SantaFe.com

With its sunny climate and variety of tourist attractions, Santa Fe offers a stunning selection of locations and services for the perfect destination wedding. Santa Fe enjoys four distinct seasons, providing the perfect backdrop for anything from a cozy winter affair to a summer evening al fresco. Begin planning by setting a date and your budget, choosing from an array of outdoor or historic venues, and selecting an officiant from a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional options. If you want help, select an experienced local wedding planner. And don't forget to get your marriage license at the county clerk's office!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
by Hillary Welles • SantaFe.com

Sure, you can spend a small fortune on dinner at Santa Fe’s justifiably famous high-end restaurants. And really, you should—at least once in a while. But for everyday eating out (well, maybe not every day, but you know what I mean), there are plenty of establishments that won’t put quite such a dent in your wallet. So let’s explore some local eateries where a meal can be had for under $15 per person. Drinks and extras (appetizers, desserts) may put you over at some restaurants, but you’ll still get good value for your dining dollars.

In addition to the restaurants listed below, check out...

Monday, June 23, 2008
by Annie Lux • SantaFe.com

Admit it—you love watching other people. We all do; it’s an extension of our endless fascination with ourselves. We just can’t get enough eye candy. Why else would reality TV and You Tube exist?

TV and the Internet aside, the best kind of people watching happens live and in person. Whether you prefer to criticize others’ fashion choices, speculate about their lives or marvel at their mojo, people watching is always an entertaining pastime. To help you indulge your optical sweet tooth, I’m happy to share with you some of the best places to check out the endless array of characters that...

Monday, June 16, 2008
by Hillary Welles • SantaFe.com

Summer is upon us and with it the lure of the wilderness. Adding to our earlier list of great hikes, here are eight more excursions that mirror the beauty and diversity of northern New Mexico. Bring plenty of water, power bars, sunscreen, a camera, as well as a map and guide book. Again, we thank the authors of Day Hikes In the Santa Fe Area for their comprehensive overview and helpful hints, for which this article is indebted.

ASPEN VISTA – If altitude isn’t a problem, this is an easy, gradual climb that starts at 10,000 feet on a dirt road (Aspen Vista Road) and winds through groves...

Monday, June 9, 2008
by Michael French and Bill Oehlschlager (Photographer) • SantaFe.com

According to culinary historians, the Menches brothers created the “Hamburg Sandwich” in Hamburg, New York in 1885. Working as cooks at a county fair, after running out of pork for their sausage patty sandwiches, and having a supplier unwilling to butcher more hogs in the summer heat, the Menches decided to try beef instead. They found the meat to be so tasteless after they fried it, coffee and brown sugar were mixed into the patties. There were no other condiments.

Fast forward 125 years. In addition to mayo, ketchup, mustard and onions, I’m sure the Menches would have been happily...

Monday, June 2, 2008
by Tim French • SantaFe.com

How relaxed do you feel right now? If you’re tired, stressed, achy—or just can’t remember the last time you gave your body, mind, and spirit a much-needed break—take a deep, cleansing breath and thank your lucky stars that you’re in Santa Fe. The City Different reportedly boasts more massage therapists per capita than any other city in the United States. Whether you want to de-stress, detoxify, or simply sink into divine bliss, you’re in the right place!

The only problem with such an abundance of massage options is that just deciding where to get a massage can add even more tension to your...

Monday, May 26, 2008
by Hillary Welles • SantaFe.com

“How do they do that?” If you’ve ever wondered how to compose a poem or use a potter’s wheel (without covering yourself in sludge), your next question may have been, “How can I learn to do that?” The answer is to take a class and in a curious town like Santa Fe; classes, workshops and seminars abound. Have a creative bent? Love literature? Wish you could make a molé as sublime as the one you tasted downtown? It’s all here. So, if you’re looking to draw your first portrait or wrap your head around Hamlet, keep reading. You may just find yourself looking forward to the first day of school.

Monday, May 12, 2008
by AnnMarie McLaughlin • SantaFe.com

Once upon a time I though Holistic Healing was a marketing ploy for hacks dispensing essential oils. That was BMC: Before My Conversion. I have a traditional doctor, a “western doctor,” as they become known once you understand the difference between a prescription and a manifestation, but he’s just there for physicals and the very occasional round of antibiotics. For everything else there’s an alternative therapy. Holistic Healing in a nutshell is all about treating the whole person. It’s also about energy; moving it, circulating it and releasing it. You just have to go outside and stand in...

Friday, April 18, 2008
by AnnMarie McLaughlin • SantaFe.com

Maybe we’re not Colorado, but Santa Fe offers no shortage of rewarding day hikes, from easy to challenging, depending on terrain, altitude, and one’s wilderness experience and level of fitness. For a comprehensive description of 60 terrific hikes (including maps), check out the sixth edition of Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area, authored by the Northern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club. What constitutes a satisfying outdoors experience is highly subjective, but here are ten hikes of varying grades of difficulty, and varying degrees of beauty and remoteness. From high desert mesas to rugged...

Monday, March 31, 2008
by Michael French • SantaFe.com

The two of you, alone at last. Will it be a sweeping vista or a grassy knoll where you two find your bliss? A date with your soul mate? No way! This is a sure thing with your lunchtime sandwich. Maybe you're one of those people who hasn’t fisted a sandwich since grade school or maybe you’re the type who dutifully packs your own lunch every day and eats it in the office kitchen. Enough of that! Get out into the world with your favorite lunch date. It’s just true: sandwiches taste better surrounded by beauty.

Right downtown beside St. Francis Cathedral this is a shady spot that stays cool...

Monday, March 24, 2008
by AnnMarie McLaughlin • SantaFe.com