Birthday in Santa Fe
For most of us travel, has not been a big part of our lives during the past couple of years. So when the opportunity came along for us to visit friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico, we jumped at it. Of course, we would have jumped at the chance to go almost anywhere with these friends because we love them and enjoy their company so much but Sante Fe is definitely a place we have heard a lot about and have never visited.
Upon arrival, it only takes a second to start noticing the big open spaces and lack of trees.(And, yea, elevation at 7,199’!) For people who are always surrounded by trees, it is a startling scene. The weather was pretty much perfect with sunshine for warm days and cooler nights. The winds have been high there for what is called their windy season and although normally it would have been mostly gone by this time, it was still a noticeable factor everywhere we went.
I was surprised when I found out that many of the houses there do not have air conditioning. I thought the desert was extremely hot but then I learned that Santa Fe is in the high desert and that makes a big difference. We enjoyed cool breezes through open windows and an occasional fire to cut the chill of the night.
We walked through Santa Fe enjoying some of the exclusive and artistic shops as well as just a few of the many wonderful restaurants. The architecture and especially the churches were so interesting. I had to resist the urge to read every word of all the historical landmark signs. Every scene was a new experience. To the south of the city were more arts communities and old mining towns. One completely new experience was to start to walk into a gallery when the proprietress warned that she had just seen a snake in the courtyard and was still looking for it. Thankfully, it was a harmless one and left to snooze where it lay.
The daughter of our friend had us to her new home site which is under construction but she isn’t one to let a little thing like no house to keep her from entertaining. We had the most beautiful charcuterie dinner in the desert anyone could ever experience. The atmosphere and company was all so delightful. On a different evening we rode a vintage train in an exclusive club car with champagne out into the countryside to enjoy a fantastic sunset. There was also an open car so we could walk outside and enjoy the atmosphere more closely. Through it all, we continued to be amazed at the geography and just wonder how anything really lives there in such dry conditions. We were assured there was plenty of wildlife even though we didn’t see a lot of it.
On the north side of Santa Fe, we drove to a place called Ghost Ranch and on our way there we began to see real differences in the scenery. In that area, there are still rivers that flow even though there has been a drought in that part of the country for a long while. From the highway we could always tell where there was water flowing because there would be a strip of green in contrast to the dry desert sands we were getting used to seeing. There were cattle ranches and even farms along this route rather than just the cholla cacti and junipers of the rest of the area. I can imagine that when those cacti come into bloom later in the year, it will be quite a sight.
A picnic lunch by the Chama River was such a neat experience. And we do love that there aren’t as many bugs there as we sometimes have here. After our picnic we drove into Ghost Ranch which is a beautiful and well known spot. Mike took some extra time taking photographs while we were there and although the time of day wasn’t perfect, he did capture a lot of the beauty.
It was my birthday while we were there and I don’t think I have ever been quite so celebrated with toasts, hugs and wonderful meals both in restaurants and at home. We loved our time sharing remembrances and even enjoying just some quiet together. It is good to be home but we are thankful for the experiences we had there. We so appreciate all the hospitality we received from Al, Brenda, Ashley, Mark and Zane while we were there. New places are exciting to see but when blended with time spent with great people, it is just the best.
