Final Thoughts On Santa Fe

All in all, my sister Susan and I had a very pleasant weekend in Santa Fe. It is referred to as "The City Different" and it really truly is. I was able to do a lot of walking around the place, and so was able to take many photographs, which I really enjoy doing. I remember my old University of Denver photography professor, Roddy MacInnes, talking about a friend who really loved photography, took all kinds of photographs using a film camera, and when the rolls were finished, simply threw them in a drawer and never had them developed. And I actually really get that. However, with that said, and since this is now the digital age, I intend to show some of my photos, for better or worse, such as the one on the left of the entrance to The Shed, my favorite restaurant in Santa Fe. This restaurant has been in operation since 1953 (my birth year), and is located in Prince Patio, an adobe hacienda that dates back to 1692. The food is great, it is located just off the Santa Fe Plaza, and best of all, has very reasonable prices. We went early to make a reservation for 5:30, when the place opened, and when we arrived, the line to get a table was out the door. It is that good.

Santa Fe is probably best known for its art galleries, of which there are many. I never actually went into any of them on this trip, not wanting to give the owner false hope, although I was very tempted to go into a gallery featuring the work of R.C. Gorman. He was very popular when I first started visiting Santa Fe back in the early 1980s (I think), and I really like his work. Sadly, he passed away in 2005. I hadn't given him much thought in years, until I saw that gallery featuring his paintings. I suspect I might have to win Powerball to buy one his artworks these days, and so I just walked on. But I have to say that many of the art galleries are works of art themselves, such as the one just off the plaza in the photograph on the right.

I was walking a few blocks south of downtown to take photographs of the San Miguel Chapel (built in 1610), said to be the oldest church in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico), as well as one of the oldest houses in the country, located just across the street, and passed the courtyard of another art gallery, where I took the photograph on the left. There is a story about the statue of the woman holding the lantern that the owner was relating to a couple of female gallery hoppers, but I did not hear the details. Places to go, things to do. Maybe I'll find out all about it next time.

One of those things to do was walk the length of Canyon Road, which is an art district with more than a hundred galleries and studios. Some of the galleries are located in ancient adobe haciendas, such as the one in the photograph on the right, and some are located in newer structures, the very newest built to fit in with its neighbors. Parking is at a premium here, and so I usually find a spot in the residential neighborhood at the beginning of the district, and walk uphill from there.

The scenery on this road is wonderful, such as the view of what I believe is an art gallery in the photograph on the left. It could be a home, of course, and if it is, I will definitely make an offer for it when I win Powerball. After all, I will need to have somewhere to hang all those Gormans.

Speaking of houses, how about this little number located on a side street just off Canyon Road. Perhaps the Gormans would fit better here. Since it is located just off Canyon Road, I suspect it would sell at a more reasonable price. I was often tempted to go up and ring the doorbell of some of these places, and make them an offer (I could probably afford $300,000 if I sold my condo in Denver), but was afraid they would just take out a gun and shoot me, assuming they have a "Make My Day" law in New Mexico like they do in Colorado. New Mexico, after all, has the third highest number of gun-related deaths in the country. Of course, most of those gun-related deaths probably take place in Albuquerque, where the governor imposed a 30 day moratorium on carrying guns in public last week, due to all the recent shootings there, provoking outrage and threats of impeachment. But I digress.

As I headed back to my car, I was very much tempted to make an offer on the piece of art in the photograph on the left. I know it wouldn't fit on the balcony of my condo, but perhaps my HOA would be willing to buy it and put it out in front of the building. I could tie it to the roof of my car when we headed back to Denver Monday morning, after breakfast once again at Pantry Rio, which I also throughly recommend. Sadly, I am afraid I will have to wait until the next monthly homeowners meeting to broach the subject, and had to leave that wonderful rooster behind. Hopefully nobody will snap it up before I return with a check for the two or three hundred dollars they are probably asking for it. Keep your fingers crossed, everybody!