the first mystery. There is no center beam support for the spiral staircase and to this day no one knows where the wood came from that built the staircase. Legend says, the Sisters of the Chapel prayed to St. Joseph (the patron saint of carpenters) to fix their seating issue in the church. On their ninth day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work, months later the staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man and finding no trace of him, some came to the conclusion that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the Sisters' prayers. (If you plan on stopping by the chapel make sure you take cash, there is a $3 admission fee per person.)

The SantaCafe

The SantaCafe is a wonderful place to stop for a bite to eat. Lunchtime was not as busy as I would’ve thought but if you’re heading there for dinner, definitely call to make a reservation. They have outdoor patio seating with tons of shade and a very polite serving staff. After you’ve finished your meal if you have room for dessert, try the Chocolate Mousse!

Nambe Falls

Nambe Falls is located about 20 minutes north of Santa Fe on the Nambe Reservation. Its $10 per car to enter and from the trailhead to the falls is only about a ten-minute hike. It’s not an overpopulated tourist hike so the trail gets a little narrow in places and at one point you have to walk directly up the center of the creek to continue on. I would definitely suggest water shoes or old gym shoes for this hike! Once you reach the falls there is plenty of shade and you can even swim at the bottom of the falls, it’s absolutely beautiful. If you’re up for a bit harder of a hike head up the Overlook trail for Nambe Falls and you’ll get some great views of the upper falls.

Bandelier

Bandelier is 40 miles north of Santa Fe and has one of the coolest histories in the area. The 33,000-acre national monument preserves the homes and territory of the ancestral puebloans.During WWII the monument at Bandelier was closed to the public for several years. The lodge there was being used to sequester the personnel and their families who were working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. This is where the first Atom bomb was built under the direction of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The site was so top secret that it was not on any map and everyone sequestered there used the same mailing address, PO Box 1663.

Hilton at Buffalo Thunder

If you’re looking for a 5-star place to stay during your visit to Santa Fe, I highly recommend the Hilton at Buffalo Thunder. The resort amenities range from golf, an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub, waterpark, casino, arcade, spa and 4 restaurants. When we pulled in we were greeted by the valet/bellman Richard who was very accommodating and went out of his way to find a wheelchair for my grandfather. The manager Steven was very personable and made small talk while he personally walked us to the check-in counter where Jessica checked us in and made sure to find a handicapped-accessible room for my grandfather and upgraded my husband and I so that we could be directly across the hall from him. The resort and their staff made our trip to Santa Fe a 5-star experience.