We only traveled 73 miles today. It started snowing before we reached Santa Fe, so we decided not to risk going to Los Alamos.
We drove up to Santa Fe via the Torquoise Trail (highway 14), and it rained lightly most of the way
. It was also cold (4 and 5 C most of the way). We stopped so I could take some photos of plants, but it was only 3C, so I was back in the car pretty quickly. It was a nice drive, but it would have been better if it wasn't raining and cold - we'd have stopped at a few places. Madrid was a funky town - a bit like Oatman but larger. Lots of cafes and interesting shops.
We crawled into Santa Fe while it was snowing, and luckily came to a MacDonalds on our side of the road. So in we went to have a coffee and decide what to do next.
We booked into our motel just before midday, but couldn't get into our room. We dug out our hiking boots and beanies and went exploring. I'm glad we chose this cheap hotel close to Downtown, rather than a nicer one further out - means we can walk.
First we wandered around the Farmer's Market, then past the old train station and then headed for the Plaza
. The Plaza has a grassy park in the centre and is surrounded by museums, galleries and shops. In front of the New Mexico History Museum, a lot of traders had their goods laid out on the ground. They were well rugged up! A bit further on was the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. In the park beside the Cathedral, a lot of artists, jewelers and other craft people were set up in tents and selling their own products. I struck up a conversation with Kelly who grows and decorates gourds. They are fabulous - some look like pottery. Kelly said their tent nearly blew away in the snow storm, even though the four corners are weighted down - they shut the front and she and her husband clung to opposite corners. There was still unmelted snow next to her tent at about 2.45pm.
Time to look for a bar! We found an uncrowded restaurant/bar in Burro St, "El Agave", so Bryan had a beer and I had a margarita. Then back to the motel to get ourselves sorted out. We went back to El Agave for dinner, and we're now safely tucked up in the motel room with the heater on at 7.30pm.
Santa Fe's advertising brochure says "more than 325 days of glorious sunshine a year" - oh well, I bet they need rain too! Santa Fe is 405 years old and is at an elevation of 7,000 feet. A blend of Native American, Spanish and Anglo cultures influences everything.
Snow!!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
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