Santa Fe, with its thriving opera festival, and the nearby artists' colony of Taos, has plenty to offer visitors to New Mexico, writes KATE BATEMAN
IT’S A TOSS-UP whether New Mexico owes its allure to its natural beauty or to its vibrant culture born of its contested history between Native Americans and Spanish Conquistadores. Santa Fe was a settlement as early as 1050 when the Tewa people lived in some harmony with other Indian Pueblo villagers. Over time Spaniards invaded the territory, converted the people and appropriated the area. However, following two wars, New Mexico was accepted into the Union.
Today, New Mexicanos casually refer to themselves as Native American (or Indian); or Spanish (sometimes, Hispanic or Latinos), and everybody else is Anglo – no matter that they are American of German, French, Italian, Asian or Irish extraction.
New Mexico, Land of Enchantment, as its number plates proclaim, became the 47th State in 1912, so for 2012 the State of New Mexico is en fête and nowhere more so than the capital, Santa Fe, and Taos, the historic art colony.
The SF City Council offers training to its older, civic-minded residents to become guides for the many visitors, settlers, archaeologists, ethnologists and adventurers who are drawn to the city. Nancy Nofield, a volunteer with the Bienvenidos, (guides) at the Plaza Visitors Bureau, gave me a map marked with the most interesting, historic hotels and a list of the mandatory “must sees”. A few more clicks on the computer and a package, which included dinner, transport and seat at the Santa Fe Opera materialised. Another reservation was made for a session of south-west cooking at the Santa Fe School of Cookery.
Food, art, music are the main preoccupations of the citizens of Santa Fe and Taos. The latter is still a small art village, while Santa Fe combines the seriousness of a state capital and university town with a sense of celebration, where food and vibrant conversation matter.
SANTA FE
My search for accommodation became a cultural tour because each hostelry visited was architecturally interesting in its own right. Bishop's Lodge, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, was originally the summer retreat of Archbishop Lamy, who Willa Cather fictionalised in her novel, Death Comes for the Archbishop.
A few yards from the Plaza is an elegant BB, The Madeleine, a Queen Anne-style turreted building built in 1886 when Santa Fe’s railyard became the terminus for a spur of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line — yes, as sung by Judy Garland. Another option, La Fonda on the Plaza, the final stop on the Santa Fe Trail still smacks of a comfortable place at journey’s end. Santa Fe is sited around the Plaza, a handsome square.
The city is committed to the arts of every kind – painting, ceramics, dance, music. It has an impressive opera house just a few miles outside the city boundary. Each year the opera season attracts heavyweight critical attention and it is on the savviest opera-goers' calendars. This year there is Irish interest, with mezzo-soprano, Patricia Bardon due to sing Calbo in Rossini's Maometto.
The 2012 festival will run from June 29th to August 25th. Familiar and less well-known operas on the bill include Tosca; The Pearl Fishers; King Rogerand Strauss's Arabella.Last year an opera package comprising dinner, transport and seats for two cost $350, but you can also buy single seats, costing from $30. See santafeopera.org.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is a calm space where the artist’s lifetime’s work can be contemplated. By way of contrast, the commercial buzz of the Canyon Road galleries is not to be missed.
Dorothy Massey’s independent bookshop, Collected Works, is where opera-goers purchase local critic Desiree Mays’ book of essays on the music and libretti of the current year’s operas. In this area, craft-shops abound. Passementrie, with its mix of fashion and exotic hand-made clothes, combines art with fashion.
At the Saturday session of the Santa Fe School of Cooking I attended, there were 16 out-of-towners learning from chef Jeremiah Schultz. After being assigned tables, aprons and knives, shown the four double gas rings and read the health and safety rules, we set to work on tortillas and sauces. Three hours later we headed home with the knowledge that though the Anaheim chilli pepper is king, the jalapeno is the hottest.
TAOS
Taos is best known outside the US for its literary and artistic coteries, but every American school child will be familiar from pictures in their history books with the glistening mica walls of Taos pueblo’s multi-storied adobe buildings. Today it’s a designated Unesco World Heritage site.
Taos got its first influx of artists in 1898 and by 1915 it was an established artistic colony. Mabel Dodge Luhan and her wealthy husband were at the centre of a dazzling coterie of talented individuals who she entertained at the “cottage soirees” in the mews buildings. Her guest book records Carl Jung, Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, and D.H. and Frieda Lawrence. The Lodge now hosts artistic and educational workshops on a commercial basis.
The small town’s artistic atmosphere is palpable — but some say it’s more faux than real.
Just off the tiny town square is Doc Martin’s restaurant – not the same Doc of the boots fame, though he was a similarly individualistic figure. This Doc Martin, with Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumensheim, founded the Taos Society of Artists in 1890 in the Doc’s own dining room which is now the restaurant.
On the Taos to Santa Fe road another take on New Mexico is the monumental Buffalo Thunder Casino. Its vast size and huge sculptures reveal a thrusting Native-American culture with hefty aspirations. There is a temptation to correlate its airport-terminal proportions with its owners’ ambitions for a place in the American sun. Even for a non-gambler, Buffalo Thunder is more than a just a stop between Taos and Santa Fe.
Santa Fe: where to . . .
STAY
Accommodation is negotiable and includes variables such as: numbers in party, room size, with/without views; and most importantly, time of year. So bargain for your bed. It is best to locate as near the Plaza as your budget allows. La Posada de Santa Fe is relaxing and spacious, but the rates are steep; $260-$375 for a double room. Tel: 001-505-986-0000, laposadadesantafe.com
Hotel Santa Fe is in the Railyard district, very close to the town centre. Its prices are very negotiable, ranging from $130-$190 in high season for double rooms. Tel: 001-855-825-9876, hotelsantafe.com.
EAT
Amaya at the Hotel Santa Fe offers a prix fixe menu for $23 (three courses with two/three choices within them; all delicious). Doc Martin’s, at Taos Inn since 1936, offers a brunch that includes vegetarian eggs benedict for $11. Burro Alley Café on San Francisco Street in Santa Fe (main courses $12-$15) has hearty food with lots of flavour
GO
The Santa Fe School of Cooking has a variety of classes including hands-on ($98); demonstration ($70) and three-day bootcamps ($1,150). Tel: 001-505-983-4511, santafeschoolofcooking.com.
The city of Santa Fe has an excellent museum ticketing system — most have single entry ticket at between $8-$10, as well as a variety of other multi-venue and combinations of varying durations.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum on Johnson Street, (NM residents: $5, out of state visitors: $10; seniors $8)
HOW TO GET THERE
Aer Lingus to Chicago, connecting, via American Airlines, to Albequerque. It’s a 60-minute drive from there to Santa Fe. For details contact Sandia Shuttle Express, tel: 001-888-830-3410.
There is a rail and bus service from the airport (with a limited timetable). Consult Amtrak ( amtrak.com).