Before my days at TPG, I didn't know much about airline elite status nor did I particularly care. Lounge access and first-class upgrades felt like something only attained by road warriors who flew weekly and only saw their families on the weekends.
29.01.2025 - 00:13 / lonelyplanet.com
Jan 28, 2025 • 7 min read
Santa Fe could be one of the US’s best-kept secrets. Unlike anywhere you’ll visit in the rest of the country, New Mexico’s state capital is the oldest state capital in the nation, founded more than 400 years ago in 1607. Signs of its former (and current) residents lie all around in distinctive Southwest style – adobe architecture and low-slung red-hued desert dwellings, plus grand ornate churches brought by the Spanish.
Aside from its awesomely unique architecture and rich history, Santa Fe is geographically different. Sitting at an altitude of 7000ft, it also takes the gong for being the highest state capital in the US. The striking Sangre de Cristo Mountains (part of the Rocky Mountains) can be seen in the distance, and outdoor fans are never far away from an opportunity to hike or ski in the stunning nearby surroundings.
Santa Fe has a relatively small population for a state capital – only 90,000 residents – but its DNA is diverse, with large Hispanic and Indigenous communities, making for an exciting culinary and art scene. The best way to fuel sightseeing, boutique shopping and outdoor pursuits is with the local green chile, homegrown wine and spicy margaritas.
Summer is peak season and offers lots of events and festivals (including July’s Santa Fe Art Week, the International Folk Art Market and the Santa Fe Indian Market), but rates are high, streets can be crowded, and temperatures can be warm – ranging from 80–90°F (26–32°C). Spring is cooler and a fun time to visit for wildflowers on the nearby slopes and lingering snow-tipped peaks. Fall is the most pleasant season, when Santa Fe continues to host some festivals (including the popular Fiesta de Santa Fe, where they set fire to a 50ft-tall marionette called Zozobra and all activities (bar skiing) are open. Winter is the quietest time of year, but it is beautiful if you wrap up warm (lows of 20°F/-6ºC). This is when the landscape is covered in a blanket of snow, and winter sports enthusiasts flock to the area.
A long weekend is the perfect amount of time to spend in Santa Fe to soak up the relaxing, creative and cultural setting. The ideal three days in New Mexico's capital include wandering the city's distinctive adobe architecture, plus popping into its churches (don't miss the grand staircase at the Loretto Chapel). Fuel adventures by eating chile (try the signature breakfast burritos or green chile stew) and sinking a few citrusy cocktails on the Margarita Trail. Then it's time to get cultural at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts before picking up local arts and crafts from the characterful shops in the historic Plaza.
Unusually, this state capital only has a regional airport –
Before my days at TPG, I didn't know much about airline elite status nor did I particularly care. Lounge access and first-class upgrades felt like something only attained by road warriors who flew weekly and only saw their families on the weekends.
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