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Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Santa Fe's Top 10 Destinations

By Nancy Tipton
ABQJournal.com

Plaza/People Watching
Will Rogers once said, "Whoever designed the streets in Santa Fe must have been drunk, and riding backwards on a mule." Get a good map For starters, check out these maps.
The Santa Fe plaza has been a gathering place since the earliest days, and it's still a great place to rest, do a little people watching and read your maps.

Santa Fe Opera
When The Santa Fe Opera opened its doors in 1957, founder John Crosby and the dedicated group of community leaders who had come to share his vision were confident of their unique opera experiment in the magnificent high desert of northern New Mexico.
That summer something extraordinary was launched, and The Santa Fe Opera Story began.
Information on the season's production and tickets is available here.

Santa Fe Southern Railroad
Enjoy the scenic trip between Santa Fe and Lamy on the Santa Fe Southern Railroad's restored vintage passenger cars, featuring sunset dinner trips and year-round events.
Located in Santa Fe. Information at (505) 989-8600 or on the web site

Loretto Chapel
A French architect who was commissioned by Santa Fe's French-born archbishop, Jean-Baptiste Lamy, modeled the church after Paris' Sainte-Chapelle. He commenced work in 1873 but died before he could complete stairs to the choir loft.
According to legend, Loretto's Catholic sisters prayed, and an aged, unknown carpenter arrived on a donkey. He built the Miraculous Staircase, which spirals upward without a center pole for support, and rode away, taking no payment. Official web site.

St. Francis Cathedral
Begun in 1869, this French Romanesque edifice reflects the taste of Jean-Baptiste Lamy, model for the priest in Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop.
Lamy is buried under the altar, watched over by one of the oldest representations of the Madonna in North America.

Galleries
The same elements that have attracted artists to Santa Fe for centuries now beckon you.
With over 300 galleries nestled among historic buildings, you're sure to find something that's right up your alley. Get immersed in a colorful blend of pastel skies, earth-tone buildings and converging cultures unlike any other place in the world. Here is a listing of some of those galleries

Spas
Do you feel the need to relax, unwind and be nurtured in one of the most beautiful cities in the world?
Here is a secret side to Santa Fe that Santa Feans know well. In addition to several specialized spas, Santa Fe is home to all types of alternative healers and healing centers
Explore the links below and make your reservation to be soothed, enriched and enlightened. A list of day spas:

Jemez Springs Bath House: 505-829-3303

Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs: 800-222-9162

Ten Thousand Waves: 505-982-9304

Museums
Santa Fe's remarkable history, art and cultural heritage are preserved in many of its museums, both state-operated and private.
Here is a guide to the most popular, including the Palace of the Governors, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of International Folk Art and Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. A listing of museums with more information about hours, locations, etc., is here.

Pueblos
Following Bishop's Lodge Road north, you will come to the quaint Native American Pueblo of Tesuque. Tesuque is a Spanish variation of the Tewa name, Te Tesugeh Oweengeh, meaning the "village of the narrow place of cottonwood trees." Visitors can stop and visit one of the many artists shops on the pueblo where they will find pottery, paintings, sculpture, silverwork and Tesuque Pueblo (505) 983-2667.

Other pueblos in the Santa Fe Area:

Nambe Pueblo (505) 455-2036
Pojoaque Pueblo (505) 455-2278
San Ildefonso Pueblo (505) 455-3549

Historic Walking Tours
Santa Fe is best experienced on foot. Aboot About Santa Fe Walking Tours has been guiding visitors and locals alike on special tours for years now, proudly pointing out points of interest and providing detailed histories for dozens of landmarks and structures.
The pace of the tour is casual, making the adventure an easy task for all ages.
In addition to the more popular landmarks, the tour takes you to little known plazas and courtyards, giving an in-depth historical look from a perspective different than that seen by the average tourist.